The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, in celebrating the feast day of St. Isidore on Monday, praised Isidore for his dedication to teaching.

"Today is the feast of St. Isidore of Seville, a bishop and scholar who helped preserve the traditions of the Church in the early middle ages," the diocese posted on Facebook Monday. "In 653, St. Isidore was described by a council of bishops as 'an illustrious teacher of our time and the glory of the Catholic Church.' He is one of the last of the early Church Fathers, a preserver of the wisdom and knowledge of the past and also the patron saint of the internet. St. Isidore, please pray for us!" 

Isidore was born in the year 560 in Spain, a report on Britannica.com said. In 600, he became Archbishop of Seville and led the Council of Toledo in 633. This council was responsible for establishing uniformity across Spanish Masses, calling for Jews to not be discriminated against, and setting up a union between church and state. 

Isidore also continued the work of his brother, St. Leander, in converting people from Arianism to Christianity, Britannica said. Pope Clement VIII canonized Isidore in 1598, and Pope Innocent XIII declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1722.

"Doctor of the Church" is an official title that a pope can give an individual who has made significant and lasting contributions to the church, a report by Crossroads Initiative said. Throughout the Catholic Church's history, only 36 people have ever been bestowed with the title. There are three requirements for being named a Doctor of the Church: "1) holiness that is truly outstanding, even among saints; 2) deep understanding of doctrine; and 3) an extensive body of writings which the church can recommend as an expression of the authentic and life-giving Catholic Tradition." 

St. Isidore has been suggested to be patron saint of the internet, even though he lived long before the internet came into existence, a report by Franciscan Media said. The reason for the designation is that he was sometimes called the "Schoolmaster of the Middle Ages" because an encyclopedia he wrote was used as a textbook for 900 years. 

St. Isidore passed away on April 4, 636. His life is celebrated on the anniversary of his death.