Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Maria Rafols Bruna

The Basics: Born November 5, 1781, in Spain; died August 30, 1853, in Spain; beatified October 16, 1994, by John Paul II; feast day, August 30. Woman religious and nurse.

The Story: Maria was one of ten children, five of whom died while they were still children. And perhaps

that early experience helped form her passion for nursing. She was twenty-three when she became part of a group of women who began helping the mentally ill, disabled, and abandoned children at a small Zaragoza hospital. The group was the beginning of the Saints of Charity of St. Anne.

However, Maria’s life would take many twists and turns beyond that of the typical nurse. During the Spanish war for independence when Zaragoza was under siege, the hospital was destroyed, and Maria helped find places for thousands of displaced patients. At one point, she and two other sisters successfully pleaded with the French for assistance for their patients. Later, when Maria was in her fifties, she was wrongly accused of working against the Spanish queen and was imprisoned for nearly a year, and exiled for another six. In addition, Maria met with treachery within her congregation during much of her life, and was removed from leadership and then reinstated on several occasions. She died at age seventy-one.

What We Can Learn from Maria: Even when we attempt to avoid conflict, we often find ours thrust into it. May we learn from Maria to accept what life throws at us, confident in the Lord’s presence.

To Learn More About Maria: Read her biography at the Sisters of Charity of St. Anne site.

To Learn More About Other Women Saints and Blesseds: Come back next week, or consider buying my book, Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration.

Tagged as: Catholic, maria rafols bruna, wednesdays woman, women saints