Wednesday’s Woman: Maria Josefa Alhama y Valera (Mother Esperanza)

The Basics: Born September 30, 1893, in Spain; died February 8, 1983, in Italy; beatified May 31, 2014; feast day, February 8; woman religious.

The Story: Maria’s life took some twists and turns before she settled into her life’s work with the Handmaids and Sons of Merciful Love congregations she founded. She got acquainted with the Lord early; there’s a sweet story about her confessing to “stealing” Jesus (partaking of the Eucharist before her formal First Communion). She also credited two sisters of the local parish priest for sharing their faith with her.

When she was twenty-one, Maria entered the Daughters of Calvary convent about sixty miles from her

Spanish hometown. It was a small community, and eventually merged with the Claretian missionaries. But the fit wasn’t quite right, and in 1930, she founded the Handmaids of Merciful Love, a congregation that sought to serve the poor, children, the elderly, and the clergy. She first went to Rome to seek formal approval of the community in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. During one of Maria’s visits to Rome, World War II began, and she and her sisters began providing care to soldiers and others injured by bombings and battles. After the war, in 1951, she founded the Sons of Merciful Love in Rome, and spent the rest of her life in Italy.

Maria’s Wisdom: “I want all my sons and daughters to be very poor materially but very rich in virtues, especially in cardinal virtues.”

What We Can Learn from Maria: Sometimes, a redirection isn’t the result of a “mistake,” but occurs because we needed that experience to serve the Lord in a new and challenging way. Think about a personal or professional situation that seemed to be an error, but prepared you for a next step. Consider rethinking the way you think and talk about that experience.

To Learn More About Maria: Visit the site for the congregations she founded, the Families of Merciful Love.

To Learn More About Other Women Saints and Blesseds: Come back next week, or consider buying my books, Blessed Are You: Finding Inspiration from Our Sisters in Faith or Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration.