Mary Jane Wilson

In May 1881, Mary Jane Wilson arrived on the island of Madeira to care for a patient. Touched by the local poverty, she decided to remain there with the support of the bishop, Mgr. Manuel Agostinho Barreto. On January 15, 1884, she founded the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Victories with Amélia Amaro de Sá (Sister Elisabeth). The institute is dedicated to education, catechesis, and the care of the sick. She opened free schools, an orphanage, and dispensaries, and directed the Hospital of Mercy in Santa Cruz. During the smallpox epidemic of 1907, her heroic dedication at the Funchal Lazaretto earned her the decoration of the Order of the Tower and Sword from King Carlos I of Portugal.

During the republican revolution of 1910, congregations were banned. Arrested and then expelled to England, Sister Mary of St. Francis returned secretly to Madeira in 1911 to reorganize her congregation in clandestinity. At the end of her life, Bishop António Manuel Pereira Ribeiro entrusted her with the direction of a pre-seminary at the convent of Saint-Bernardin in Câmara de Lobos. She died there of natural causes on October 18, 1916, at the age of 76. Affectionately nicknamed the "Boa Mãe" (Good Mother) by the population, she left behind a profound reputation for holiness.

The cause for beatification was opened in the Diocese of Funchal on August 18, 1991, by Bishop Teodoro de Faria. The diocesan inquiry closed on April 30, 1993, and its validity was recognized by Rome on January 28, 1994. On October 9, 2013, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues, conferring upon her the title of Venerable. The recognition of a miracle is now required for her beatification.

Mary Jane Wilson's spirituality is based on trust in Providence, devotion to Our Lady of Victories, Eucharistic adoration, and the Franciscan ideal of simplicity and service. Her congregation has expanded in Portugal, Africa (Mozambique, Angola), Asia (India), and Europe. In Funchal, the Mary Jane Wilson museum center at Quinta das Rosas preserves her memory. Monuments pay tribute to her in Madeira, notably a bronze statue by Ricardo Velosa in Funchal (2006) and a sculpture by Luís Paixão in Santa Cruz (2014).