Frei Galvão

Infobox Saint
name= Saint Anthony de Saint Anne Galvão
birth_date=1739
death_date=December 23 1822
feast_day=11 May
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church


imagesize=173px
caption=Saint Friar Galvão
birth_place=Guaratinguetá, Brazil
death_place=São Paulo, Brazil
titles=
beatified_date=8 April 1997
beatified_place=Rome
beatified_by=Pope John Paul II
canonized_date=11 May 2007
canonized_place=São Paulo
canonized_by=Pope Benedict XVI
attributes=
patronage=
major_shrine= Mosteiro da Luz
suppressed_date=
issues=

Saint Anthony de Saint Anne Galvão (Portuguese: Santo Antônio de Sant'Anna Galvão), OFM, popularly known as Frei Galvão (Friar Galvão), (1739 — December 23, 1822) was a Brazilian friar of the Franciscan order.

He was born in Guaratinguetá, in the captaincy of São Paulo. On October 25, 1998 he became the first Brazilian to be beatified by the Vatican, having been declared "Venerable" on March 8 1997.

On May 11, 2007, he became the first Brazilian to be canonized a Saint by the Roman Catholic Church in Pope Benedict XVI's trip to Brazil. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese/reporterbbc/story/2007/02/070223_galvaocanoniza_ir.shtml Papa canonizará Frei Galvão em missa em São Paulo] - BBCBrasil.com (Portuguese)]

Life

His family was well-to-do and had a high socio-economic influence.

He was also known for his piety and virtue. According to Pope Benedict XVI, Frei Galvão was constantly adoring the Eucharist. It is from here that he drew his strength to be of continuous service to other people. "He was renowned as a counsellor, he was a bringer of peace to souls and families, and a dispenser of charity especially towards the poor and the sick. He was greatly sought out as a confessor, because he was zealous, wise and prudent. It is characteristic of those who truly love that they do not want the Beloved to be offended; the conversion of sinners was therefore the great passion of our saint," said Benedict XVI in his canonization homily.

One of Frei Galvão famous words were:"Pray that the Lord our God will raise sinners with his mighty arm from the wretched depths of the sins in which they find themselves."

He was also supposed to have affirmed the doctrine Immaculate Conception before it was proclaimed a dogma.

References

External links

* [http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintaef.htm Frei Galvão] at Catholic Forum
* [http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=107486 Benedict XVI Canonization Homily]