A brief information on Saint Candida Ma. de Jesus' life.

2. “Getting to Know
Cándida María de Jesús
Up Close & Personal”

3. May 31, 1845, at a caserio
or small farm house in the
little Basque town of
Berrospe, Andoain in
Guipúzcoa, northern Spain

4. a young
married
couple
eagerly
awaited the
birth of their
first child

5. That’s me!
My parents had me
baptized & named
me
Juana Josefa Cipitria
y Barriola

6. you can call
me
“Juanita”
for short

7. later I had
6
other
sisters

8. My father was a simple
man. He loved us all
& worked hard as a
weaver.

9. My mother was a
simple
housewife. She
did her best to
take good care of
us.

10. This was
our home

11. Both my parents were God-fearing people.
They raised us in the Christian way.
We learned to be simple, honest & humble.

12. They also
taught us
how to pray.

13. I began to look at
God as a loving
Father who always
cares for us,
His children.

14. Since God is our loving
Father, we should be brothers
& sisters to one another.

15. I also felt
a desire
to be close
to Jesus.

16. He is my Friend, the
beloved Son of the
Father.

17. I also loved
Mary, our Mother.

18. To help my parents, I
tried to do what I could
around the house like
cleaning, cooking &
washing clothes

19. I also took care of
my sisters.

20. To love means to
be willing to make
little sacrifices.

21. I had a
grandmother
who was a sweet
lady. She used to
cook my favorite
dish – omelet.

22. One time I wanted to eat the omelet
she cooked for me but…

23. a beggar came
along
my heart went out
for her
I gave her the
omelet & she was
so happy.

24. When I was 7 yrs. old, my family
had to move to Tolosa, a nearby
industrial town. My father had to
earn more to feed our large family.

25. I was sad to leave my home, friends
& relatives. I sought refuge in God
by going often
to a church
called
Sta. Maria.

26. It was here that I
was drawn to a
statue of a saint.
He was St.
Ignatius of Loyola
& he held a book
with the initials
AMDG.

27. What is my life all about?
Where does everything come from?
Where do all go?
What is a life of meaning & purpose?
Where can one find true & lasting happiness?
ADMG
ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
For the Greater Glory of God

28. GOD
We all come from God & we all
belong to Him.
He alone deserves the total
offering of our life & love.

29. I have one life to live,
what better way than to offer it all
to Him!

30. The day of my
first Holy
Communion
came. I was so
happy for it
meant that Jesus
was now a part of
me.

31. In time, I grew & became a young lady. It
happened that a young man was courting
me. He proposed marriage. My parents
encouraged me to accept but then I said,
I am for God alone.

32. My sisters were growing
& I wanted to help
everyone in the family.
Thus I decided to go to
the big city, Burgos.
I was able to find work
as a household helper
for the Sabater family.

33. I tried to match hard
work with a lot of
prayers.
Work was plenty for this big household of 15
people. I got up early to wash clothes, clean the
house & take care of the Sabater children. My
employers were kind to me & treated
me as part of their family.

34. Poor people would also come to the
house asking for food. I would readily
prepare it for them from my own
savings. One time I was asked to turn
them away since our neighbors were
getting annoyed. To this I said,
Where there is no room for the
poor, there is no room for me.

35. After 6 years, I
went with the
Sabater family to
Valladolid &
continued to work
for them.

36. I would frequent the church of
Rosarillo.
From now on your name will
be
Cándida María de Jesús
Then one afternoon, while in
deep prayer, I heard the
Blessed Virgin tell me,

37. God had a plan for me, to found a religious
congregation called
dedicated to bring all closer to God through
Christian education
HIJAS DE JESÚS

38. I was somewhat disturbed by this. I said to
myself, “how can I found a religious
congregation & make God known through
education when I myself am unlettered?
All I know is to do household chores!”

39. I thought further that if I trusted only in
myself, nothing will happen. However, if I put
all my trust in God, He will make things
happen. This is His plan, not mine & He will
see this through.
I am just His instrument.
“Alone I can do nothing but
with God I can do everything.”

40. Thus I resolved to put all my trust
in God. I left everything behind &
followed Him. True enough, He
gave me the graces I needed.
A Jesuit named
Fr. Miguel San José Herranz
taught me what I needed to learn.

