In 1748, Pope Benedict XIV officially recognised that Quental had lived a life of "heroic virtue", and he has since been referred to as "venerable", although the cause for his beatification has lain dormant since the time of the Marquis of Pombal and the weakening of the Congregation of the Oratory in Portugal.

[1] Bartolomeu de Quental was born on 22 August 1627 in Fenais da Luz, São Miguel Island in the Azores.

He was baptised in the Parish of Our Lady of Light (Nossa Senhora da Luz) and was named "Bartolomeu" due to the proximity of the feast day of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle.

He was an accomplished student as a young man: he had a firm grasp of Latin at the age of twelve and concluded his studies of grammar ahead of his peers.

In 1654, Quental petitioned the king for the vacant position of parish priest of the Church of Our Lady of the Star (Nossa Senhora da Estrela) in Ribeira Grande, near his hometown.

Biographers posit this was due to his feeling unprepared for "the healing of souls" and, more importantly, a continuing interest in missionary work.

His efforts to reform the mores at court were successful, with many remarking that the virtue and religious devotion of Queen Luisa de Guzmán's ladies-in-waiting was the envy of many nunneries around the kingdom.

Quental's reforming zeal derived from this difficult national context, which resulted in a lack of preparation of the clergy, as well as poor conditions for them to exercise their priestly munus with the proper dignity.

[1] Between 1657 and 1658, Quental tried to gather all chaplains and clergy of the Royal Chapel into a small community of "priests who are devout and zealous in the salvation of souls, so that, through their example, they would attract the people to their spiritual exercises", but faced much resistance.

On 18 February 1659, he instituted a confraternity with a particular focus on the practice of the works of mercy under the patronage of Our Lady of Saudades, which was approved by decree of Queen Luisa de Guzmán.

[3] Meanwhile, in 1664, Quental stepped down from his role of court confessor to focus on his missionary work with the poor in rural areas of the archdiocese.

Taking advantage of his proximity to the queen, Quental had harshly criticised the young king in his sermons for his excesses and unbecoming public behaviour.

Like the Italian Oratorians, the Portuguese congregation stressed the practice of charity, prayer, the restriction of excessive mortification, and the lack of formal vows.