Saint Beatrice of Silva

Life story

Beatrice was born around 1424 into a Portuguese noble family, at Ceuta or Campo Maior according to different sources. Her brother was Blessed Amadeus of Portugal (Amadeu da Silva), who founded a branch of the reformed Friars Minor. In 1447, when the Portuguese princess Isabel married King John II of Castile, Beatrice went with her to Castile as a lady-in-waiting.

According to her biographies, the queen grew jealous of the attention Beatrice attracted and had her imprisoned. Tradition says that during this time the Virgin Mary appeared to her and asked her to found an order honouring the Immaculate Conception. Beatrice escaped and found refuge with Dominican nuns in Toledo, where she lived for decades without joining their order (sources give figures between about thirty and forty years).

In 1484 Queen Isabella the Catholic of Castile gave her the Galiana palace and the adjoining church in Toledo, and she moved in with twelve companions. On 30 April 1489 Pope Innocent VIII approved the community. At first the sisters followed the Cistercian rule; in 1501 they adopted the Rule of Saint Clare with the authorisation of Alexander VI, and Julius II later gave the order its own rule (1506 in the Catholic Encyclopedia, 1511 in other accounts). Sources disagree on her death at Toledo: the Catholic Encyclopedia gives 1 September 1490, while other sources give 1492. She was beatified by Pius XI in 1926 and canonized by Paul VI on 3 October 1976.

Works and witness

• Went to Castile in 1447 as lady-in-waiting to the Portuguese princess Isabel
• Lived for decades with Dominican nuns in Toledo
• Moved into the Galiana palace in 1484 with twelve companions, given by Queen Isabella
• Her order was approved by Innocent VIII on 30 April 1489 and later received its own rule from Julius II
• Beatified in 1926 and canonized in 1976

Saints from the same country

Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, Saint John of God, Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto

References

• Catholic Encyclopedia (New Advent, mirrored at catholic.com), 'Conceptionists'
• Roman Catholic Saints, 'Saint Beatrice de Silva' (roman-catholic-saints.com)
• Franciscan Order (ofm.org), 'St Beatrice of Silva'

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.