Maria Josefa Alhama y Valera

The heart of Mother Esperanza's mission lies in the foundation of two religious institutes dedicated to the propagation of devotion to the Merciful Love of God. On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1930, she founded the congregation of the Handmaids of Merciful Love (Ancelle dell'Amore Misericordioso / Esclavas del Amor Misericordioso) in Madrid. The institute's goal is to make God known not as a severe judge, but as a benevolent and kind Father. The sisters dedicate themselves to welcoming and educating poor children and orphans, as well as caring for the sick and the elderly. Despite extreme poverty and numerous initial difficulties, the work developed rapidly. In May 1936, Mother Esperanza went to Rome with a major benefactor, Pilar de Arratia. They settled in a poor neighborhood on Via Casilina to continue their apostolate of charity. During the Second World War, Mother Esperanza worked tirelessly to relieve the suffering of the wounded and the needy in Rome. On August 15, 1951, she founded the male branch of her work in Rome: the congregation of the Sons of Merciful Love (Figli dell'Amore Misericordioso / Hijos del Amor Misericordioso). This congregation's mission is the education of youth, aid to the poor, and, very specifically, spiritual and material support as well as close collaboration with the diocesan clergy. The same year, in 1951, she settled in Collevalenza, a small hamlet in the municipality of Todi (Perugia, Italy). It was there that she undertook the construction of the Santuario dell'Amore Misericordioso (Sanctuary of Merciful Love), a vast spiritual complex intended to be a place of pilgrimage and reconciliation. The sanctuary was completed in 1959.

Mother Esperanza spent the last thirty years of her life in Collevalenza, living in intimate union with God and offering herself for the salvation of souls and the sanctification of priests. Her reputation for holiness and the numerous extraordinary events surrounding her life (mystical phenomena, wise spiritual counsel) attracted many pilgrims and Church figures. On November 22, 1981, Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to the Sanctuary of Collevalenza. It was his very first pastoral visit outside the Vatican following the assassination attempt he suffered on May 13, 1981, in Saint Peter's Square. The Sovereign Pontiff, who already knew Mother Esperanza from having met her when he was Archbishop of Krakow, came to give thanks to Divine Mercy for his recovery. In 1982, he elevated the sanctuary to the rank of minor basilica. Mother Esperanza passed away peacefully in Collevalenza on February 8, 1983, at the age of 89. Her mortal remains are interred in the crypt of the Sanctuary of Merciful Love.

The cause for the beatification and canonization of Mother Esperanza opened on March 9, 1988, in the Diocese of Orvieto-Todi. The diocesan inquiry concluded on February 11, 1990. On April 23, 2002, Pope John Paul II promulgated the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues, thereby declaring her venerable. On July 5, 2013, Pope Francis authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to publish the decree recognizing a miracle attributed to her intercession. This miracle, which occurred in Italy in 1999, concerns the rapid, complete, and lasting healing of a young child suffering from a severe multiple food protein intolerance ("intolleranza alimentare multipla alle proteine"). The beatification ceremony was celebrated on May 31, 2014, at the Sanctuary of Merciful Love in Collevalenza. It was presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, representing Pope Francis.

Mother Esperanza's spirituality is entirely centered on the revelation of the Merciful Love of God. She conceived of God not as a stern judge waiting to punish the sinner, but as a loving Father, a "tender Mother," who tirelessly seeks out His lost children to forgive them, console them, and make them happy. She wrote that God seeks man with a love so great that He seems unable to be happy without him. Her legacy continues today through the Family of Merciful Love, which includes the Handmaids of Merciful Love, the Sons of Merciful Love, as well as diocesan priests and laypeople associated with their charism. The Sanctuary of Collevalenza remains a major spiritual center in Italy, often described as the "little Lourdes of Umbria," where pilgrims come to immerse themselves in the pools of blessed water desired by the foundress and to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.