Today, April 4, is the commemoration of Saint Isidore of Seville.
Doctor of the Church.
Isidore was born in 560 in Cartagena, Spain. He was the son of pious couple Severianus and Theodora. He was the brother of St. Fulgentius of Ecija, St. Florentina of Cartagena, and St. Leander of Seville.
At first he did poorly in his studies. Things turned around when Isidore entrusted his perseverance to God. In time he was recognized for his intelligence. He became a priest and assisted his brother Leander, Archbishop of Seville, in the conversion of the Visigoth Arians.
He succeeded Leander and became Archbishop of Seville in 601.
He required seminaries in every diocese, and wrote a rule for religious orders.
He wrote a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths, and a history of the world beginning with creation, among many things he authored. He completed the Mozarabic liturgy which is still in use in Toledo, Spain. He presided at the Second Council of Seville, and the Fourth Council of Toledo. The saint introduced the works of Aristotle to Spain.
Isidore died in 635. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1722, and became the leading candidate for patron of computer users and the internet in 1999.