St. Isidore the Farmer, also known as St. Isidore the Laborer, was a Spanish laboring man.  Born near Madrid, around 1070, he lived there until his death on May 15,1130.  He served on the farm of a rich man named Juan de Vargas.  Each morning before going to work he attended Mass in one of the churches in Madrid.

His fellow workers once complained that Isidore always came to work late.  When de Vergas investigated the charge, he found Isidore at prayer while an angel did his plowing.  Another time de Vergas saw two angels plowing with the saint, one angel on either side.  Moved by these events and Isadore’s goodness and because he was such a good worker, de Vergas allowed him to worship daily in the chapel on his property.

Isidore credited the angels with helping him plow his fields three times more quickly than other farmers.

Isidore eventually married a woman named Mary Torriba, and together they had a son.  However, their son died while still very young.  Through this they realized that it was the will of God for them not have children, so they lived together chastely the rest of their lives doing good works.

Renowned for his love of the poor, St. Isidore miraculously found food for those in need on numerous occasions.  He was credited with multiplication of food, one time feeding a very large group of beggars.  Although he himself remained poor, he gave whatever he could spare to the poor.

He is also known for his love of animals.  One tale says that as he walked to the mill one day, he stopped and gave half of the corn in his sack to the hungry birds.  By the time he got to the mill, his sack had miraculously filled up again.

St. Isidore died in 1130 of natural causes.  On March 12, 1622, he was enrolled among the saints of the Church in very distinguished company.  On that day, Pope Gregory XV canonized St. Isidore along with St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis Xavier and St. Philip Neri. St. Isidore’s wife, Maria Torribia, is also a canonized saint, Saint Mary de la Cabeza.

St. Isidore is the patron saint of agriculture, agricultural workers, day laborers and brick layers and peasants.  He is also the patron of the cities of Seville, Madrid, Leon and Saragossa.  In the United States, he was named patron of the National Rural Life Conference in 1947.

The body of St. Isadore remains incorrupt to this day, and many miracles and cures have been reported at his grave.