Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Caracas (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Venezuela has announced the first beatification of a daughter of that local Church, Mother Candelaria di San José, foundress of the Carmelite Sisters of Venezuela. The beatification will take place on Sunday 27 April 2008.
The Bishops say the beatification of Mother Candelaria will be an opportunity “to strengthen the faith and defend it from deviations; to reaffirm our trust in the presence of God among his people in Venezuela; appreciate the beauty of our religion and the Catholic Church and the validity and utility of religious congregations and the importance of vocations to the priesthood and religious life”. “Her example is a call to all Venezuelans to live in solidarity and fraternity” the Bishops say, inviting the faithful to “participate in various activities to be organised during the year but especially the beatification Mass on 27 April. They encourage dioceses to organise events in preparation and priests and members of institutes of consecrated life to plan initiatives to “highlight the beauty of a vocation and the transforming power of the Catholic faith and religion at the service of the poor and marginalised”.
Mother Candelaria de San José lived her profound faith and intense love for God and her brothers and sisters with a loving and compassionate heart, filial loyalty to Holy Mother Church and a generous and enterprising character. Born at Altagracia de Orituco 11 August 1863, as a young girl she demonstrated lively and concrete charity. She cared for the sick at San Antonio Hospital founded in 1903 at Altagracia de Orituco. Later she founded a religious community of women to serve the poor which was officially established on 31 December 1910 as the Congregation of the Sisters of the Poor of Altagracia de Orituco, today known at the Carmelite Sisters of Venezuela or Carmelite Sisters of Mother Candelaria. She cared for people wounded in war and poor sick people, showing unswerving confidence in Divine Providence and intense love for people in need. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 22/1/2008; righe 27, parole 363)
