Saint Ferdinand III of Castile

Ferdinand was born around 1199 near Zamora, Spain, the son of King Alfonso IX of León and Queen Berenguela of Castile. In 1217 his mother handed him the crown of Castile, and in 1230 he also inherited León, uniting the two kingdoms for good. He was known as a fair ruler who cared for the poor, kept taxes moderate and was devoted to prayer and to the Virgin Mary.

Ferdinand led the Christian reconquest of much of southern Spain, taking Córdoba in 1236, Jaén in 1246 and Seville in 1248, where he converted the great mosque into a cathedral. He supported the building of the cathedrals of Burgos and Toledo and helped the University of Salamanca grow. He was the father of King Alfonso X the Wise. He died in Seville on May 30, 1252, having received the sacraments with great humility, and was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671.

His body rests in the Royal Chapel of Seville Cathedral, where it is shown to the faithful on his feast. Seville celebrates its patron with Masses and civic honors, and many places in Spain and the Americas bear his name, including San Fernando in Cádiz, San Fernando Valley in California and San Fernando in Trinidad and the Philippines.