Church Roman Catholic Church Rank Bishop Appointed 11 December 1922 | Ordination 28 March 1903 Term ended 29 August 1962 | |
Consecration 25 July 1923by José Alves Matoso Birth name João de Oliveira Matos Ferreira Diocese Roman Catholic Diocese of Guarda, Portugal | ||
João de Oliveira Matos Ferreira (1 March 1879 – 29 August 1962) was a Roman Catholic Portuguese bishop from who served as a bishop in Guarda from 1922 until his death. He was also the founder of the Association of the League of the Servants of Jesus.
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Pope Francis declared him to be Venerable on 3 June 2013 after recognizing his life of heroic virtue. A miracle attributed to him and needed for his beatification is now under investigation.
Life
João de Oliveira Matos Ferreira was born on 1 March 1879 in Portugal to Antonio de Oliveira Matos Ferreira. He had four brothers and one of those brothers was a priest.
He was ordained to the priesthood on 28 March 1903 and served as a personal assistant to the Archbishop of Braga. From 1920 to 1923 he was the Apostolic Visitor of Guarda. He was appointed as a bishop in Guarda on 11 December 1922. He was also made a Titular Bishop at the same time and received episcopal consecration in 1923. He established the Association of the League of the Servants of Jesus.
He died on 29 August 1962.
Beatification process
The beatification process commenced on 29 November 1993 in Guarda and the local process spanned from 1994 until 1998; the process was ratified on 13 November 1998. The Positio was then forwarded to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome in 2008.
Pope Francis approved his life of heroic virtue and proclaimed him to be Venerable on 3 June 2013.
A miracle attributed to him was investigated and the process of investigation closed at the beginning of 2010. It was ratified on 19 November 2010.