Saturnino López Novoa

The major work of Saturnino López Novoa is the foundation of the congregation of the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Aged (Hermanitas de los Ancianos Desamparados).

The inspiration for this foundation was born from a specific event: at the beginning of January 1872, Saturnino took in an elderly, sick, and abandoned woman, Señora Antonia. He cared for her with devotion until her death, which occurred on April 7, 1872. Deeply moved by the distress of elderly people without resources, he conceived the project of a religious institute dedicated exclusively to their material and spiritual assistance.

To realize this work, Providence brought him into contact, through Father Pedro Llacera, with Saint Teresa of Jesus Jornet e Ibars. The latter, captivated by the project, arrived in Barbastro on October 11, 1872, with her sister María and their friend Mercedes Calzada. On January 27, 1873, the first group of young women took the religious habit, marking the official date of the congregation's foundation. Teresa Jornet was named superior, while Saturnino drafted the statutes and watched over the first steps of the institute.

Alongside this foundation, Saturnino López Novoa was the initiator of numerous other social and apostolic initiatives in Huesca: the creation of the Casa de Estudiantes Pobres (House for Poor Students), the foundation of the Casa Asilo para Niñas (Asylum House for Young Girls), the establishment of the women's branch of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, and the introduction to Huesca of the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Servants of Mary.

A recognized intellectual, he also wrote an important historical study: Historia de la Muy Noble y Muy Leal Ciudad de Barbastro y descripción geográfico-histórica de su diócesis, which earned him an appointment as a corresponding member of the Real Academia de la Historia.

The reputation of holiness of Saturnino López Novoa spread immediately upon his death among the faithful of Huesca and Barbastro. However, his cause for beatification was not officially launched until the end of the 20th century.

The competent forum for the instruction of the cause was transferred from Huesca to Valencia on November 21, 1997. The diocesan inquiry into the life, virtues, and reputation of holiness of the Servant of God was opened on November 7, 1998, and solemnly closed on April 2, 2000. The decree of validity for the diocesan inquiry was subsequently granted by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

On July 8, 2014, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Saturnino López Novoa, thereby conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

The cause is currently in progress. For the Venerable Saturnino López Novoa to be proclaimed Blessed, the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints is required. To date, no miracle has been the subject of a decree of approval.

The spirituality of Saturnino López Novoa rests on a deep faith and tireless apostolic zeal. Recognized by his contemporaries as a "great worker," he was distinguished by his personal austerity and his ability to maintain an unalterable inner peace, even in the midst of trials and exiles. His love for the poor and the marginalized flowed directly from his contemplation of the suffering Christ.

The legacy of Saturnino López Novoa is immense. The congregation of the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Aged, which he co-founded, has grown prodigiously. Today, it has more than 200 houses spread across some twenty countries (notably in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia), where thousands of religious sisters continue to dedicate themselves to the reception and care of the most destitute elderly people.

In Huesca, the house where he lived and passed away (Plaza Lizana, 12) has been transformed into a House-Museum (Casa Museo Padre Saturnino López Novoa), inaugurated on November 29, 2011, to commemorate his life, his work, and his social dedication.