Joan, Princess of Portugal
Portuguese saint (1452-1490)
Feast: 12 May (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Joan, daughter of King Alfonso V, resolved from childhood to be the bride of Christ, and courageously resisted every attempt to marry her to princes, though she was heir to the throne. She once acted as regent with great ability.
After many struggles she entered the strict Dominican convent at Aveiro, lived there in penance, holiness and heroic humility, and died on 12 May 1490 in the odour of sanctity; miracles followed her death.
The miracles
She is honoured as Blessed; the Catholic Encyclopedia does not describe her cause.
Why that counted as sanctity
A princess who chose the cloister over a crown.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Blessed Joanna
- Wikidata Q272511 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Joanna, Princess of Portugal (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.