The Basics: Born December 30, 1848, in Spain; died January 10, 1918, in Spain; beatified March 23, 2003; feast day, January 10; social worker; woman religious.
The Story: Ten days. That’s all it took for Dolores to decide convent life was not for her. That might have been in part because so much of her life up until that time had been based on more public ministries. She was still in her teens when she secretly cared for a leper and sisters 
with typhoid fever. When she was twenty-one, Dolores and most of her family relocated 300 miles to Madrid; there, she taught at a women’s prison. After three years, the family joined her father (serving as a government official) and an older brother in Puerto Rico. There, Dolores was rejected by a religious community because of her poor eyesight.
The family returned to Madrid when Dolores was in her early thirties. She resumed her work as a teacher in hospitals, prisoners, and elsewhere, and cared for her father. After her failed attempt as a woman religious, Dolores threw herself into social work, criss-crossing Spain to spread the word about an organization of laypeople, known today as the Sopena Lay Movement. She was fifty-three when what is now the Catechist Dolores Sopena Institute was founded, with Dolores serving as superior general. Those in the community continue to do her work today, wearing street clothes rather than habits in hopes of making themselves accessible to all in need.
Dolores’ Wisdom: “I have nothing or nobody, but I have you, my Jesus and I have everything.”
What We Can Learn from Dolores: Confused about what feels like doors slamming shut to what you’ve perceived as your call to ministry? Maybe the Lord is saying, “Not here. Not now,” as He did to Dolores, rather than a flat “No.” Consider discussing your disappointment with a spiritual director or trusted friend to help your discernment.
To Learn More About Dolores: Visit the site that supports her cause for canonization.
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.
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