Congratulations to Enrique and to all the Mexican people during these days of such happiness. John
Here is a recent news release:

VATICAN CITY, MAY 21 (ZENIT.org).- May 21, 2000 will pass into history as an extraordinary date for Mexico and the Catholic Church: John Paul II proclaimed 27 new Mexican saints, 25 of them martyrs to the religious persecution of 1915-1937. Twenty thousand Mexicans gathered in a sunny St. Peter's Square. They were joined by 30,000 pilgrims from around the world, confirming that the example of these men and women now becomes the heritage of the universal Church.

Twenty-five of the new saints, both priests and laymen, were shot or hanged out of hatred for the Catholic faith. The process of canonization revealed how all of them died serenely, accepting the will of God, proclaiming Christ's name, and forgiving their executioners. They rejected violent protest as being against the Gospel. The Bishop of Rome canonized two additional Mexicans, a priest and a nun, who gave their life to God in service of the poor and the sick. "The Church in Mexico rejoices to have these intercessors in heaven, models of supreme charity following in Jesus Christ's footsteps. All of them gave their life to God and to their brothers and sisters, through the way of martyrdom or through the generous offer of service of the needy," the Pope said during the homily, which he delivered in Spanish.

The Holy Father recalled the figures of Fr. Cristsbal Magallanes and the 24 martyrs who died in that dark period of ideological repression. The blood of those martyrs was not useless, he said. "After the harsh trials that the Church lived in Mexico during those difficult years, today Mexican Christians, encouraged by the testimony of these witnesses of the faith, can live in peace and harmony, contributing to society the wealth of the evangelical values. The Church grows and progresses, being a crucible where abundant priestly and religious vocations are born, where families are formed according to God's plan, and where youths, a notable part of the Mexican people, can grow with hope in a better future." The Holy Father then referred to the figure of two other new Mexican saints. They did no die as martyrs, but in life were witnesses of charity, especially among the poor and the sick. They were Fr. Josi Maria de Yermo y Parres, and Marma de Jeszs Sacramentado Venegas, the first woman saint in Mexican history, both founders of religious families for women dedicated to the Sacred Heart. "May the example of these new saints, a gift of the Church in Mexico to the universal Church, move all the faithful, with all the means at hand and above all with the help of the grace of God, to look for sanctity with courage and determination," the Pope said. This is the object of the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, he asserted.

During the canonization ceremony, emotional moments of affection and joy, typical of John Paul II's visits to Mexico, were relived. The cries and applause were mixed with moments of intense faith that characterizes Mexican piety. Speaking in Spanish, before saying farewell, John Paul II referred to his visits to the hill of Tepeyac. "Before the 'tilma' [Indian cloak] with the image of the Mother of God, which is so venerated by all the peoples of America, I implore her maternal protection on the Church." And he asked the Mexican pilgrims to keep the example of the new saints before them, so that Mexico will always be "faithful, and her soil multiply Christians of the stature of these canonized saints and other great sons of the Church in that land."

The gathered Mexican faithful interupted the Mass several times with cheers for the Pope. To stress the universality of the new saints, the prayers of the Mass were said in Latin, with the Gospel sung in both Latin and Greek. Contemporary Mexican songs alternated with classical music and Gregorian chant. The fervor of the Mexican pilgrims was contagious, and by the end of the Mass, the whole crowd was shouting "Viva!" to the Holy Father.

-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), May 23, 2000

Answers

John:
Many thanks for your congratulations. The joy of the new saints overflows to all the Catholics of the world, but in a special way to Mexicans.
My father was a "cristero" at heart. Even though he never joined the armed forces fighting for the faith, he worked very hard for the cause getting for the cristeros food and medicines, clothing and many other things. The pastor who gave me the sacrament of Baptism had a limp that lasted all his life, as a result from a bullet he got from the soldiers of General Joaqumn Amaro while fleeing from them after celebrating Mass in a family's home in hiding.

From my father and many other people we grew up listening to stories about the cristeros' feats and the suffering of our priests, religious men and women and many Catholic lay persons. Some of the new saints, we all know that, died as martyrs during this persecution of the Catholic Church.

John, Chris, and all the others: In the history of the Catholic Church has there been a canonization as numerous as this one on a single day?

