Blessed Bartholomew of Braganca

Bartholomew of Breganze (c. 1200 – 1 July 1271) was an Italian Dominican friar and bishop. Bartholomew of Breganze was born in the city of Vicenza to the noble family of Da Breganze (from Breganze). He studied at Padua, receiving there the habit of the recently founded Order from the hands of St. Dominic himself, at about the age of twenty. Following his ordination as a priest, he quickly came to serve in various positions of leadership in the new Order. According to Friar Leander, author of his earliest biography, he was made Master of the Sacred Palace in 1235, during the pontificate of Pope Gregory IX—but there is no mention of this event in his Last Testament, where Bartholomew listed the important offices he had held. During this period, he founded a military order of knights whose purpose was to establish civil order throughout Italy. He was appointed to the See of Nemonicum in Cyprus in 1248 (what city this was is not known now). While Louis IX of France was engaged upon his expedition against the Islamic forces ruling the Holy Land, Bartholomew joined the king and queen at Joppa, Sidon, and Acre—in the capacity of Apostolic legate, according to some writers; his own account merely states that he visited the king and queen at these places. King Louis desired him to make a visit to France, promising rich relics for his church, should he comply with the request. In 1254, he was sent as legate to the courts of England and France and as Henry III of England was, at that time, in his realm in the Aquitaine, Bartholomew traveled there towards the close of that year, then accompanied the English king and queen to Paris. He was, on this occasion, presented by the King of France with a relic of the true Cross and a thorn from Jesus' Crown of Thorns, worn at His Crucifixion. These he afterwards placed in the beautiful Dominican Church built by him at Vicenza which was known as the Church of the Crown.