(
Porta de São Gonçalo) Gundisalvus was of humble origin, born in the city of
Lagos, in the
Algarve, in an uncertain date around 1360. Having shown a vocation for religious life from an early age, he joined the
Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine at the
Convent of Our Lady of Grace in
Lisbon c. 1380, at around age 20. By 1394, he was the
prior of the Convent of Saint Lawrence in
Miragaia,
Lourinhã; by 1404 he was the superior of the important
Convent of Our Lady of Grace in
Lisbon, and by 1408 he was governing the
Convent of Our Lady of Grace in
Santarém, Portugal. From 1412 and until his death in 1422, he was the prior of the
Convent of Our Lady of Grace in
Torres Vedras. As a superior, he was known to perform menial jobs in a conscious effort to humble himself in
imitation of Christ. == Legacy ==