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), May 23, 2000.

Enrique,
"Multiplex" canonizations are characteristic of the reign of our beloved Pope John Paul II, though they have taken place earlier in the history of the Church too.
John

In a growing number of U.S. dioceses (including my own), there are new parishes honoring the 117 "Holy Vietnamese Martyrs." Concerning them, I found these comments:

------------------------
On June 19, 1988, Pope John Paul II, from the great number of Vietnamese martyrs, canonized 117 persons martyred in the eighteenth century. Among these were included ninety-six Vietnamese, eleven missionaries born in Spain and belonging to the Order of Preachers, and ten French missionaries belonging to the Paris Foreign Mission Society. Among these saints are eight Spanish and French bishops, fifty priests (thirteen European and hirty-seven Vietnamese), and fifty-nine lay people of every state in life. These martyrs gave their lives not only for the Church but for their country as well. They showed that they wanted the gospel of Christ to take root in their people and contribute to the good of their homeland. Their feast day is November 24th."
--------------------

The whole Church celebrates the memorial honoring St. Andrew Kim Taegon, St. Paul Chong Hasang, and their 101 companions. Concerning them, I found these comments:

---------------------------
The evangelization of Korea began during the 17th century through a group of lay persons. A strong vital Christian community flourished there under lay leadership until missionaries arrived from the Paris Foreign Mission Society. During the terrible persecutions that occurred in the 19th century (in 1839, 1866, and 1867), 103 members of the Christian community gave their lives as martyrs. Outstanding among these witnesses to the faith were the first Korean priest and pastor, Andrew Kim Taegon, and the lay apostle, Paul Chong Hasang. Among the other martyrs were a few bishops and priests, but for the most part lay people, men and women, married and unmarried, children, young people, and the elderly. All suffered greatly for the Faith and consecrated the rich beginnings of the Church of Korea with their blood as martyrs. Pope John Paul II, during his trip to Korea, canonized these martyrs on May 6, 1984, and inserted their feast into the Calendar of the Universal Church. ------------------------------

In the U.S. [Mexico too?], we celebrate the memorial honoring St. Paul Miki and his 25 companions, who were crucified at Nagasaki, Japan on February 5, 1597. Concerning them, I found these comments:

-------------------------
In 1593 while negotiations were pending between the Emperor of Japan and the Governor of the Philippine Islands, the latter sent Peter Baptist and several other Franciscans as his ambassadors to Japan. They were well received by the emperor, and were able to establish convents, schools, and hospitals, and effect many conversions. When on 20 Oct., 1596, a Spanish vessel of war, the "San Felipe", was stranded on the isle of Tosa, it became, according to Japanese custom, the property of the emperor. The captain was foolish enough to extol the power of the king, and said that the missionaries had been sent to prepare for the conquest of the country. The emperor became furious, and on Dec. 9, 1596, ordered the missionaries to be imprisoned. On Feb 5, 1597, six friars belonging to the First Order of St. Francis (Peter Baptist, Martin of the Ascension, Francis Blanco, priests; Philip of Jesus, cleric; Gonsalvo Garzia, Francis of St. Michael, laybrothers), three Japanese Jesuits (Paul Miki, John Goto, James Kisai) and seventeen native Franciscan Tertiaries were crucified. They were beatified September 14, 1627, by Pope Urban VIII, and canonized June 8, 1862, by Pope Pius IX. -------------------------

I also recall St. Charles Lwanga and the 21 martyrs of Uganda, canonized by Pope Paul VI.
Who knows how many "Holy Innocents" there were in the area of Bethlehem? But they were never formally canonized!
Finally, I remembered the 40 martyrs of England and Wales, canonized by Paul VI in 1970. To read about them is truly moving. All who condemn Catholicism for "inquisitorial" deeds would be sobered to learn of the tortures inflicted on these Catholics by certain Protestants of the British Isles a few centuries ago. Concerning them, I found these comments:

-----------------------
The collective feastday of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales is October 25. In the years following the quarrel between King Henry VIII of England and the Pope, questions of religious faith became entangled with questions of political loyalty. Henry when young had married his brother's widow, Catharine of Aragon (Spain), who bore him a daughter, Mary. Marriage with one's brother's widow was not permitted in those days, and Henry's marriage had taken place by special permission of the Pope. Later, Henry claimed that the Pope had no right to make an exception, and that the marriage was null and void. He set Catharine aside, and married Anne Boleyn, who bore him a daughter, Elizabeth. Henry later accused Anne of adultery, had her beheaded, and married Jane Seymour, who bore him a son, Edward, and died shortly after giving birth. Catholics knew that Mary was born in wedlock, but that Elizabeth was not and had no right to inherit the throne. Not surprisingly, Mary grew up Catholic, and her half-sister Elizabeth grew up Protestant.

