Feast day: January 16
Saint Berard was born to a family of Italian nobles. He became a Franciscan friar and was welcomed into the order by Saint Francis of Assisi himself. Berard was part of a missionary party assigned by Saint Francis to travel to Morocco and preach to the Muslims there.
When Berard and his companions arrived in Morocco, they started to preach the Good News in the marketplace. The group was instantly arrested and ordered not only to stop preaching but also to leave the country. When the party defied orders and continued to preach, the sultan commanded that they be severely beaten. The sultan then gave them several bribes to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. When they rejected his offers, they were beheaded by the sultan himself.
Berard and his companions were the first Franciscans to be martyred. Saint Berard and his fellow monks were canonized in 1481. In this image, they are carrying palms. Palms are symbols of victory and martyrdom, because martyrs, like Christ, have triumphed over death and now share in eternal life.
(Image in public domain-100)