Saint Joachima (1783-1854)
Image: Padre Eduardo Sanz de Miguel
(Franciscan Media) Born in Spain Barcelona into an aristocratic family, Joachima was just 12 yrs old when she expressed a desire to become a Carmelite Nun but her life took an altogether different turn when she married at the age of 16 to a young lawyer Theodore de Mas, both deeply devout Christians, they became secular Franciscans and during their marriage, they brought up 9 children.
The normalcy of their family life abruptly changed when Napoleon invaded Spain, Joachina decided to flee with her children, her husband decided to stay behind and subsequently died.
Following Thedore de Mas death in 1816, Joachima reexperienced a desire to enter a religious community but she attended to her duties as a mother–while at the same time, Joachina now 33 years old, led a life of austerity and chose to wear the habit of the ‘Third Order of St. Francis’ as her ordinary dress–she likewise spent much time in prayer and visiting the sick.
Four years later with some of Joachima children now married and younger ones caring for themselves, Joachina confessed her desire to a Priest to join a religious order.
With the Priest’s encouragement, Joachima established the ‘Carmelite Sisters of Charity’ (which exists today as Order of Carmelites in Italy Rome) in the midst of the fratricidal wars occurring at the time.
Joachima opened numerous houses for the care of the sick, together with helping and looking out for those who were uneducated and impoverished. — Illness ultimately compelled Joachima to resign as Superior of the ‘Carmelite Sisters of Charity’ and over the next four years, she slowly succumbed to paralysis and passed away at the age of 71 in 1854
Beatified in 1940 by Pope Pius XII, Joachima was Canonized in 1959 by Pope Saint John XXIII
More here from Carmelnet.org
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