After Henry's death, Edward ruled from 1547 to 1553 (aged 10 to 16), and was Protestant. After his death, Mary (born 1516 to Catharine of Aragon and only legitimate offspring of Henry) ruled from 1553 to 1558, and was vigorously Catholic, trying to undo all the changes of the previous reigns, but by methods that lost her support she might otherwise have had. After her death, Elizabeth (born 1533) ruled from 1558 to 1601. ... The English government declared that the saying of Mass in Latin was treason. The stage was set for more than a hundred years of religious martyrdoms ...

In 1970, the Vatican selected as representatives of a larger group (totalling perhaps three hundred) forty Roman Catholic men and women, both clergy and laity, who suffered martyrdom during the years from 1535 to 1679. All suffered for continuing to profess the Catholic faith rather than to abide by the Act of Supremacy (first stated by Henry VIII), which declared that the king of England was the head of the Church of England. . Most of them were hanged, drawn, and quartered -- a barbaric execution, which meant that the individual was hanged upon a gallows, but cut down before losing consciousness. While still alive -- and conscious, he/she was then ripped up, eviscerated, and the hangman groped about among the entrails until he found the heart -- which he tore out and showed to the people before throwing it on a fire. Some were killed by being pressed to death by heavy objects lowered against their chests while they lay on their backs. Others had their arms and legs tied to four horses, who were made to run in four different directions, ripping the limbs from the trunk.

The names of the 40 are given below, with years of death. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are Welsh, the others English.
Religious Orders (monks, friars, etc.):
Carthusians:
... John Houghton, Augustine Webster, Robert Lawrence, 1535; Brigittine: Richard Reynolds; 1535.
Augustinian friar: John Stone; 1539.
Jesuits:
... Edmund Campion, 1581; Robert Southwell, Henry Walpole, 1595;
... Nicholas Owen, Jesuit laybrother, 1606; Thomas Garnet, 1608;
... Edmund Arrowsmith, 1628; Henry Morse, 1645;
... Philip Evans*, David Lewis*, 1679.
Benedictines:
... John Roberts*, 1610; Ambrose Barlow, 1641; Alban Roe, 1642.
Friar Obervant, John Jones*, 1598;
Franciscan, John Wall, 1679.
Diocesan/Secular Clergy (parish priests not in monastic orders):
... Cuthbert Mayne, 1577; Ralph Sherwin, Alexander Briant, 1581;
... John Pain, Luke Kirby, 1582; Edmund Gennings, Eustace White, Polydore Plasden, 1591;
... John Boste, 1594; John Almond, 1612; John Southworth, 1654;
... John Lloyd*, John Plessington, John Kemble, 1679.
Laymen:
... Richard Gwyn*, poet and schoolmaster 1584; Swithun Wells*, schoolmaster, 1591;
... Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, died in prison (poisoned?) 1595;
... John Rigby, household retainer of the Huddleston family, 1600.
Laywomen:
... Margaret Clitherow, wife, mother, and schoolmistress, 1586;
... Margaret Ward, for managing a priest's escape from prison, 1588;
... Anne Line, widow, "harborer of priests", 1601.


-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), May 23, 2000.

Yes, John, the first Mexican Saint is San Felipe de Jeszs, whose feast is on February 5. He was one de 25 martyred in Japan in the XVI century.

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), May 24, 2000.

Dear Enrique,
Are you able to tell us anything about San Felipe de Jeszs (St. Philip of Jesus), or is there too little known about him?
Thanks. John

-- J. F. Gecik (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), May 24, 2000.

