Martyrs of Brazil
Profile
On 25 December 1597 an expedition of colonists, with two Jesuit and two Franciscan evangelists, arrived at Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The region was colonized by Portuguese Catholics, but was invaded by Dutch Calvinists who soon took over the whole territory. They immediately made a policy of the persecution of Catholics. On Sunday 16 July 1645 at Cunhau, Brazil, 69 people were gathered in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Candles for Mass celebrated by Father Andre de Soveral. At the moment of the elevation a group of Dutch soldiers attack the Chapel, murdering many of the faithful including Father Andre; the parishioners died professing their faith, and asking pardon for their sins. On 3 October 1645 200 armed Indians and a band of Flemish troops, led by a fanatical Calvinist convert, hacked to death an unknown number of people of Rio Grande including
- Saint Ambrosio Francisco Ferro
- Saint André de Soveral
- Saint Antônio Baracho
- Saint Antônio Vilela
- Saint Antônio Vilela Cid
- Saint Diogo Pereira
- Saint Domingos Carvalho
- Saint Estêvão Machado de Miranda
- Saint Francisco de Bastos
- Saint Francisco Mendes Pereira
- Saint João da Silveira
- Saint João Lostau Navarro
- Saint João Martins
- Saint José do Porto
- Saint Manuel Rodrigues de Moura
- Saint Mateus Moreira
- Saint Simão Correia
- Saint Vicente de Souza Pereira
and other lay people whose names have not come down to us.
- 15 October 2017 by Pope Francis
- canonization recognition celebrated at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Italy presided by Pope Francis
MLA Citation
- “Martyrs of Brazil“. CatholicSaints.Info. 30 June 2023. Web. 28 March 2024. <>