THE STORY OF THE CAUSE FOR CANONIZATION OF BL. CANDIDA MARIA DE JESUS

 

On Friday February 19, at 11 o'clock, the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, announced at an ordinary public consistory that on Sunday, the 17th of October of this year, 2010, the Foundress of the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus, Candida Maria de Jesus, will be canonized in Rome.

1. Foundress
M. Cándida, whose name was Juana Josefa Cipitria y Barriola, was born in Andoain (Guipúzcoa) on May 31 1845 to a humble family. While still young, she left her land to go to work in Castile in order to help the family financially. Endowed with a great sensibility toward the neediest, the conditions of those near her did not leave her indifferent.  Thus, even with the risk of being left without work, she would say, "where there is no place for the poor, there is no place for me." 

Her desire to do what God wants is the only moving force in her life. On April 2, 1869, in the church of "The Rosarillo" in Valladolid, before the altar of the Sacred Family, she asks the Lord once more to make His will clear to her, and God with greater clarity expresses His desire: “To found a Congregation with the name of Daughters of Jesus, dedicated to the salvation of souls, by means of education and instruction of children and youth."

It will be in Salamanca, on December 8, 1871,  when, with five other women, her adventure begins, with nothing more than the trust that comes from the knowledge that what one undertakes is "what God wants". In this way and with the name of Cándida María de Jesus, this woman of little learning and hardly any material means founds the Congregation of Daughters of Jesus in one of the major university cities in the 19th century.

The exclusion of women and of the economically weak classes from education moves Mother Cándida to break this path. And very soon what began in Salamanca extends through the whole Spanish geography. Later, on October 3, 1911, the first Daughters of Jesus leave for Brazil, making her dream a reality: "To the farthest ends of the earth I would go in search of souls."

On August 9, 1912, Mother Cándida died in Salamanca, the simple and courageous woman who made of her life a constant surrender to God’s will. The Church beatified her on May 12, 1996, and in July of 2009 Pope Benedict XVI authorized the promulgation of the decree of the authenticity of the miracle attributed to her intercession. Today, February 19, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI announced her canonization, in Rome, on the 17th of October of this same year.

2. Miracle attributed to the intercession of Mother Cándida

The miracle that has been approved for the canonization of Blessed Cándida María de Jesús refers to the cure, nine years ago, of a Daughter of Jesus, Ma. del Carmen del Val Rodríguez, of the community of “Nazareth” in Valladolid. She suffered a cerebral illness that caused numerous lesions in the brain, and she was in deep coma for about 12 days. Her community invoked Mother Cándida with great faith. Sr. Carmen recovered fully, and today, at 87 years old, she is very well.

Ma. del Carmen del Val Rodríguez, F.I.

Sr. Carmen was born on November 6, 1922 in San Salvador de Hornija (Valladolid), Spain. A professed religious in the Congregation of the Daughters of Jesus, she was a teacher for many years; at present, she resides in Valladolid in a house of the Congregation, where she helps in the reception and in the laundry room. In October of 2000, while in good health, she began to have tremors in her hands, difficulty in staying upright, and loss of strength. In spite of the application of an uncertain pharmacological therapy, prescribed by the trusted physician, the clinical condition continued to worsen.  A neurologist was consulted, who limited himself to requesting a Magnetic Resonance Imaging before making any diagnosis. Later, Sr. Carmen continued to worsen and she had to be brought to the emergency room of the University Clinic Hospital of Valladolid. On that same day, the sisters of the religious community where Sr. Carmen resided began a novena for her cure through the intercession of Mother Cándida. On October 24, the patient had a general epileptic crisis and on the 25 fell into deep coma. The doctors warned the family of her imminent death. The tests carried out in the hospital of Valladolid led to the diagnosis of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and the doctors of Sr. Carmen refused, from the beginning, a therapy beyond what was simply symptomatic.

The clinical gravity continued up to November 4 when she showed a sudden improvement: Sr. Carmen opened her eyes spontaneously. Between the 8th and the 9th of November she began to speak. The Superior heard her speak for the first time on November 9. She said, "Thank you". The rest was a continuous improvement, except for a period of fever between the 16th and November 28-29, due to urinary infection. The patient was discharged from the hospital on December 1 with a prescription of corticoids and of physical rehabilitation. She underwent neurological tests that confirmed the full recovery of health and the total absence of neurological and mental disability. 

The diocesan process on the case took place in the Curia of Valladolid, from the year 2002 up to 2004 when it was begun in Rome. On September 25, 2008, the Medical Commission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously recognized that such a rapid resolution of the coma and the complete and permanent cure cannot be explained scientifically. In the year 2009 the theologian consultants gave their positive vote and the Cardinals and Bishops members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously confirmed the miraculous character of the cure of Sr. Carmen del Val and its attribution to the intercession of Mother Cándida. On July 3 of the same year the Holy Father authorized the promulgation of the Decree on the miracle.