John: for the time being, I found this page about San Felipe de Jeszs. I'll go on looking and I think eventually I'll find something in English:

San Felipe de Jeszs

(1572-1597)

Protomartir Mexicano

Pocos son los cristianos que comprenden a fondo la exigencia radical que encierra la total conversisn de vida para despojarse del hombre viejo y renovarse en el hombre nuevo, que es Jesucristo (col.3,9) Felipe de las Casas que quiso llamarse "de Jeszs" cuando por fin llegs a convertirse plenamente, es un esplindido ejemplo de esa comprensisn cordial y practica de lo que significa e implica la autintica conversisn.

Felipe nacis en la ciudad de Mixico el aqo de 1572, hijo de honrados inmigrantes espaqoles. En su niqez se caracterizs por su mndole inqieta y traviesa. Se cuenta que su aya, una buena negra cristiana, al comprobar las diarias travesuras de Felipillo, solma exclamar, con la mirada fija en una higuera seca que, en el fondo del jardmn, levantaba a las nubes sus aridas ramas: "Antes la higuera seca reverdecera, que Felipillo llegue a ser Santo"... El chico no tenma madera de Santo ...

Pero un buen dma entrs en el noviciado de los franciscanos dieguinos; mas no pudo resistir su austeridad y otro buen dma se escaps del convento.

Regress a la casa paterna. Ejercis unos aqos el oficio de platero, si bien con escasas ganancias; por lo que su padre Alonso de las Casas lo envis a las Islas Filipinas a probar fortuna, Felipillo contaba ya para entonces con dieciocho aqos. Se establecis en el emporio de artes, riquezas y placeres que era en esos tiempos la ciudad de Manila.

Nuestro joven gozs por un tiempo de los deslumbrantes atractivos de aquella ciudad; pero pronto se sintis angustiado: el vacmo de Dios se dejs sentir muy hondo, hasta las zltimas fibras de su ser; en medio de aquel doloroso vacmo volvis a omr muy tinue la llamada de Cristo: " Si quieres venir en pos de mm, renuncia a ti mismo, toma tu cruz y smgueme( (Mt.16.24).

Y Felipe volvis a tomar la cruz, y entrs con los franciscanos de Manila y ahora si toms muy en serio su conversisn ... Ors mucho, estudis, cuids amorosamente a los enfermos y necesitados, y un buen dma le anunciaron que ya podma ordenarse sacerdote, y que, por gracia especial, esa ordenacisn tendrma lugar precisamente en su ciudad natal, en Mixico, a la vista de sus Padres y amigos de la infancia ...

Se embarcs juntamente con Fray Juan Pobre y otros Franciscanos, rumbo a la Nueva Espaqa; pero una gran tempestad arrojs el navmo a las costas del Japsn, entonces evangelizado, entre otros, por Fray Pedro Bautista y algunos hermanos de su provincia Franciscana de Filipinas. Felipe se sintis dichoso, ahora podrma ahondar mas en su conversisn, esforzandose por convertir a muchos japoneses.

Las conversiones en Japsn aumentaban dma a dma; pero entonces estalls la persecucisn de Taicosama contra los Franciscanos y sus catequistas.

Nuestro Felipe por su calidad de naufrago, hubiera podido evitar honrosamente la prisisn y los tormentos como lo habman hecho, Fray pobre y otros compaqeros de naufragio, pero Felipe rechazs a fonds, hasta abrazarse del todo con la cruz de Cristo. Siguis, pues, hasta el zltimo suplicio a Pedro Bautista y demas misioneros franciscanos que desde hacma aqos evangelizaban el Japsn.

Felipe juntamente con ellos fue llevado en procesisn por algunas de las principales ciudades para que se burlaran de il. Sufris pacientemente que le cortaran, como a todos los demas, una oreja y, finalmente en Nagasaki, en compaqma de otros veintizn franciscanos, 5 de la Primera Orden y 15 de la Tercera Orden, ademas de tres jsvenes Jesuitas, se abrazs a la cruz de la cual fue colgado, suspendido mediante una argolla y atravesado por dos lanzas.

Felipe fue el primero en morir en medio de todos aquellos gloriosos martires. Sus zltimas palabras fueron: " Jeszs, Jeszs, Jeszs".

