BL. CANDELARIA OF ST JOSEPH - 1 FEBRUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY

Saints celebrated on the 1st of February

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

BL. CANDELARIA OF ST JOSEPH, RELIGIOUS AND FOUNDRESS

Susana Paz Castillo Ramirez was born on August 11, 1863 in Altagracia de Orituco, in the State of Guarico, Venezuela. Her father died when she was seven years old and the family gradually lost all they had. Her education consisted in rudimentary reading, writing and arithmetic skills.

ST ANTHONY'S HOSPITAL

In 1903 two doctors at Altagracia founded St Anthony's Hospital, and the parish priest, Fr Sixto Sosa, encouraged Susana to assist in running it. Soon three other helpers arrived, a little later another two came, and thus a small community of women, living and working together, began. They dedicated themselves to the sick as an expression of their desire to serve the Lord. Fr Sosa instructed them in the basics of religious life.

On December 31, 1910 the small community was established as a diocesan Institute and known as "The Sisters of the Poor of Altagracia de Orituco". 

TERTIARY CARMELITE SISTERS

On January 1, 1925, Mother Candelaria made a formal petition to the Carmelite General for affiliation status, and on March 25 the aggregation was decreed. From then on the Sisters were known as Tertiary Carmelite Sisters. Today, they are known as the Venezuelan Carmelite Sisters. In 1927 Mother Candelaria made her perpetual vows and then received the profession of temporal vows of the other Sisters.

HER HOLY DEATH

With her constant prayer, physical suffering and good example, Mother Candelaria continued to sustain her Community until her death on January 31, 1940.

HER BEATIFICATION

Mother Candelaria's Beatification was celebrated on April 27,  2008 at Caracas, Venezuela.

(Information from the official Vatican website)