Hi,
Saint of the Day January 16, 2003
St. Berard and Companions
Preaching the gospel is often dangerous work. Leaving
one’s homeland and adjusting to new cultures,
governments and languages is difficult enough; but
martyrdom sometimes caps all the other sacrifices.
In 1219 with the blessing of St. Francis, Berard left
Italy with Peter, Adjute, Accurs, Odo and Vitalis to
preach in Morocco. En route in Spain Vitalis became
sick and commanded the other friars to continue their
mission without him.
They tried preaching in Seville, then in Muslim hands,
but made no converts. They went on to Morocco where
they preached in the marketplace. The friars were
immediately apprehended and ordered to leave the
country; they refused. When they began preaching
again, an exasperated sultan ordered them executed.
After enduring severe beatings and declining various
bribes to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ, the
friars were beheaded by the sultan himself on January
16, 1220.
These were the first Franciscan martyrs. When Francis
heard of their deaths, he exclaimed, "Now I can truly
say that I have five Friars Minor!" Their relics were
brought to Portugal where they prompted a young
Augustinian canon to join the Franciscans and set off
for Morocco the next year. That young man was Anthony
of Padua. These five martyrs were canonized in 1481.
love + prayers,
Joseachayan / Jeddah / Saudi Arabia
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