Biography
Joseph Oriol
About Joseph Oriol
Joseph Oriol was born in Barcelona in 1650 and became a priest of that city. From 1687 he served at Santa Maria del Pi. The basilica remembers a man who shared much of his income with poor neighbors and tended sick people with practical care and prayer. His simple diet brought him the nickname *doctor Pa i Aigua*, or “doctor bread and water.”
Oriol lived through a troubled period in Barcelona. The archdiocese's historical account notes his concern for soldiers outside the city walls during French attacks. Later devotion described cures attributed to him, but his documented service to vulnerable people is itself central to his memory. He died in Barcelona on March 23, 1702.
Pope Pius X canonized Joseph in 1909. Santa Maria del Pi remains closely associated with him, and the Catalan church calendar keeps his commemoration on March 23. His local sources give November 23, 1650 for birth; one Vic diocesan article gives November 22, so the structured birth date should remain at year precision unless a baptismal record resolves the day.
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