Sebastiana Lladó Sala
Sebastiana Lladó Sala (1814-1899), in religion Sister Maria Raphaela of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was a Spanish religious sister and foundress of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Contemporaries
Figures and markers around the normalized period for this entry.
Guided reading
5 reading sections
Biography
Youth and thwarted vocation of Sebastiana Lladó Sala in Mallorca.
Sebastiana Lladó Sala was born on January 2, 1814, in Campos, on the island of Mallorca in Spain, into a wealthy and deeply religious family. Orphaned of her father at fourteen and then her mother in 1836, she aspired early on to the contemplative life with the Carmelites of Palma. However, the Spanish anticlerical laws of disamortization (1833-1852) prohibited the admission of new vocations into monasteries. On the advice of her confessor, she turned toward a life of prayer and service in the world. In 1844, she became a public school teacher in Campos after training at the College of the Purity in Palma. Affectionately nicknamed "Sa Mestra Cases Noves," she resigned from her position in 1853 to devote herself fully to apostolic works.
Life and Work
Foundation of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Alone in the family home after the death of two of her brothers and the entry of the third into the Lazarists, Sebastiana intensified her work with poor young girls. Inspired by a writing of Saint Anthony Mary Claret, she first founded the "Daughters of the Most Pure" and then the "Fraternity of Nuns in their Homes." In 1878, she initiated an association of sisters of the Third Order of Carmel, pronouncing her vows in 1886. In 1891, under the impetus of Bishop Mgr Cervera, the community of Campos was erected as the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Sebastiana took the name Sister Mary Raphaela of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She retired from active leadership in 1894 and died in the odor of sanctity on March 8, 1899.
Path to holiness
The beatification process and the recognition of heroic virtues.
The cause for the beatification of Sebastiana Lladó Sala was introduced in the Diocese of Mallorca. The diocesan inquiry into her life and virtues took place from 1990 to 1992, and its validity was decreed by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on January 29, 1993. After the publication of the Positio in 2009, the cardinals and bishops of the Congregation issued a favorable opinion on December 13, 2016. On December 21, 2016, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing her heroic virtues, thereby declaring her venerable.
Beatification and canonization
Current status as venerable and the transfer of her relics.
Currently recognized as venerable by the Catholic Church, Sebastiana Lladó Sala awaits the official recognition of a miracle attributed to her intercession in order to be beatified. On February 7, 1988, her mortal remains were solemnly transferred to the church of the Mother House of her congregation in Campos, where they now rest.
Spirituality and legacy
Spirituality of the Sacred Hearts and expansion of her missionary congregation.
The spirituality of Sister Maria Raphaela is based on the contemplation of salvific love through the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, lived in humility, silence, and strength of soul. A pioneer of lay spiritual direction for young girls, her legacy is perpetuated through the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (M.SS.CC.), definitively approved by John Paul II in 1985. Today, the sisters work in education, catechesis, and the care of the sick in Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Rwanda.
Frequently asked questions about Sebastiana Lladó Sala
Who was Sebastiana Lladó Sala?
Sebastiana Lladó Sala (1814-1899), in religion Sister Maria Raphaela of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was a Spanish religious sister and foundress of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Which saints were contemporaries of Sebastiana Lladó Sala?
Contemporaries include: Jesús María Echavarría Aguirre, Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, Narcisa de Jesús and Juan de Jesús López y González.
When did Sebastiana Lladó Sala die?
Sebastiana Lladó Sala died around 1814.
What are the other names of Sebastiana Lladó Sala?
Other forms of the name: Sor María Rafaela del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús and Sœur Marie Raphaëlle du Sacré-Cœur de Jésus.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Era / death: 1814-1899
- Decree of venerability by Francis