As Cardinal Mercier said : "When prudence is everywhere, courage is nowhere."                                                                                  From Cardinal Sarah : "In order to avoid hearing God's music, we have chosen to use all the devices of this world. But heaven's instruments will not stop playing just because some people are deaf."                                                                                              Saint John-Paul II wrote: "The fact that one can die for the faith shows that other demands of the faith can also be met."                                                 Cardinal Müller says, “For the real danger to today’s humanity is the greenhouse gases of sin and the global warming of unbelief and the decay of morality when no one knows and teaches the difference between good and evil.”                                                  St Catherine of Siena said, “We've had enough exhortations to be silent. Cry out with a thousand tongues - I see the world is rotten because of silence.”                                                  Chesterton said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”                                                Brethren, Wake up!

1st APRIL - SAINT NONIUS ALVARES PEREIRA Rel, Prior ON


Today we honour of our new saint, canonised by the Holy Father in 2009.  His feast is a Memorial in the New Rite of Mass, and kept as a commemoration in the Extraordinary Form, as it always falls in Lent.

He was born Nuno de Santa Maria Alvares Pereira on 24 July 1360 at Santares, Portugal and he died Easter Sunday, 1 April 1431.  He was a cousin of the founder of the Braganza family, the royal house of Portugal. 

He entered the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem and of Rhodes at the age of 23.  At the age of 25, while serving King John I as Constable he defeated a much larger invading Castilian army, thereby assuring Portugal’s independence. Renowned as one of the most famous knights of his age in all of Europe, he was Constable of the Kingdom of Portugal and also Prior of our Order in Portugal.

He was outstandingly generous and charitable towards the poor, and in later life became a lay-brother in the Carmelite Order where he was remarkable for his devotion to Our Lady and humbly undertook the meanest of duties.

Blessed Nonius, you protected a kingdom but also served the lowest.  Pray for Our Grand Master and for our Order, for all our members and benefactors and for those whom we strive to serve.
Collect from the Missal of the Order
O God, who called Saint Nuno to lay down the weapons of this world
and follow Christ under the protection of the Blessed Virgin,
Grant through the intercession of this former member of our Order
that we too may deny ourselves and cling to you with all our hearts.
Through the same Jesus Christ your Son,
who lives and reigns with you an the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.
Posted on Friday, April 01, 2011
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