1 April: Blessed Nonius Alvares Pereira, Pengaku Iman

Nonius Alvares Pereira, a cousin of the founder of the Braganza family, was born in Santares (Portugal) on 24 July 1360. He was Constable of the kingdom of Portugal, a famous Knight and Prior in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Afterwards he left everything and became a lay-brother in the Carmelite order, where he was remarkable for his devotion to Our Lady and humbly undertook the meanest duties in the friary. He had no hesitations about begging alms from door to door and was outstandingly generous and charitable towards the poor.

He died on 1 April 1431, which was Easter Sunday.