Maria della Mercede Cabezas Terrero
Foundress of the religious institute of the Missionary Workers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, dedicated to the service of the poorest and most marginalized.
Contemporaries
Figures and markers around the normalized period for this entry.
Guided reading
5 reading sections
Biography
Youth, illness, and miraculous healing of Maria de las Mercedes Cabezas Terrero.
Maria della Mercede Cabezas Terrero (María de las Mercedes Cabezas Terrero) was born on December 19, 1911, in San Cristóbal de la Cuesta, Spain, into a modest and pious peasant family. Of fragile health, she received an elementary education but felt the call of God very early on. In 1925, she was struck by a serious illness (abdominal swelling). Despite an operation in 1930, her condition worsened. At the beginning of 1936, she was dying and received the anointing of the sick. Her spiritual director, the Jesuit father Antonio Flores, advised her to ask for her healing through the intercession of Father Bernardo de Hoyos. On April 22, 1936, she was suddenly and completely healed. This miracle would be recognized for the beatification of Bernardo de Hoyos in 2010. After her healing, she undertook a vocational discernment, first joining the Religious of Mary Immaculate in 1939, before moving to Santander in 1948 to found a new work.
Life and Work
Foundation of the Institute of the Missionary Workers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
On September 14, 1949, Maria de las Mercedes Cabezas Terrero founded the religious Institute of the Missionary Workers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Santander, together with the Jesuit priest Juan Lamamié de Clairac de la Colina. This congregation is dedicated to the spiritual and material assistance of the poorest: welcoming and educating homeless young girls, managing kindergartens, helping single mothers, and caring for the sick at home. The institute developed in Spain (Santander, Salamanca, Zamora, Ponferrada) and then established itself in the Dominican Republic (Azua, Santo Domingo) in 1990. It was recognized as a congregation of diocesan right on December 8, 1984, by the Bishop of Santander, Mgr. Juan Antonio del Val Gallo.
Path to holiness
Death in the reputation of holiness and opening of the cause for canonization.
After a life entirely given to the service of the poor, Maria de las Mercedes Cabezas Terrero passed away on September 30, 1993, in Santander with a reputation for holiness. Her cause for canonization was officially opened in the Diocese of Santander on February 8, 2003, under the episcopate of Bishop José Vilaplana, following the receipt of the nihil obstat decree from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on December 14, 2002. The diocesan inquiry concluded on May 29, 2004, and the file was transmitted to Rome.
Beatification and canonization
Recognition of heroic virtues and declaration as Venerable.
On February 27, 2017, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Maria de las Mercedes Cabezas Terrero, officially declaring her Venerable. For her beatification, the Church must now recognize a miracle formally attributed to her intercession after her death.
Spirituality and legacy
Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the continuation of her work among the marginalized.
The spirituality of the Venerable is centered on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and marked by her extraordinary healing. Her motto, 'The poorest are those who do not know God. We must go and find them where they are,' still guides the Missionary Workers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus today in Spain and the Dominican Republic in their shelters and assistance centers.
Frequently asked questions about Maria della Mercede Cabezas Terrero
Who was Maria della Mercede Cabezas Terrero?
Foundress of the religious institute of the Missionary Workers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, dedicated to the service of the poorest and most marginalized.
Which saints were contemporaries of Maria della Mercede Cabezas Terrero?
Contemporaries include: Pauline of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus, Felipe de Jesús Munárriz and 50 companions, Mariano de Jesús Euse Hoyos and Teresa of Jesus of the Andes.
When did Maria della Mercede Cabezas Terrero die?
Maria della Mercede Cabezas Terrero died around 1911.
What are the other names of Maria della Mercede Cabezas Terrero?
Other forms of the name: María de las Mercedes Cabezas Terrero.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Era / death: 1911-1993
- Decree of venerability by Francis
Quotes
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The poorest are those who do not know God. We must go and find them where they are.
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