Pere Tarrés i Claret was born on 30 May 1905 in Manresa, in Catalonia, Spain, into a devout, working-class family. From childhood he showed a cheerful and generous spirit, helping in a local pharmacy and being encouraged to pursue studies in medicine. Early on he became involved in Christian youth movements, especially the Federation of Young Christians of Catalonia, where he combined zeal for evangelization with a deep devotion to the Eucharist and to Mary.

After completing his medical training, Pere worked as a physician in Barcelona and, along with Dr. Gerardo Manresa, founded a clinic dedicated to caring for those unable to afford care, especially targeting tuberculosis patients. During the Spanish Civil War he served as a medical aide in the Republican army for eight months, treating the wounded under difficult and dangerous conditions. His wartime experiences deepened his conviction that he was called not only to heal bodies but to be a “doctor of souls,” prompting him to enter the seminary in 1939. He was ordained a priest in 1942 and thereafter combined pastoral duties, theological studies, and service to the poor, becoming deeply trusted as a confessor, chaplain, and spiritual director.

In 1950, Pere was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer and, accepting his illness with serenity, he offered his suffering for the sanctification of priests. He died on 31 August 1950 in the very clinic he had helped establish, aged 45, living out a final testimony of charity, sacrifice, and pastoral concern. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2004.