Venerable Antônio Ferreira Viçoso

Antônio José Ferreira Viçoso (13 May 1787 – 7 July 1875) was a Portuguese Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Mariana from 1843 until his death; he was also a professed member from the Congregation of the Mission. He relocated to Brazil prior to his episcopal appointment where he worked to establish the ecclesial institutions on a solid basis and opposed government efforts to control the ecclesial workings that he believed were under the domain of the episcopal superiors while he also was attentive to the needs of the poor in his diocese. In the face of strong opposition he ordained the first black slave ever to become a priest who was Blessed Francisco de Paula Victor. His patron was Pedro II who titled him the "Count of Conceição" and made him an Imperial Counselor. Pedro II held the bishop in high esteem enough to the point that the two were collaborators and that Pedro II had granted him the Imperial Order of Christ and gave him the rank of officer of the Imperial Order of the Rose. The cause for his beatification commenced after the bishop had died and culminated in 2014 after he was titled as Venerable once Pope Francis confirmed his life of heroic virtue. Antônio José Ferreira Viçoso was born in mid-1787 in Peniche in the Kingdom of Portugal to Jacinto Ferreira Viçoso and Maria Gertrudes; his paternal grandparents were Francisco Ferreira Viçoso and Joana Maria while his maternal grandparents were Luis dos Remédios and Joana Francisca. In 1796 his father entrusted him to the Carmelite friars for his initial education. In 1802 he felt drawn to service as a priest and so commenced his studies for that in Santarém. He studied there until 1809 after which he returned to his home. During his time back home he examined his future course in life and at last felt a call to enter the Congregation of the Mission.