Do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good.

Above:  Blessed Francisco de Paula Victor

Image in the Public Domain

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BLESSED FRANCISCO DE PAULA VICTOR (APRIL 12, 1827-SEPTEMBER 23, 1905)

Brazilian Roman Catholic Priest

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–Romans 12:21, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)

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Blessed Francisco de Paula Victor, born a slave in Campanha, Minas Gerais, Brazil, on April 12, 1827, obeyed that verse and those few immediately preceding it.  He, trained as a tailor, discerned a priestly vocation at a young age.  Blessed Francisco’s racial background (African) and social status (slave) meant that he needed special permission to matriculate at a seminary.  He received that permission, and therefore began his studies for the priesthood in 1849.  The seminary was replete with racism, however; many seminarians ostracized our saint because of his background and skin color.  Blessed Francisco, ordained priest on June 14, 1851, endured open hostility at his first parish, in which he served for about a year.  He spent decades in the second parish, however.

In Três Pontas, Minas Gerais, Blessed Francisco overcame hatred (a form of evil) with goodness, humility, love, and patience.  He won over many initially hostile parishioners and became beloved.  Our saint helped to found the College of the Holy Family, open to all children, regardless of social or racial background.  Blessed Francisco also built the Church of Our Lady of Hope, now a basilica, in Aparecida, in 1888.  Once, when there was the possibility of the bishop transferring our saint away from Três Pontas, protests ensued.  Blessed Francisco remained until he died on September 23, 1905, following a stroke.  He was 78 years old.

The Church has recognized our saint formally.  Pope Benedict XVI declared him a Venerable in 2012.  Pope Francis made our saint the first beatified Black Brazilian in 2015.

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God of mercy and justice, we thank you for the holy example of your servant, Blessed Francisco de Paula Victor,

who, with goodness, love, humility, and patience fulfilled his vocation

and ministered effectively to people from various racial and socio-economic backgrounds.

May we, following his example, respect the image of God in people, in their great variety,

both near and far away, and master evil with good.

In the Name of God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Genesis 41:37-43

Psalm 11

Romans 12:14-21

Luke 6:27-38

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

AUGUST 27, 2018 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF THOMAS GALLAUDET AND HENRY WINTER SYLE, EPISCOPAL PRIESTS AND EDUCATORS OF THE DEAF

THE FEAST OF SAINT AMADEUS OF CLERMONT, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK; AND HIS SON, SAINT AMADEUS OF LAUSANNE, FRENCH-SWISS ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND BISHOP

THE FEAST OF SAINT DOMINIC BARBERI, ROMAN CATHOLIC APOSTLE TO ENGLAND

THE FEAST OF HENRIETTE LUISE VAN HAYN, GERMAN MORAVIAN HYMN WRITER

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