Ignatius Spencer (1799–1864), a figure of great significance in the history of the Spencer family, stands apart from his illustrious relatives. While the Spencers reached their zenith in wealth during the eighteenth century, ascended to political prominence in the nineteenth, and became icons of celebrity by the twentieth, Ignatius chose a very different path. Renouncing his noble birth and vast inheritance, this great, great, great uncle of Princess Diana dedicated his life to serving the poor. As a member of the austere Passionist order, he donned the rough black habit and humbly begged his way across the British Isles and beyond, spreading the message of faith and hope.

Welcomed by popes, cardinals, and aristocrats, yet beloved by the poor and destitute, Ignatius was a beacon of compassion, especially in Ireland. Even amid the devastation of the Great Famine (1845–52) and the rise of Irish nationalism, this son of a former First Lord of the Admiralty and brother to key figures in the British government won the admiration of thousands. His tireless journeys through Ireland, preaching in countless churches and chapels, earned him the love of the people, despite his humble appearance and the stark contrasts between his noble lineage and his chosen life of poverty.

This book tells the extraordinary story of a nineteenth-century figure who was viewed by some as ‘a dirty, mad mendicant,’ but by many others as a saint. Today, Father Ignatius Spencer, already recognised for his life of heroic virtue, is being considered for canonization, a testament to his enduring spiritual legacy.