Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur
Spanish missionary and saint (1626-1667)
Feast: 24 April (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Pedro de San José Betancur was born at Vilaflor, Tenerife, on 21 March 1626 and died in Guatemala on 25 April 1667. He read the Gospel with the eyes of the humble and lived the mysteries of Bethlehem and of the Cross.
A Franciscan tertiary, he founded the Bethlemite Brothers and Sisters and, under the patronage of Our Lady of Bethlehem, gave all his strength to orphans, beggars, the sick, abandoned and unschooled young people, strangers and convicts sentenced to hard labour.
The miracles
The Dicastery's biography does not describe the miracles approved in the cause.
Why that counted as sanctity
A Canary Islander who became the servant of every poor person in Guatemala.
Connected on this site
- Francis of Assisi Saint“Known as the "Saint Francis of Assisi of the Americas", he is the first saint native to the Canary Islands.” — Wikipedia
- Mary of Jesus de León y Delgado Servant of God“She is one of the most revered of the native people of the Canary Islands, together with Peter of Saint Joseph Betancur and José de Anchieta.” — Wikipedia
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints - biography: Pedro de San José Betancur
- Wikidata Q365420 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Peter of Saint Joseph de Betancur (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.