Catholic Saints Podcast – St. Didicus

Produced by: Augustine Institute
Host: Taylor Kemp
Guest: Dr. Scott Heffelfinger
Date: November 13, 2025
Episode Focus: Exploring the life, spirituality, and legacy of the little-known St. Didicus

Episode Overview

This episode introduces listeners to St. Didicus, a humble yet remarkable 15th-century Spanish Franciscan. Despite being almost unknown—even to the hosts—St. Didicus' life demonstrates a unique path to holiness, blending solitude, manual labor, missionary work, and contemplative prayer. Taylor Kemp and Dr. Scott Heffelfinger use humor and warmth to draw out both spiritual lessons and interesting historical connections, notably St. Didicus’ surprising link to San Diego, California.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Who Was St. Didicus? (01:20–07:41)

• Early Life and Unusual Calling

  • Born c. 1400 in San Nicolás, southwest Spain, to a pious family.
  • Notably lived as a child hermit, guided by a hermit priest—an extremely rare path.
  • “This is the first time that I’ve come across… a child hermit. That’s quite unique.” – Taylor (02:01)
  • Eremitical life defined as voluntary removal from society for solitude, penance, and prayer.

• Religious Life and Manual Labor

  • Entered a reformed branch of the Franciscans (Order of Friars Minor) as a lay brother.
  • Supported his community with manual labor, highlighting the sanctity of trades.

• Mission to the Canary Islands

  • Sent as a missionary, ultimately becoming superior of the Franciscans on Fuerteventura due to his holiness—a rare role for a lay brother.
  • Defended indigenous people, which created opposition, leading to his recall to Spain.

• Miraculous Healing and Final Years

  • During a trip to Rome, an epidemic struck; St. Didicus became renowned for healing the sick, with some miraculous healings attributed to him.
  • Spent last years in Alcala, Spain, devoted to penance and contemplative solitude.

• Canonization and Patronage

  • Died at age 63 in 1463; canonized just over a century later.
  • First Franciscan lay brother to be canonized; patron saint of Franciscan brothers and Franciscan laity.

St. Didicus’ Legacy: San Diego Connection (07:41–08:02)

• San Diego, California, is named after St. Didicus (San Diego de Alcalá), not St. James as commonly believed.
  • “San Diego, California is named after him… I didn’t know at all, I just assumed it was a different Diego…” – Scott (07:32)
• Spanish explorers held a first Mass on his feast day and named the settlement in his honor.

Marks of Holiness and Unique Vocation (08:03–12:38)

• Extraordinary and Ordinary Paths

  • Reflecting on the rarity and extremity of a child hermit’s vocation.
  • Discussion on “detachment from our own vision of holiness” and letting God lead.
  • Traditional traits: love of the poor, obedience, penance, radical charity.

• Cautions on Imitation

  • “We shouldn’t do what the saints do until we see as the saints see.” – Dr. Scott Heffelfinger (09:49)
  • Saints’ extreme penances—like Didicus’—arise from a deep knowledge of sin and God’s call, not to be imitated without discernment.
  • The importance of understanding suffering from a redemptive perspective, referencing St. John of the Cross.

Lessons for Today: Manual Labor and Sacred Music (12:58–16:25)

• Value of Manual Labor

  • Didicus' humility in manual work as a spiritual and human good.
  • “It’s important for natural reasons to stay connected with real things, to work with our hands, but also for supernatural reasons… maybe it’s just good for us as human beings and as Christians.” – Scott (13:16)

• Sanctifying the Ordinary

  • Call to integrate ordinary, menial tasks into the quest for holiness—as Didicus did.

• Dying with Sacred Song

  • Story: St. Didicus died singing a church chant about the Cross.
  • The consoling role of rote prayers and sacred music, especially in times of suffering or at life’s end.
  • “How beautiful is it in his story… to die with the words of a beautiful sacred hymn, like, on my lips.” – Scott (15:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Child Hermits:
  “Imagine being… a parent and your child’s kind of like, ‘I’m going out, I’m going in the desert.’”
  – Taylor (02:06)

• On Spiritual Detachment:
  “…just detachment to even our own vision of how we attain to holiness is necessary to allow God to sanctify us.”
  – Taylor (03:02)

• On Once-Unknown Saints:
  “Maybe just how fun it is to discover some of these relatively unknown saints… What a treasure we have in the saints.”
  – Scott (16:47)

Practical Takeaways

• Let God Lead in Holiness: Don’t attempt radical penances or emulate the saints’ extremes without interior readiness and spiritual discernment.
• Embrace Manual Work: Recognize—and sanctify—the value in humble work and ordinary tasks.
• Foster Spiritual Habits: Lean on the Church’s prayers and chants during trials, as Didicus did at his death.

Key Timestamps

• 01:20: Introduction to St. Didicus’ background and vocation
• 03:29: Entrance into the Franciscans, missionary work, defense of island peoples
• 06:18: Miracle stories and healing ministry in Rome
• 07:41: Surprising naming of San Diego after St. Didicus
• 09:42: Discussion on unique calls to holiness and penance
• 12:58: Lessons from Didicus: humility, labor, and the spiritual life
• 15:23: The power of sacred chant and prayer in difficult moments
• 16:47: Closing thoughts on discovering lesser-known saints

Conclusion

Taylor Kemp and Dr. Scott Heffelfinger highlight St. Didicus as an unexpected model of holiness—a blend of the extraordinary and the humble. They urge listeners to discover lesser-known saints, appreciate the sanctity of ordinary work, and trust God’s unique path for each of us. Through Didicus’ story, the podcast models both admiration and gentle realism about the journey to sanctity.