“Getting to Know Cándida María de Jesús

Up Close & Personal”

May 31, 1845, at a caserio or small farm house in the little Basque town of Berrospe, Andoain in Guipúzcoa, northern Spain

a young married couple eagerly

awaited the birth of their

first child

That’s me!My parents had me baptized & named

me

Juana Josefa Cipitria y Barriola

you can call me

“Juanita” for short

later I had 6

other sisters

My father was a simple man. He loved us all & worked hard as a

weaver.

My mother was a simple housewife. She did her best to take good care of

us.

This was our home

Both my parents were God-fearing people. They raised us in the Christian way.

We learned to be simple, honest & humble.

They also taught us

how to pray.

I began to look at God as a

loving Father who always

cares for us, His children.

Since God is our loving Father, we

should be brothers & sisters to one

another.

I also felt a desire

to be close to Jesus.

He is my Friend, the beloved Son of

the Father.

I also loved Mary, our Mother.

To help my parents, I tried to do what I could around the house like cleaning, cooking &

washing clothes

I also took care of my sisters.

To love means to be willing to make little sacrifices.

I had a grandmother

who was a sweet lady. She used to

cook my favorite dish –

omelet.

One time I wanted to eat the omelet she cooked for me but…

a beggar came along

my heart went out for her

I gave her the omelet & she

was so happy.

When I was 7 yrs. old, my family had to move to Tolosa, a nearby industrial town. My father had to earn more to

feed our large family.

I was sad to leave my home, friends & relatives. I sought refuge in God by going often to a church called Sta. Maria.

It was here that I was drawn to a

statue of a saint. He was St.

Ignatius of Loyola & he held a book with the initials

AMDG.

What is my life all about?Where does everything come from?

Where do all go?What is a life of meaning & purpose?

Where can one find true & lasting happiness?

ADMGad Majorem Dei Gloriam

For the Greater Glory of God

GOD

We all come from God & we all belong to Him.

He alone deserves the total offering of our life & love.

I have one life to live, what better way than to

offer it all to Him!

The day of my first Holy Communion came. I was so happy for it meant that

Jesus was now a part of

me.

In time, I grew & became a young lady. It happened that a young man was courting me. He proposed marriage. My parents encouraged me to accept but then I said,

I am for God alone.

My sisters were growing & I wanted to help

everyone in the family. Thus I decided to go to

the big city, Burgos. I was able to find work as a household helper for the Sabater family.

I tried to match hard work with a lot of

prayers.

Work was plenty for this big household of 15 people. I got up early to wash clothes, clean the

house & take care of the Sabater children. My employers were kind to me & treated

me as part of their family.

Poor people would also come to the house asking for food. I would readily

prepare it for them from my own savings. One time I was asked to turn them away since our neighbors were

getting annoyed. To this I said,

Where there is no room for the poor, there is no room

for me.

After 6 years, I went with the

Sabater family to Valladolid &

continued to work for them.

I would frequent the church of Rosarillo.

From now on your name will be

Cándida María de Jesús

Then one afternoon, while in deep prayer, I heard the Blessed Virgin tell me,

God had a plan for me, to found a religious congregation called

dedicated to bring all closer to God through Christian education

HIJAS DE JESÚS

I was somewhat disturbed by this. I said to myself, “how can I found a religious

congregation & make God known through education when I myself am unlettered? All I know is to do household chores!”

I thought further that if I trusted only in myself, nothing will happen. However, if I put

all my trust in God, He will make things happen. This is His plan, not mine & He will

see this through. I am just His instrument.

“Alone I can do nothing but with God I can do everything.”

Thus I resolved to put all my trust in God. I left everything behind & followed Him. True enough, He gave me the graces I needed.

A Jesuit named Fr. Miguel San José Herranz

taught me what I needed to learn.

Then on December 8,1871, Feast of the Immaculate Conception,

the Congregation of the Hijas de Jesús was born.

This happened in Salamanca, Spain.

