St. Beatrice da Silva Meneses

St. Beatrice da Silva Meneses, Religious (Feast - September 1) Beatrice was born in Ceuta, Portugal, in 1424. She was the daughter of the Count of Viana, and the sister of St. Amedeus of Portugal. In Portugal, Beatrice is known as Brites.

Raised in the household of Princess Isabel, Beatrice went to Spain with her when Isable married John II of Castile. Evenually, she tired of court life and entered the Cistercian convent at Toledo.

In 1484, Beatrice founded the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The groups first house was the castle of Galliana, a gift from Queen Isabel. Beatrice died at Toledo on September 1, 1490 and was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1976.

In his own wisdom, God calls each individual to a particular vocation. The life of St. Beatrice reminds us of how important it is for us to be always open to God's designs in our regard, and to pray that his will be done.