During his childhood and adolescence, Francisco Garate was bound to see the Jesuits being expelled from Loyola, first in 1868 by the "gloriosa revolución" of the First Republic, and later on in 1870, in the wake of the carlist revolt of Azpeitia and Azcoitia. This is why, when he wanted to join the Society in 1874, he had to do so at Poyanne, France, where the Castile Province had its novitiate since 1869. Two years later, he took his first religious vows at Poyanne itself, which he left on 29 October 1877 to be sacristan and infirmarian in the college of La Guardia. He took his Last Vows there on 15 August 1887. Toward the end of March 1888 he was appointed to the University of Deusto, where he was Doorkeeper and Sacristan for over 41 years, till his death on 9 September 1929.