At the start, we were only 6 Hijas de Jesús sisters with barely anything except our strong trust in God that He will provide for whatever we need to carry out His mission.

As I went from place to place to establish FI centers, God has never failed!

Throughout life, I have tried to live the motto --“I will go

to the ends of the earth in search of souls.”

Thus when I breathed my last on

August 9,1912, I was serene & eager to meet my Maker. This is

because “for 41 years that I have been a religious, I could not recall a single

moment that was not lived for Him!”

Today, the Hijas de Jesús family has grown & can be found in the following countries:

Spain

Italy

Bolivia

Brazil

Dominican Republic

Colombia

Venezuela

Argentina

Cuba

Mozambique

Japan

Taiwan

Philippines

Bangladesh

Thailand

In order to make God known, we are engaged in the following ministries:

• Christian Education• Catechesis• Retreats & Recollections• Guidance & Counselling• Campus Ministry• Livelihood Projects• Mission Work• Insertion Communities• Human & Spiritual Formation of Clergy, Religious & Lay• Social Work• Pastoral Work in Parishes & Other Institutions• Human & Christian Development in Urban & Rural Areas• Human & Christian Formation of Students in FI

Dormitories & University Residence Halls• Work with Drug Addicts• Linkage with the Jesuit Refugee Service• Community Organizing

Declared by the Pope John Paul II…

having lived to a heroic degree … theological virtues of FAITH, HOPE & LOVE for God &

persons cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude,

temperance & other related virtues

VENERABLE Cándida María de Jesús

on July 6, 1993

As a way of recognizing & imitating models of holiness, Pope John Paul II declared Cándida

María de Jesús & another young FI Sister, María Antonia Bandrés “blesseds” on May 12, 1996.

DORITA, born in Segovia Spain on January 11, 1937, was a mother of 3 children. After her second child was born, she fell ill & was

found to have cancer in the advanced stage; she was told that she wouldn’t live long. She also became pregnant during her illness & the doctors had to stop all her medications so as not to endanger

the baby in her womb. She turned to & asked for the help of Cándida María de Jesús by praying hard for healing. Her prayers were eventually answered. On August 1968, she gave birth to a healthy boy named Javier & her cancer totally disappeared. She

continues to enjoy good health up to the present.

Miracle due to the help of Mother Foundress that made her become “BLESSED”

Finally, to be called a SAINT, the church must approve a second miracle caused by the holy person after his/her death.

Last June 16, 2009, the Congregation of Cardinals & Bishops - members  of the

Congregation for the Causes of Saints, all approved & without doubt, the miraculous

healing of Sister Carmen del Val through the help of Mother Cándida.

She was proclaimed saint or canonized on October 17, 2010 in

Vatican, Rome.

As a SAINT, she is…• a very powerful helper for us to grow

closer to God• our role model for holiness

SAINT Cándida María de Jesús

Do you believe thatWE can also become SAINTS?

Apostles’ Creed:“…I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the COMMUNION of SAINTS” – we are part of this!

What does the Church teach us? #2013 : All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to

the fullness of Christian life -- to be holy: "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.“ In order to reach this, we have to know God, love God with our whole heart & serve Him & our neighbor.

#2015 : It is not easy to be holy. Many times, it involves sacrifice & suffering.

# 2016: We should not be discouraged but hold on to God in times of trials & difficulties for God will reward us in the end.

- Catechism of the Catholic Church

The FI Family

Japan

COLOMBIA

Venezuela

Dominican Republic

Italy

Spain

Brazil

Philippines

an old sister

mission sending of Filipina – Sr. Flor Florece, FI to

Japan

Sr. María Inéz Furtado, FI, General Superior of the Hijas de Jesús

FI Youth Program

blessing of statue

Pope with FI Youth

Some quotations of Mother Foundress: “I am for God alone.” “Where there is no room for the

poor, there is no room for me.” “Alone I can do nothing but

with God I can do everything.” “I will go to the ends of the

earth in search of souls.”

We have a God who is a loving Father to all of

us, His children. Let us

try to live as brothers &

sisters to one another.