Francis Palau was born on 29th of December 1811 in Aytona (Spain).
In 1828, he entered the seminary of Lèrida. After completing the three years of philosophical studies and finishing the first course of theology, in 1832 he joined the Order of Discalced Carmelites where, in the following year, he made his vows. Forced by political circumstances to live outside the cloister, he was able to receive priestly ordination in Barbastro in 1836.
After a long period of stay in France (1840 - 1851), he returned to Spain and devoted himself to the ministry of preaching and popular missions, especially in Barcelona and the Balearic Islands. It was there that in the years 1860 - 1861 he took care of the organization of some women's groups giving rise to what are now called the Teresian Carmelite Missionary Sisters and the Carmelite Missionary Sisters. He also founded a family of Brothers of Charity, now extinct.
He died in Tarragona on 20th of March 1872.
The beatification ceremony took place on April 24, 1988.
