During Sunday's Mass of Canonization, the Pope said that Spanish Dominican Father Francisco Coll (1812-1875), founder of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, "eagerly dedicated himself to [the] proclamation [of the Gospel], faithfully accomplishing his vocation in the Order of Preachers, in which he worked."  The Pope also said that Fr. Coll "reached the hearts of others because he transmitted what he himself lived with passion, that which burned in his heart: the love of Christ, his devotion to Him."

Fr. Coll was canonized with four other blesseds, including Fr. Damian de Veuster, the famous leper priest of Molokai.  To read the Holy Father's homily in its entirety, click here.

Below is a brief sketch of the life of St. Francisco Coll.

Francisco Coll y Guitart, O.P. was born on May 18, 1812 in Gombren (Cataluna) Spain. He joined the Minor Seminary of his home Diocese of Vic in 1822. In 1830, he joined the Dominicans in the Convent of Santo Domingo de Vic. He made religious profession in 1831 and was ordained a priest on May 28, 1836. He died in Vic on April 2, 1875. He was a popular preacher of missions in various dioceses of North Eastern Spain. Those who knew him characterized his life by his fervent zeal for preaching; he prayed long hours, studied, and dedicated a great deal of time to preparing the sermons for his missions. He believed in the efficacy of collaboration in preaching missions. Hence, he collaborated with diocesan priests, Jesuits, Claretians, Augustinians, and fellow Dominicans in preaching missions, and novenas. His missions were popular with Bishops and diocesan priests. He was a friend of Saint Anthony Mary Claret with whom he founded the "apostolic fellowship" for evangelization in 1846.