THE BLESSED NUNO SOCIETY P.O. BOX 3484 DULUTH, MN 55803

OUR HOLY PATRON      Blessed Nuno of St. Mary (Nuno Alvares Pereira) died as a simple Carmelite brother on April 1, 1431 and was beatified on January 23, 1918.  Before entering the monastery as a widower, Nuno had lived as a great knight, husband and father, and patriotic hero of his native Portugal.  He was the Third Count of Ourem and Founder of the Royal House of Bragaça. After the marriage of his daughter, he renounced his many titles and gave away all his possessions.  One third of his wealth was given to the poor and orphans.  He built several churches including the beautiful Camelite monastery in Lisbon which he later entered as a humble brother.  He did much to spread the devotions of the rosary and the scapular in Portugal and is known as the" Precursor of Fatima", "The Holy Constable" and the "Peacemaker".  His memorial Mass is celebrated April 1.

Blessed Nuno of St.Mary

Monument to Blessed Nuno             Batalha, Portugal

Blessed Nuno was selected as our Patron because of his devotion to Our Lady, his great awareness of the need for prayer, his love of poor children, and his spiritually heroic victory over self and the world. The life of Blessed Nuno reflected a balance between spiritual and corporal acts of mercy which continues to inspire the members of this charitable prayer apostolate.

Ruins of Blessed Nuno's Carmel in Lisbon

Blessed Nuno, Our Patron

Blessed Nuno is listed in some editions of LIVES OF THE SAINTS under the Latin name Nonius and even some recent editions still record his previous memorial dates of November 1 or November 3 and November 6.

Blessed Nuno is remembered in secular history for his military victory at Aljubarrota in 1385, yet he hated war and is often referred to a "the peacemaker".  Although he died in 1431 (the same year as Joan of Arc), the great knight known as the"Precusor of Fatima" was not beatified until January 23, 1918, just 102 days after the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima.   At Aljubarrota, Nuno led a group of 6,500 volunteers against a Castelian force of 30,000 soldiers. By human estimation, he could not win.  Indeed, his death in that battle seemed certain.   At stake was the very independence of Portugal and the determination of whether Portugal would reject the legitimate Pope.

Nuno's castle overlooking Fatima in Ourem, Portugal

Miraculously, by the end of the day Nuno had secured victory for Portugal and the Castilian army was in retreat.  Had Nuno died at Aljubarrota during that battle on August 14, 1385, history, as we know it, would be impossible to recognize.  His direct descendants included Isabela the Catholic, supporter of Christopher Columbus, Emperor Charles V, who ruled over more territory than any other European monarch (including most of the Americas), and Archduke Ferdinand, whose death triggered the World War which was tearing Europe apart at the time of Our Lady's Fatima apparitions.

Statue of Blessed Nuno on the Basilica at Fatima

Statue of Nuno,Prior of the  Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Malta) as seen at Ourem        Castle Park

Also desended from Blessed Nuno were the members of the Royal House of Braganca, monarchs of Portugal and Brazil, including England's Queen Catherine, for whom the Borough of Queens, New York was named.  Nuno himself was born out of wedlock, an unlikely candidate to become the founder of Royal Houses.  But it happened because of a victory at Aljubarrota...a victory he attributed to The Blessed Virgin, whose name was inscribed on his sword.

What sort of man was Nun'Alveres Pereira?  He would kneel in the heat of battle to pray.  In time of war, he fed the hungary populations of his Castilian oppostiton at his own expense.  He customarily refused to share in the spoils of battle. Once, he was so hungry that he traded his horse for six loaves of bread, then gave every loaf to a group of English knights who were looking for food.  He allowed squires from the enemy forces to meet him in peace, just because they wanted to see "the Great Nuno" about whom they had heard so many stories.  He grew up wanting to be a pure and perfect knight like Sir Galahad of legend and became, perhaps, the only knight to ever truly achieve that dream.   He supported the ideas of his close friend, Prince Henry the Navigator, and traveled with him to Ceuta, thus beginning the "Age of Explorations". He remained a faithful and loving husband to the daughter of King John until her death, then entered the very monastery he had paid to construct.  He helped to spread the devotions of the Rosary and the Scapular thoughout Portugal. Blessed Nuno gave away his wealth to assist the poor, including countless orphaned children, and even agreed to become godfather to many of them.  He died in poverty as a Carmelite brother on April 1, 1431 just as the priest, who was reading the Passion of Christ to him, pronounced Our Lord's Words from the Cross:  "Behold thy Mother".  "Ecce Mater Tua".... now the motto of the Blessed Nuno Society. Copyright 2001, The Blessed Nuno Society, Inc.  All rights reserved

Dom Nunoºs Personal Flag

Bl. Nuno's Relics -Lisbon Portugal

Mother Teresa of Calcuta once said, "Orphans and abandoned children are unfortunately the kind of children that are never in short supply." Blessed Nuno, pray for the orphans we serve and touch the hearts of those who read this page. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.

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