Mateus Moreira (d. 3 October 1645) was a Portuguese
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 ...
, from
Colonial Brazil
Colonial Brazil (), sometimes referred to as Portuguese America, comprises the period from 1500, with the Discovery of Brazil, arrival of the Portuguese, until 1815, when Brazil was elevated to a United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves ...
, of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
. He was
beatified
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 ...
on March 5, 2000 and
canonized
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of sa ...
on October 15, 2017, along with the other
Martyrs of Natal.
BŁOGOSŁAWIENI ANDRZEJ DE SOVERAL, AMBROŻY FRANCISZEK FERRO I 28 TOWARZYSZY
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Biography
Mateus Moreira was a layman
In religious organizations, the laity () — individually a layperson, layman or laywoman — consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother.
...
who was at 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 ...
on October 3, 1645 when Dutch
Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
** Dutch people as an ethnic group ()
** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship ()
** Dutch language ()
* In specific terms, i ...
government troops under the command of Jacob Rabbi executed all the faithful who were at Sunday Mass, presided over by Ambrósio Francisco Ferro who was also martyred. Mateus Moreira had his heart torn out from his back as he exclaimed, "Praise the Blessed Sacrament
The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by J ...
."
Beatification
The celebration was held in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican
Vatican may refer to:
Geography
* Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy
* Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City
* Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome
* Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
in the presence of the bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of Natal, Mossoró and Caicó, and about a thousand Brazilians.
Patron of Extraordinary Ministers
At the 43rd General Assembly of the CNBB in Itaici/São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
in 2005, Mateus Moreira was stated as "Patron of the Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharistic Communion". In December 2005, the CNBB reported that the Holy See
The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
's had approved the Moreira as the patron of ministers.
References
External links
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Natal Page
{{Authority control
1645 deaths
Brazilian Roman Catholic saints
Beatifications by Pope John Paul II
Canonizations by Pope Francis
Portuguese Roman Catholic saints