Felipe se habma convertido plena y totalmente a Cristo era el 5 de febrero de 1597. Cuenta la leyenda que ese mismo dma la higuera seca de la casa paterna reverdecis de pronto y dis fruto. Pero volvamos a la historia: Felipe fue beatificado, juntamente con sus compaqeros de cruento martirio, el 14 de septiembre de 1627. El 8 de junio de 1862, fue canonizado.

Felipe, el joven que supo convertirse hasta dar la vida por Cristo, ha sido declarado patrono de la ciudad de Mixico y de su Arzobispado.

" Seriis mis testigos"

" A lo largo de veinte siglos de historia, las generaciones cristianas han afrontado perisdicamente diversos obstaculos a esta misisn de los mismos evangelizadores de estrechar bajo distintos pretextos su campo de accisn misionera; por otra, las resistencias, muchas veces humanamente insuperables de aquillos a quienes el evangelizador se dirige. Ademas, debemos constatar con tristeza que la obra evangelizadora de la iglesia es gravemente dificultada, si no impedida, por los poderes pzblicos. Sucede, incluso en nuestros dias, que a los anunciadores de la palabra de Dios se les priva de sus derechos; son perseguidos, amenazados, eliminados sslo por el hecho de predicar a Jesucristo y su evangelio. pero abrigamos la confianza de que finalmente, a pesar de estas pruebas dolorosas, la obra de estos apsstoles no faltara en nunguna regisn del mundo.

No obstante estas adversidades, la Iglesia reaviva siempre su inspiracisn mas profunda, la que le viene directamente del Maestro. A todo el mundo... A todas las criaturas... Hasta los confines de la tierra.

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), May 25, 2000.

John: for the time being, I found this page about San Felipe de Jeszs. I'll go on looking and I think eventually I'll find something in English:

| New Advent | Catholic Encyclopedia | Church Fathers | Summa Theologica | | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

St. Philip of Jesus Born in Mexico, date unknown; died at Nagasaki early in February, 1597. Though unusually frivolous as a boy, he joined the Discalced Franciscans of the Province of St. Didacus, founded by St. Peter Baptista, with whom he suffered martyrdom later. After some months in the Order, Philip grew tired of monastic life, left the Franciscans in 1589, took up a mercantile career, and went to the Philippines, where he led a life of pleasure. Later he desired to re-enter the Franciscans and was again admitted at Manila in 1590. After some years he was to have been ordained at the monastery in Mexico, the episcopal See of Manila being at that time vacant. He sailed, 12 July, 1596, but a storm drove the vessel upon the coast of Japan. The governor of the province confiscated the ship and imprisoned its crew and passengers, among whom were another Franciscan, Juan de Zamorra, two Augustinians, and a Dominican. The discovery of soldiers, cannon, and ammunition on the ship led to the suspicion that it was intended for the conquest of Japan, and that the missionaries were merely to prepare the way for the soldiers. This was also said, falsely and unwarrantably, by one of the crew (cf. JAPAN, CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN, Catholicism). This enraged the Japanese Emperor Hideyoshi, generally called Taicosama by Europeans. He commanded, 8 December, 1596, the arrest of the Franciscans in the monastery at Miako, now Kyoto, whither St. Philip had gone. The religious were kept prisoners in the monastery until 30 December, when they were transferred to the city prison. There were six Franciscans, seventeen Japanese tertiaries, and the Japanese Jesuit, Paul Miki, with his two native servants. The ears of the prisoners were cropped on 3 January, 1597, and they were paraded through the streets of Kyoto; on 21 January they were taken to Osaka, and thence to Nagasaki, which they reached on 5 February. They were taken to a mountain near the city, "Mount of the Martyrs", bound upon crosses, after which they were pierced with spears. St. Philip was beatified in 1627 by Urban VIII, and, with his companions, canonized 8 June, 1862, by Pius IX. He is the patron saint of the city of Mexico.

