Saint Beatrice of Silva
Saint Beatrice of Silva (born c. 1424 AD in Campo Maior, Portugal; died c. 1490 AD in Toledo, Spain) was a Portuguese mystic who founded the Conceptionist Order (the Order of the Immaculate Conception) in Toledo, Spain. She is venerated as a mystic, foundress, and woman of extraordinary contemplative life. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987. Her feast day is September 1.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Beatrice of Silva
| Saint Beatrice of Silva | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | September 01 |
| Profession | Lady-in-waiting (at the Castilian court); foundress of the Conceptionist Order (Order of the Immaculate Conception); mystic; contemplative |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Conceptionist Order (Order of the Immaculate Conception); 15th-century Iberian Christianity; Marian devotion (Immaculate Conception); Spanish contemplative tradition |
| Patronage | The Conceptionist Order; those who found religious communities; mystics; those devoted to the Immaculate Conception; Portugal; Toledo; ladies-in-waiting; those unjustly imprisoned |
| Attributes | Conceptionist white and blue habit; a lily or white rose (Marian purity); a vision of the Virgin Mary in white and blue (the founding vision); Toledo Cathedral in background; a chest or box (the three-day imprisonment legend); the Immaculate Conception iconography |
| Birthplace | Campo Maior, Portugal |
| Death Place | Toledo, Castile, Spain |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died c. 1490 AD in Toledo; she was approximately 66 years old; she had spent most of her adult life in Spain, first at the court of Queen Isabella I and then in prayer and the formation of her religious community; her religious congregation was formally approved after her death; she was beatified 1926, canonized 1987 |
| Primary Shrine | Conceptionist Mother House, Toledo — the monastery she founded; September 1 feast; Conceptionist Order veneration |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); September 1; Feast in Spain and Conceptionist Order |
| Historic Class | Not in pre-1987 calendar; September 1 since canonization |
Biography
Beatrice de Silva Meneses was born c. 1424 in Campo Maior, Portugal, to a noble family. Her brother was Blessed Amadeus of Portugal, a holy Franciscan friar.
She came to Castile as a lady-in-waiting at the royal court. Tradition holds that a jealous queen imprisoned her in a chest for three days; sustained by a vision of the Virgin Mary dressed in white with a blue mantle, she emerged resolved to found a contemplative community in honor of the Immaculate Conception.
She settled in Toledo. After years of prayer and waiting, Queen Isabella I of Castile gave her the monastery of Santa Fe in Toledo in 1484 as a home for her community. The Order of the Immaculate Conception (Conceptionists) grew from this foundation, with a white and blue habit inspired by her founding vision.
She died c. 1490 in Toledo. The Order was formally approved by the Holy See after her death and spread throughout Spain and Latin America. She was beatified 1926 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Campo Maior, Portugal
Death location: Toledo, Castile, Spain
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Conceptionist Monastery, Toledo — the community she founded; September 1 feast.
Feast day
September 1
Veneration
Saint Beatrice of Silva was a Portuguese mystic who founded the Conceptionist Order in Toledo in 1484, dedicated to honoring the Immaculate Conception, inspired by a vision of the Virgin Mary in white and blue. The habit of her order reflects this vision. Canonized 1987. Feast September 1.
Prayers
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