Joaquina Vedruna de Mas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Joaquina Vedruna de Mas
Virgin
Born	17 April 1783 Vic, Barcelona, Kingdom of Spain
Died	28 August 1854 (71 years) Barcelona, Kingdom of Spain
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	19 May 1940, Saint Peter's Basilica by Pope Pius XII
Canonized	12 April 1959, Saint Peter's Basilica by Pope John XXIII
Feast	28 August, 22 May (Discalced Carmelites)

Joaquina Vedruna de Mas (or Joaquima in Catalan) was a Spanish nun. She lived from 1783 to 1854. Her full name was Joaquima de Vedruna Vidal de Mas. In her religious life, she was known as Joaquina of Saint Francis of Assisi. She founded a group of nuns called the Carmelite Sisters of Charity.

Joaquina first married a nobleman, even though she wanted to become a nun. She and her husband had nine children. When Napoleon invaded Spain, she and her children had to flee. Her husband stayed behind to fight and later died. This left Joaquina free to follow her dream of becoming a nun. She was made a saint on April 12, 1959.

Joaquina's Early Life

Joaquima Vedruna Vidal de Mas was born on April 16, 1783, in Barcelona, Spain. Her parents, Lorenzo de Vedruna and Teresa Vidal, were from noble families. Her father worked for the government. She was baptized on the day she was born.

When she was 12, in 1795, Joaquina wanted to become a Carmelite nun. However, her parents thought she was too young to make such a big decision. As a child, she was very religious. She especially loved the Infant Jesus. She was also known for being very neat and clean. She received her First Communion in 1792.

Marriage and Family Life

On March 24, 1799, Joaquina married Teodoro de Mas. He was a lawyer and landowner. Together, they had nine children. Both Joaquina and Teodoro later joined the Third Order of Saint Francis. This was a group for people who wanted to live a religious life but not as monks or nuns. Joaquina became known as "Joaquina of Saint Francis of Assisi."

Teodoro was a friend of Joaquina's father. He was trying to decide which of Lorenzo's three daughters to marry. He gave each of them a box of almonds. The two older girls thought it was a silly gift. But Joaquina accepted it and said, "I love almonds." So, Teodoro chose her.

When Napoleon's army invaded Spain, Joaquina had to escape with her children. Her husband, Teodoro, chose to stay and fight as a volunteer. He died on March 6, 1816. After a few months, Joaquina and her children moved from Barcelona to their family estate in Vic. She often wore the special clothes of the Third Order. There, she started helping sick people and women in need.

Founding a New Religious Order

Joaquina's spiritual guide, a Capuchin friar named Esteban de Olot, suggested she start a new religious group. This group would focus on education and helping others. Four of her daughters became nuns. Two of her sons got married. Sadly, three of her children died when they were young.

The Bishop of Vic, Pablo Jesús Corcuera, told her that her new group should follow the Carmelite tradition. Joaquina made her promises to the bishop on January 6, 1826. The bishop then wrote the rules for her new order on February 6, 1826.

On February 26, Joaquina and eight other women made their vows. This was the official start of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity. That morning, the group attended Mass at a Capuchin church. Then they went to Joaquina's estate to begin their new life together. Joaquina also worked with Anthony Mary Claret to refine the rules for her order.

During a war in Spain called the First Carlist War, Joaquina had to leave the country. She had founded a hospital in a town that was in danger because of the fighting. So, she went to France from 1836 to 1842.

Her new group received special approval from Pope Pius IX on August 5, 1857. The order officially joined the larger Carmelite family on September 14, 1860. Full approval from the Pope came on July 20, 1880, from Pope Leo XIII. Even with challenges from war and people who opposed them, the group Joaquina founded quickly grew in Catalonia, a region in Spain. Soon, communities of her sisters were set up all over Spain and in Latin America.

Later Life and Death

Eventually, Joaquina had to step down as the leader of her order because she became very sick. She suffered from paralysis starting in 1850. She had her first stroke in September 1849, and more followed.

She died during a cholera outbreak in Barcelona on August 28, 1854. Her body is kept in the main house of her order in Vic. Today, her order works in many countries, including Japan and Eritrea. In 2008, there were over 2,000 sisters in 280 houses around the world.

Becoming a Saint

Her remains were found to be well-preserved.

The process to make Joaquina a saint began on January 14, 1920. At this point, she was called a Servant of God. This means the Church started looking into her life.

On June 16, 1935, Pope Pius XI declared her Venerable. This meant that she had lived a life of great goodness and strong faith.

Two miracles were said to have happened because people prayed to her. After these miracles were confirmed, Pope Pius XII declared her "Blessed" on May 19, 1940. This is called beatification.

After two more miracles were confirmed, Pope John XXIII officially made her a saint. This happened on April 12, 1959, at Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome.

See also

In Spanish: Joaquina de Vedruna para niños