Blessed Albertina Berkenbrock
Blessed Albertina Berkenbrock (born April 11, 1919 AD in Imaruí, Santa Catarina, Brazil; died June 15, 1931 AD in Imaruí, Santa Catarina, Brazil) was a Brazilian Catholic girl who was murdered at age 12 by a local farmhand who had become obsessed with her. She resisted his immoral advances and was killed as a result. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on October 22, 2007, as a martyr of chastity and charity. Her feast day is June 15.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Albertina Berkenbrock
| Blessed Albertina Berkenbrock | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 15 |
| Profession | Catholic laywoman; child martyr; domestic servant (she worked in a local farm household); martyr of chastity |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Brazilian Catholic Church; Archdiocese of Florianópolis; 20th-century Brazilian martyrs; martyrs of chastity |
| Patronage | Santa Catarina; Brazil; young girls; victims of sexual assault; those who defend chastity; Imaruí; German-Brazilian Catholics |
| Attributes | Young girl's clothes; palm frond of martyrdom; lily (chastity); Eucharist imagery (her Eucharistic devotion); Brazilian landscape; Maria Goretti iconographic parallels |
| Birthplace | Imaruí, Santa Catarina, Brazil |
| Death Place | Imaruí, Santa Catarina, Brazil |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; killed June 15, 1931, in Imaruí, Santa Catarina, Brazil; she was 12 years old; a local farmhand (José Gomes) who had become obsessed with her had been making immoral advances that she firmly refused; on June 15 he attacked and stabbed her multiple times, killing her; she died refusing to submit to his demands; she was beatified as a martyr of chastity and charity by Pope Benedict XVI on October 22, 2007; she was beatified alongside Blessed Adílio Daronch, another young Brazilian martyr from the same region |
| Primary Shrine | Imaruí, Santa Catarina, Brazil — place of martyrdom; June 15 feast; local veneration |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; June 15 feast in Brazil |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Albertina Berkenbrock was born April 11, 1919, in Imaruí, Santa Catarina, Brazil, to a Catholic family of German-Brazilian immigrant heritage. She was known from childhood for her Eucharistic piety and her devotion to Our Lady.
She was employed in a local farm household. A farmhand, José Gomes, became obsessed with her and made repeated immoral advances that she firmly refused. On June 15, 1931, he attacked and stabbed her repeatedly, killing her. She was 12 years old.
Her death was recognized as a martyrdom of chastity — dying rather than submitting to sexual assault — in the tradition of Saint Maria Goretti. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on October 22, 2007, at Florianópolis, alongside Blessed Adílio Daronch (a young Brazilian boy from Rio Grande do Sul killed in a related circumstance in 1924).
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Imaruí, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Death location: Imaruí, Santa Catarina, Brazil
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Parishes
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Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| Blessed Albertina Berkenbrock The Story of the 12 Year Old Heroine of Purity | Over 60 minutes | Journey of the Saints |
Shrines
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Feast day
June 15
Veneration
Blessed Albertina Berkenbrock was a 12-year-old Brazilian girl who was murdered in 1931 after refusing the immoral advances of a farmhand. Beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 alongside Blessed Adílio Daronch as a martyr of chastity. Feast June 15.
Prayers
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