Angela of the Cross
Roman Catholic Church (Sisters of the Company of the Cross ) | |
---|---|
Beatified | 5 November 1982[1], Madrid, Spain, by Pope John Paul II |
Canonized | 4 May 2003, Madrid, Spain, by Pope John Paul II |
Major shrine | Convent of Santa Ángela de la Cruz, Calle Santa Ángela de la Cruz, Seville, Spain |
Feast | 2 March |
Major works | Founded Sisters of the Company of the Cross |
Angela of the Cross Guerrero y González (Spanish: Ángela de la Cruz or María de los Ángeles Guerrero González; 30 January 1846 – 2 March 1932[2]) was a Spanish religious sister and the foundress of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross ,[3] a Roman Catholic religious institute dedicated to helping the abandoned poor and the ill with no one to care for them. She was canonized in 2003 by Pope John Paul II.[4]
Early life
Born in Seville on 30 January 1846, at 5 Plaza de Santa Lucia, she was baptised on 2 February in the Church of Santa Lucia under the name María de los Angeles.[5]
The family was humble. Her father, Francisco Guerrero, was a wool carder from Grazalema who had moved to Seville. Her mother, Josefa González, was from Seville, a daughter of parents born in Arahal and Zafra. She was one of 14 children, of whom only six reached adulthood.
Both of Guerrero's parents worked in a
Religious awakening
Guerrero's supervisor at the shoe repair shop was Antonia Maldonado, a devout lady who encouraged her employees to pray together, recite the
In 1865, at age 19, Guerrero applied to enter the
Foundress
On 2 August 1875, Guerrero (now 29 years old) left the shoe shop and was joined by three other women, Josefa de la Peña, who was wealthy, and Juana María Castro and Juana Magadán, both from poor families like Guerrero's, who established themselves as a religious community. Torres assumed the position of director of the new institute and appointed Guerrero as the sister superior of the community.[6] With money from De la Peña, they had rented a small room with access to a kitchen at 13 San Luis Street in Seville, and from there they organized a day and night support service for the local poor and ill.[8] At that time, they began to wear a religious habit and Guerrero took the religious name of Mother Angela of the Cross.
The community received official approval on 5 April 1876 from Luis de la Lastra y Cuesta, the cardinal archbishop of Seville. In 1877 a second community was founded in Utrera, in the Province of Seville, and later another was founded in Ayamonte. Torres died in the same year and his place as director of the institute was taken by his protegee, José María Alvarez y Delgado. That same year, Guerrero took her perpetual religious vows under him.[6] 23 communities of the new institute came to be founded, mostly around western Andalusia and southern Extremadura.[5]
Death
Guerrero died in Seville on 2 March 1932 from natural causes, aged 86,[5][7] and was entombed in the Sisters of the Cross Convent. Seventy-one years later, on 4 May 2003, her body was transferred to Seville Cathedral as part of the celebration of her canonization. Her body remained on display for a week in a glass-sided coffin until it was returned to the convent on 11 May.[9]
Canonization
Guerrero's cause was formally opened on 11 July 1952, granting her the title of
References
- ^ a b BEATIFICATIONS BY POPE JOHN PAUL II, 1979–2000
- ^ St. Angela of the Cross
- ^ St. Angela of the Cross
- ^ Saint Angela of the Cross
- ^ a b c d "Ángela de la Cruz Guerrero González (1846–1932)". Vatican New Service. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ^ a b c "Biografías: Santa Ángela de la Cruz". Hermanas de la Cruz.(in Spanish)
- ^ a b c "Saint Angela of the Cross Guerrero". Saints.SQPN.com. 26 February 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ^ "Santa Ángela de la Cruz". Hermandades-de-sevilla.org. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ^ "Santa Ángela de la Cruz". Hermandades-de-sevilla.org. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ^ Index ac status causarum beatificationis servorum dei et canonizationis beatorum (in Latin). Typis polyglottis vaticanis. January 1953. p. 148.