Mercedes de Jesús Egido facts for kids

Mercedes de Jesús Egido y Izquierdo (born March 29, 1935, died August 3, 2004) was a Spanish nun in the Roman Catholic Church. She belonged to the Order of the Immaculate Conception. Mercedes de Jesús worked to make important changes to her Order's way of life. The Holy See is currently looking into her life to see if she can be declared a saint. This process is called beatification.

Her Early Life

Mercedes de Jesús was born as María del Rosario Egido y Izquierdo in Salamanca, Spain. Her parents, Ildefonso Egido y Curto and Carmen Izquierdo y Olazzari, were both tailors. She was one of nine children in her family.

When she was seven years old, María and her sister went to a special school. This school was run by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. María was a very smart student and learned quickly. She was even moved ahead several years in her studies because she understood things so well.

After four years, she had to leave the school. Her parents were thinking about moving to Madrid to find more work. During this time, María felt a strong wish to become a missionary. Missionaries are people who travel to different places to share their faith.

Becoming a Nun

After thinking about it for a long time, María decided to join a religious order. On October 25, 1953, she followed her two older sisters into the Order of the Immaculate Conception. She joined the monastery in La Puebla de Montalbán, Toledo, Spain.

On April 27, 1954, she officially began her training as a nun. This training period is called the novitiate. At this time, she was given her new religious name, Mercedes de Jesús. She made her first promises to God on May 12, 1955. These were her temporary vows. Later, on May 16, 1958, she made her final, lifelong promises, known as solemn vows.

On January 20, 1964, Mercedes de Jesús moved to a different monastery. This one was in Alcázar de San Juan, Ciudad Real.

Changes in the Order

The Second Vatican Council was a very important meeting in the Catholic Church. In 1965, it released a document called Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life. This document encouraged religious orders to update their way of life.

Mercedes de Jesús was inspired by these ideas. She wanted to bring new life to her Order, just like its founder, Beatrice of Silva, had done. On September 8, 1996, she received official approval from the Holy See. This approval allowed her to make important changes to the rules of her Order. She became a reformer, helping to guide her community into a new era.

Mercedes de Jesús passed away on August 3, 2004. She died at the Monastery of Alcázar de San Juan, where she had lived for many years. Many priests, including a retired bishop, attended her funeral service.

On the Path to Sainthood

On January 26, 2011, the Holy See officially accepted her case. This means they began a formal investigation into her life. They are looking for evidence of her holiness and virtues. If the investigation goes well, she could eventually be declared "Blessed" (beatified) and then a "Saint" (canonized).

See also

In Spanish: Mercedes de Jesús Egido para niños