RIBADENEGRA, Historia de las Islas del Archipielago y Reynos de la Gran China, Tartaria . . . y Japon, V, VI (Barcelona, 1601); these are sometimes wrongly cited as Actas del martirio de San Pedro Bautista y sus companeros (Barcelona, 1601); Archivum franc. hist., I (Quaracchi, 1908), 536 sqq.; FRANCISCO DE S. ANTONIO, Chron. de la apostol. prov. de S. Gregorio . . . in Las Islas Philipinas, III (Manila, 1743), 31 sqq.; Acta SS., Feb.I, 723 sqq.; GERONIMO DE JESUS, Hist. della Christandad del Japon (1601); DA CIVEZZA, Saggio di Bibliog. Sanfrancesc. (Prato, 1879), 250, 590 sqq., 523; IDEM, Storia univ. delle missioni franc., VII, ii (Prato, 1891), 883 sqq.; DA ORIMA, Storia dei ventitre Martiri Giapponesi dell' Ord. Min. Osserv. (Rome, 1862); MELCHIORRI, Annal. Ord. Min. (Ancona, l869), 101 sqq. 218 sqq., 260 sqq.

MICHAEL BIHL Transcribed by Ann M. Bourgeois Offered to Almighty God for graces and blessings on Carmen and Walter Karas

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XII Copyright ) 1911 by Robert Appleton Company Online Edition Copyright ) 1999 by Kevin Knight Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York

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-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), May 25, 2000.

Gracias John, por tus felicitaciones al pueblo mexicano.

El 21 de mayo/2000 se celebrs en Roma el Jubileo de Mixico. Esa maqana nos desayunamos con la noticia de que tenemos 27 nuvos santos. Honor, ejemplo, compromiso. El fiel de la balanza apunta al equilibrio: si hay maldad, hay santidad; la brzjula apunta al norte: SI SE PUEDE!! la luz brilla en la oscuridad, las tinieblas huyen, la barca va a puerto seguro -pasa por agitadas aguas- La Iglesia avanza, se sacude el polvo: LAS FUERZAS DEL INFIERNO NO PODRAN CONTRA ELLA. Joshua

-- Joshua Zuniga (joshuazuniga@usa.net), June 01, 2000.

Well,first of all,all this things happening with the Catholic Church, i mean,First the inquizition(forcing of people to become catholic)then, they say they do as the bible says right? the catholic church supposedly does. Well if it does, then why do they have statues of "saints"? i mean doesn't the bible say not to kneel down and not to adore no image nor statue but god and only God? (Exodous 20:3) then i mean.. What is going on with this religion? Where in the bible does it say that god or Crist established any "popes". seriously,...Go

-- Christy Moron (www.chinamoron@hotmail.com), April 04, 2001.

Theeeeyyy'rrre BaaAAaacck.

First Ruiz, and now Moron.
Yep. Celebrating Reconciliation brings out the worst in Ol' Nick.

-- (jgecik@desc.dla.mil), April 04, 2001.

Don't worry, John, Moron in his name bears his own sentence not of death, but of disqualification. No Inquisition is necessary.

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), April 05, 2001.

I was wondering if anybody could give me info about Maria de Jesus Venegas de la Torre. I'm doing a project and I can't find much info. Please write back soon. Thank you.God bless.

-- Rosalba Vargas (aztecprincess_114@hotmail.com), April 30, 2003.

I have some help for you, Rosalba.

Here is a picture of the new saint at the Vatican's Internet site.

Here is part of the pope's homily on May 21, 2000, on the occasion of the canonization of your saint and 26 others:

"St. María de Jesús Sacramentado Venegas, the first Mexican woman to be canonized, knew how to remain united to Christ during her long earthly life and thus she bore abundant fruits of eternal life. Her spirituality was marked by an exceptional Eucharistic piety, since it is clear that an excellent way to union with the Lord is to seek him, to adore him, to love him in the most holy mystery of his real presence in the Sacrament of the Altar.

"She wanted to continue his work by founding the Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, who today in the Church follow her charism of charity to the poor and the sick. Indeed, the love of God is universal; it is meant for all human beings and for this reason the new saint understood that it was her duty to spread it, generously caring for everyone until the end of her days, even when her physical energy was declining and the heavy trials that she had to endure throughout her life had sapped her strength. Very faithful in her observance of the Constitutions, respectful to Bishops and priests, attentive to seminarians, St María de Jesús Sacramentado is an eloquent example of total dedication to the service of God and to suffering humanity." [The full text of the homily is here.]

The Vatican also has a page containing a short Spanish-language biography of St. María de Jesús Sacramentado.

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), May 01, 2003.