Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 1:06am

Saint of the Day Quote: Blessed Antonio de Sant’Anna Galvao

Galvão was born in the freguesia of Santo Antonio of Guaratinguetá, in the State of São Paulo. He was the fourth of ten children in a deeply religious family of high social and political status.[3][2][7] His father, Antônio Galvão de França, was the Captain of the village. Although he was active in the world of politics and commerce, Antônio the father also belonged to the Third Order of Saint Francis and was known for his generosity.[2] His mother, Isabel Leite de Barros, was from a farming family, and was a great-granddaughter of the famous bandeirante explorer Fernão Dias Pais, known as the “Emerald Hunter”. She gave birth to eleven children before her premature death in 1755, at age 38.[2] Equally known for her generosity, Isabel was found to have given away all of her clothes to the poor at the time of her death.[2]

At age 13, Galvão was sent to the Jesuit-run seminary Colégio de Belém[2][7] in Cachoeira, Bahia by his father, which wished to provide Humanities and cultural training to his son. He followed his brother José, who was already studying there. At Colégio de Belém, which he attended from 1752 to 1756, Galvão made great progress in social studies and Christian practice. He aspired to become a Jesuit priest, but the anti-Jesuit persecution led by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the Marquis of Pombal, led him to enter the Franciscan Order instead.[7] in Taubaté, following the advice of his father.[3][2]

 

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