Mary Clare of the Child Jesus

Mother Mary Clare of the Child Jesus

Maria Clare of the Child Jesus (Libânia do Carmo Galvão Mexia de Moura Telles de Albuquerque) (born June 15, 1843 in Amadora near Lisbon , Portugal ; † December 1, 1899 in Lisbon, Portugal) was a Roman Catholic religious sister and founder of the congregation of the Franciscan Hospital Sisters of the Immaculate Conception . On May 21, 2011, she was in Lisbon by Angelo Cardinal Amato on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI. beatified. Her memorial day in the liturgy is December 1st.

Life

Maria Clare of the Child Jesus was born on June 15, 1843 in Amadora near Lisbon as Libânia do Carmo Galvão Mexia de Moura Telles de Albuquerque. Her parents were Nuno Tomás de Mascarenhas Galvão Mexia de Moura Telles de Albuquerque and Maria da Purificação de Sá Carneiro Duarte Ferreira. In 1856 her mother died of cholera and around 1857 her father died of yellow fever. Then Libânia went to boarding school. She stayed there until 1862, when she was invited, with the Marquis couple of Valada. The margravine, a friend of her late parents, looked after Libânia like a daughter of her own and wanted to introduce her to society and prepare her for a good wedding.

However, Libânia felt in her heart the calling to a consecrated life. Therefore, in 1865, she left the court of the margraves and went to the convent of the Capuchins of San Patricio. In 1867 Libânia was dressed in the habit of the Capuchin Sisters and took the religious name Maria Klara from the Child Jesus. Father Raimundo dos Anjos Beirão became her spiritual guide. He supported her in her idea of ​​founding a new congregation and advised her to prepare for her profession and the new foundation because of the tense, anti-religious situation in Portugal outside the country. Maria Klara went to the novitiate of the Franciscan Hospital Sisters in Calais in France in 1870 and made her profession there on April 14, 1871. On May 1, 1871, she returned to Portugal and, with the support of Father Raimundo, founded the new Congregation of the Franciscan Hospital Sisters of the Poor for the Love of God on May 3, 1871 (later: Franciscan Hospital Sisters of the Immaculate Conception ).

Maria Clare of the Child Jesus was elected superior and novice mistress. Under her leadership, the congregation soon grew and the sisters cared for the poor, sick, and abandoned. In 1876 the congregation received papal recognition. After the death of Father Raimundo dos Anjos Beirão in 1878 she was solely responsible for the direction and further development of the congregation. In 1883 the first sisters were sent to Africa as missionaries, and in 1886 more sisters went to India.

In 1893 the Patriarch of Lisbon, José Sebastião de Almeida Neto, was appointed by the Holy See as Apostolic Visitator for the Congregation, who would obtain the resignation of Maria Clare as Superior General. With the apostolic visitation began a difficult and painful time for Mother Maria Klare. The general chapter confirmed her as superior general in 1894. In May 1896, the Holy See recognized Mother Mary Clare of the Child Jesus as the founder of the congregation and superior general for life. Shortly afterwards a Franciscan priest was appointed Apostolic Visitator and attempts were made again to isolate Mother Maria Clare in her congregation and to remove her from her offices. The apostolic visitation ended on December 20, 1898, and Mother Maria Clare was confirmed as Superior General.

Chapel and Generalate of the Franciscan Hospital Sisters of the Immaculate Conception in Linda-a-Pastora

A serious heart disease combined with asthma finally led to the death of mother Maria Clare of the child Jesus on December 1, 1899. She was buried in the Prazeres cemetery near Lisbon. Her remains were exhumed in 1954 and transferred to the convent in Caminha before they found their current resting place in 1998 in the crypt of the Generalate in Linda-a-Pastora near Lisbon.

Beatification process

Tomb of the Blessed Mother Mary Clare in the Generalate's crypt

The beatification process for Mother Mary Clare of the Child Jesus opened in 1995. In 2003 the Positio was sent to Rome. Pope Benedict XVI awarded Mother Maria Klara in 2009 the heroic degree of virtue and the title "Venerable Servant of God". On December 10th, the miracle of their intercession was recognized by decree. On June 21, 2011, the beatification took place by Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, on behalf of Benedict XVI. held in Lisbon.

Remembrance day

The liturgical feast day is December 1st, the anniversary of her death.

Web links

• http://www.confhic.com - Congregation homepage (Portuguese)
• http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/95495 - biography (Italian)