Brother TOMÁS CANET GARCÍA

Born at Luchente (Valencia) on 8 October 1902.

Died at Sant Boi de Llobregat (Barcelona) on 7 October 1984.

Brother Tomás was an commendable Brother who spent his Religious life in two Houses: in Valencia and in Sant Boi. In Valencia he worked as an almoner for 28 years. He was tireless in his apostolic work and, driven by his total dedication to his vow of Hospitality, and left an indelible impression on all those who met him on his travels. He was later transferred to the hospital at Sant Boi, where he remained until his death. There he dedicated himself to serving the most humble of the sick (in the disabilities unit).

He was a man of deep faith, biblical wisdom and a heart imbued with the gift of hospitality and on his deathbed he would repeat: "If I suffer with Christ, I live with Christ; if I die with Christ, I rise with Christ" (cf. 2 Tim 2:11 and 1 Cor 15:54-57).

On the eve of his funeral, in addition to hearing the Word of God, two testimonies of Brother Tomás were read: the letter he wrote to his family when he entered the Order, and his consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The day of the funeral was a time of great emotion, but an atmosphere of confident joy reign throughout celebrating the rebirth to new life of the unforgettable and exemplary Brother.

In 1989, the Hospitaller Order incorporated a not-for-profit Foundation in Sant Boi, named after Brother Tomás Canet, to improve and foster the personal development, social integration and safeguarding of people with mental illness.