Isabel Cristina Mrad Campos (29 July 1962 – 1 September 1982) was a Brazilian Catholic laywoman. She served as a Vincentian in her parish, although she never formally joined the movement. In her spare time, she devoted herself to faith. She was often seen doing Eucharistic adoration and attending

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

. She wanted to study

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

and become a

pediatrician Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many of their youth ...

to take care of underprivileged children, but was murdered in her apartment after an attempted rape. Her

beatification Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the p ...

process began on 26 January 2001. On 27 October 2020,

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

acknowledged that Cristina was killed ''in odium fidei'' ("in hatred of faith"), approving the ceremony of her beatification, which occurred 10 December 2022. She is the first

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

of the Brazilian state of

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...

Life

Isabel Cristina Mrad Campos was born on 29 July 1962 in

Barbacena Barbacena is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. As of 2020, the municipality had 138,204 inhabitants. The total area of the municipality is . Barbacena is known for its strong Italian influence. The Rodrigo Silva Colonial Nucl ...

to José Mendes Campos and Helena Mrad; her brother was Roberto. Her

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

was celebrated on 15 August in the local parish church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade in Barbacena; she received her

Confirmation In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant (religion), covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. The ceremony typically involves laying on o ...

on 22 April 1965 in the San José basilica from Archbishop Oscar de Oliveira before making her

First Communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion (ot ...

at the school that the Vincentian Sisters managed on 26 October 1969. Mrad Campos, affectionately known as 'Cris', studied at the Immaculata College that the Vincentian Sisters managed, becoming known for her kindness and for her above-average intelligence that set her apart from her peers. During this time, she often helped the poor or the old, providing them with food or other essential supplies. During this period, she joined the Young Vincentians which came under the umbrella of the main group. Her goal in life was to become a

to care for poor children, also hoping to do this in Africa. On 15 August 1982, she relocated to

Juiz de Fora Juiz de Fora (; ), also known as J.F., is a city in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, approximately from the state border with Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro. According to the 2022 census the current population is 54 ...

alongside her brother Roberto to a small rented apartment that was located near the church and school where Mrad Campos was to take her medical entrance examination. Upon moving in, she immediately began cleaning it and purchasing new furnishings. However, on 30 August, she hired the

tradesman A tradesperson or tradesman/tradeswoman is a skilled worker that specialises in a particular trade. Tradespeople (tradesmen/women) usually gain their skills through work experience, on-the-job training, an apprenticeship program or formal educ ...

Maurilio Almeida Oliveira to install a new

wardrobe A wardrobe, also called armoire or almirah, is a standing closet used for storing clothes. The earliest wardrobe was a chest, and it was not until some degree of luxury was attained in regal palaces and the castles of powerful nobles that sep ...

since he was reputable, reliable, and had reasonable prices for his services. The two began having a conversation, however, she grew gradually uncomfortable at his many suggestive comments, asking her to go on a date with him, despite her asking him to finish his work promptly and telling him that she was not interested. He then told her that he needed to leave to get a missing part so that he could install it either the next day or the one after that. After her brother returned, she told him of the encounter. Almeida Oliveira returned on 1 September and attacked her in an attempt to rape her. He grabbed her and hit her with a chair before he gagged her with sheets and tied her up before he ripped at her clothes. Mrad Campos fought him and tried to call for help before he raised the volume on the radio and television to drown out her cries. He grew frustrated at her resistance before he stabbed her fifteen times before fleeing. Her brother discovered the body later that evening; the investigation determined she was never raped throughout the ordeal. She had thirteen stab wounds in the back and two in the

groin In human anatomy, the groin, also known as the inguinal region or iliac region, is the junctional area between the torso and the thigh. The groin is at the front of the body on either side of the pubic tubercle, where the lower part of the abdom ...

Beatification

The diocesan process opened in Mariana on 26 January 2001 before concluding a decade later on 1 September 2009.

authorized a decree on 27 October 2020 that determined that Mrad Campos had died "in odium fidei" (she preserved

chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains from sexual activity that is considered immoral or from any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for exampl ...

in the name of faith) and approved for her to be beatified. The beatification took place in Barbacena on 10 December 2022. The

postulator A postulator is the person who guides a cause for beatification or canonization through the judicial processes required by the Catholic Church. The qualifications, role and function of the postulator are spelled out in the ''Norms to be Observed i ...

for this cause is Doctor Paolo Vilotta.

References

External links

Hagiography Circle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mrad Campos, Isabel Cristina 1962 births 1982 deaths 1982 murders in Brazil 20th-century Brazilian people 20th-century Brazilian women 20th-century Roman Catholic martyrs 20th-century venerated Christians Beatifications by Pope Francis Brazilian murder victims Brazilian beatified people Brazilian Roman Catholics Brazilian women Deaths by stabbing in Brazil Medical students People executed by stabbing People from Barbacena People murdered in Brazil Society of St. Vincent de Paul Female murder victims Virgin martyrs