Isabel Cristina was a Brazilian laywoman born in 1962 in Barbacena who lived a life dedicated to her faith. A member of the Young Vincentians, she was known for her intelligence and her commitment to helping the elderly and the poor. She aspired to practice medicine as a pediatrician to serve underprivileged children. Her life was cut short in 1982 in Juiz de Fora, when she was murdered during an attempted rape. She is recognized as the first martyr from the state of Minas Gerais.
Life and death
Growing up in Barbacena, Isabel frequently participated in Eucharistic adoration and attended Mass. She was a student at Immaculata College, where she often provided food and essential supplies to those in need. In 1982, she moved to Juiz de Fora to prepare for medical school entrance exams. Shortly after her arrival, she was attacked and killed in her apartment by a tradesman who had been hired to install furniture. Investigators confirmed she died defending her chastity.
Veneration
The process for her beatification began in 2001. Pope Francis approved her cause in 2020, noting she died in hatred of the faith and in defense of her purity. She was beatified on 10 December 2022, in Barbacena. Her feast day is observed on 1 September, and her relics are kept in a chapel dedicated to her.