BERARDO, PIETRO, ACCURSIO, ADIUTO, OTTONE, SANTI

BERARD, PIETRO, ACCURSIO, ADJUTO, OTTO, Saints. – Protomartyrs of the Franciscans: Otto was a priest, Berard a subdeacon, and the others lay brothers. In 1219 they were sent among the Saracens by St Francis himself; after a brief stay at Alenquer, they sailed to Seville, then the capital of the Moorish kings. They began to preach the Gospel before the palace of the king himself, who ordered them to be beheaded, but later, fearing the indignation of Christian princes, had them confined in a tower and then sent to Morocco. This was the place assigned to them by St Francis. There, on several occasions, even in the presence of King Miramolino (al-Mustansir), they took up the defence of Muhammad and the Quran, preaching Jesus and His law, and confirming their words by the miracle of water made to gush forth to quench the thirst of the parched people. Fearing the conversion of the people, Miramolino struck them down with his scimitar on 16 January 1220 at Marrakesh. The bodies of the martyrs were conveyed with great pomp to Coimbra; Sixtus IV canonized them on 7 August 1481. Feast, 16 January.