Wednesday’s Woman: Blessed Concepion Cabrera de Armida

The Basics: Born December 8, 1862, in Mexico; died March 3, 1937, in Mexico; beatified May 4, 2019; feast day, March 3. Wife, mother, writer, mystic.

The Story: Conchita, as she was known, had a devotion to Jesus from an early age. At 13, she met the man she would marry eight years later.

When he died, she was 38, with eight children to raise. (A ninth had died several years later.) God had already inspired in Conchita the need for the Works (or Apostleship) of the Cross, an organization of lay people who make their lives an offering to the Lord, and a related organization for religious.

It’s easy to imagine the grief Conchita felt, and how it could have paralyzed her. Indeed, she wrote in her diary that she wished to lie in the dust and never rise. But rather than turn away from God, she drew closer and closer to him. Three more organizations related to Works of the Cross were established. And somehow, Conchita found time to write more than 60,000 pages on her interactions with Christ and the spiritual life. Her children say they rarely saw her write. They remember her as a loving, fully engaged mother. Today, some compare her writings to those of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Teresa of Avila. Indeed, Conchita prayed with Teresa for the grace of writing.

What We Can Learn from Conchita: We will not make it through our lives on earth without tragedy, loss, and suffering. Faith is what gives us the strength to soldier on despite this, trusting in the Lord and serving Him in the hope of eternal salvation.

Conchita’s Wisdom: “Oh! The soul is such a wonderful thing, its value is immense! Souls are born of love and must live eternally in love.”

To Learn More About Conchita: Read more about her and the branches of the Work of the Cross (Christ the Priest Region) that continue service today.

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, concepcion Cabrera de Armida, saints, wednesdays woman, women saints, works of the cross