Blessed Francisco de Paula Victor

Francisco de Paula Victor (12 April 1827 – 23 September 1905) was an Afro-Brazilian Catholic priest. He is known in Brazil as the "Apostle of Charity" for his charitable treatment of the poor. He is the first black Brazilian national to be beatified in the Catholic Church and the first slave-turned-priest to be considered for canonization. He was beatified on 14 November 2015 in Brazil; Cardinal Angelo Amato presided over the Mass on behalf of Pope Francis, who approved his beatification the previous June. Victor was born on 12 April 1827 in the town of Campanha da Princesa da Beirathe (now the City of Campanha), then part of the Empire of Brazil, to a slave, Lourença Justiniana de Jesus, and an unknown father. He was baptized on the following 20 April. His godmother was his mother's owner, Marianna Santa Barbara Ferreira, who was known for her treatment of her slaves with dignity. Under the tutelage of Ferreira, Victor learned how to read and write in addition to learning the French language and the nuances of the piano. Victor was apprenticed to a tailor but his sole desire was to become a priest, which his mother held as being unthinkable; even more so as black men had never become priests. This was a prospect that others around him were quick to shoot down. Additionally, there was an obstacle to this under church law as a child born out of wedlock. His owner approached the town pastor, Antonio Felipe de Araújo, who supported Victor in this quest. He invited the local bishop, Antônio Ferreira Viçoso, C.M., the Bishop of Mariana, to come meet the boy and determine if he would waive these impediments to his pursuing Holy Orders. The bishop made a positive determination in his favor and Victor began his seminary studies in Mariana under the guidance of his pastor from 5 June 1849, having been given his freedom by his owner.