Vatican City - While delivering his greetings following the Angelus, Pope Francis mentioned the beatification of Isabel Cristina Mrad Campos, a Catholic woman who was martyred in 1982 for her faith. Aparecida's former archbishop, Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, officiated over the ceremony in Barbacena, Brazil.

At the age of twenty, Isabel Cristina Mrad lost her life for "defending her dignity as a woman" and the "worth of chastity," as Pope Francis remarked in his greetings following the Angelus. He mentioned,

"May her heroic example inspire in particular the young to render generous witness of faith and adhesion to the Gospel."

Isabel grew up in a poor home but nevertheless regularly attended her local church. A spiritual director in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul's Youth Group introduced her to the teachings of the Cursilhos de Cristanidade and the Vincentian ethos. She also participated in many of the campaigns organised by the Vincentians, prayed with her family regularly, and went to confession on a regular basis, as well as frequently visiting the Visitation Monastery.

The 8th of December, 1980 marked the completion of the paediatric training programme she had attended in pursuit of her Professional Qualification Diploma. She went to live with her brother in a house that the family had bought when she relocated to Juiz de Fora (Brazil) to begin her medical studies. Her brother came home from work on the evening of September 1, 1982, to discover her dead and covered in indications of sexual assault. She was in her twenties.

Murder trial proceedings resulted in Maurlio Almeida Oliveira being convicted guilty of the crime. The investigation revealed that he had attempted to sexually assault Isabel at her residence. The autopsy revealed that despite multiple attempts, she managed to maintain her virginity. The court imposed a lengthy prison term of 19 years against the offender. Maurlio Almeida Oliveira denied he was responsible for the murder. He also managed to get away from prison and hasn't been seen since. Some of his kin say that he has passed away.

The young Brazilian victim and virgin from the State of Minas Gerais was beatified by Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis on Saturday morning. Although Pope Francis acknowledged her martyrdom in October 2020, her beatification was postponed because of the pandemic. The event was held in the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy in Barbacena, which is part of the Archdiocese of Mariana.