41. Then on December 8,1871,
Feast of the Immaculate Conception,
the Congregation of the
Hijas de Jesús was born.
This happened in
Salamanca, Spain.

42. At the start, we were only 6
Hijas de Jesús sisters with
barely anything except our
strong trust in God that
He will provide for
whatever
we need to carry out
His mission.

43. As I went from place to place
to establish FI centers,
God has never failed!
Throughout life, I have tried
to live the motto --“I will go
to the ends of the earth in
search of souls.”

44. Thus when I breathed my
last on
August 9,1912,
I was serene & eager to
meet my Maker. This is
because “for 41 years that I
have been a religious, I
could not recall a single
moment that was not lived
for Him!”

45. Today, the Hijas de Jesús family has grown & can be
found in the following countries:
Spain
Italy
Bolivia
Brazil
Dominican
Republic
Colombia
Venezuela
Argentina
Cuba
Mozambique
Japan
Taiwan
Philippines
Bangladesh
Thailand

46. In order to make God known, we are engaged in the following ministries:
• Christian Education
• Catechesis
• Retreats & Recollections
• Guidance & Counselling
• Campus Ministry
• Livelihood Projects
• Mission Work
• Insertion Communities
• Human & Spiritual Formation of Clergy, Religious & Lay
• Social Work
• Pastoral Work in Parishes & Other Institutions
• Human & Christian Development in Urban & Rural Areas
• Human & Christian Formation of Students in FI
Dormitories & University Residence Halls
• Work with Drug Addicts
• Linkage with the Jesuit Refugee Service
• Community Organizing

47. having lived to a heroic degree …
 theological virtues of FAITH, HOPE & LOVE for God &
persons
 cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude,
temperance & other related virtues
VENERABLE
Cándida María de Jesús on
July 6, 1993

48. As a way of recognizing & imitating models of
holiness, Pope John Paul II declared Cándida
María de Jesús & another young FI Sister, María
Antonia Bandrés “blesseds” on May 12, 1996.

49. DORITA, born in Segovia Spain on January 11, 1937, was a mother
of 3 children. After her second child was born, she fell ill & was
found to have cancer in the advanced stage; she was told that she
wouldn’t live long. She also became pregnant during her illness &
the doctors had to stop all her medications so as not to endanger
the baby in her womb. She turned to & asked for the help of
Cándida María de Jesús by praying hard for healing. Her prayers
were eventually answered. On August 1968, she gave birth to a
healthy boy named Javier & her cancer totally disappeared. She
continues to enjoy good health up to the present.

50.  Finally, to be called a SAINT, the church must
approve a second miracle caused by the holy
person after his/her death.
Last June 16, 2009, the Congregation of Cardinals &
Bishops - members of the Congregation for the
Causes of Saints, all approved & without doubt, the
miraculous healing of Sister Carmen del Val through
the help of Mother Cándida.

51. She was proclaimed saint or canonized
on October 17, 2010 in Vatican, Rome.
As a SAINT, she is…
• a very powerful helper for us to grow
closer to God
• our role model for holiness

52. Do you believe that
WE can also become SAINTS?

53. What does the Church teach us?
 #2013 : All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to
the fullness of Christian life -- to be holy: "Be perfect, as your
heavenly Father is perfect.“ In order to reach this, we have to
know God, love God with our whole heart & serve Him & our
neighbor.
 #2015 : It is not easy to be holy. Many times, it involves
sacrifice & suffering.
 # 2016: We should not be discouraged but hold on to God in
times of trials & difficulties for God will reward us in the end.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church

54. The FI Family
Japan
COLOMBIA

55. Venezuela
Dominican
Republic

56. Italy
Spain

57. Brazil
Philippines

58. an old sistermission sending of Filipina
– Sr. Flor Florece, FI to
Japan

59. Sr. María Inéz Furtado, FI,
General Superior of the Hijas de Jesús

61. blessing of
statue

62. Pope with
FI Youth

63. Some quotations of Mother Foundress:

64. We have a God who
is a loving Father to
all of us, His
children. Let us try
to live as brothers &
sisters to one
another.