Joaquim Masmitjà de Puig

The heart of the work of Joaquim Masmitjà de Puig lies in the foundation of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Heart of Mary (initially called Daughters of the Most Holy and Immaculate Heart of Mary), established in Olot on July 1, 1848. Sensitive to the social upheavals of his time and the growing de-Christianization, Father Masmitjà noted the moral and intellectual abandonment of young girls, particularly those from families of workers in the textile factories of Olot. Convinced that the human and Christian advancement of women is the pillar of the regeneration of the family and society, he conceived a religious institute dedicated to education and catechesis. The project began with a group of six young girls from Olot, led by Teresa Terrada. In the summer of 1848, his meeting with Saint Anthony Mary Claret, who had come to preach a mission in Olot, confirmed his spiritual and apostolic orientation. The congregation developed rapidly. In 1849, he was appointed pastor of the Cathedral of Girona, then penitentiary canon four years later, which allowed him to guide the institute from the diocesan capital. Under his leadership, the congregation spread throughout Spain. In 1871, during the founder's lifetime, a first community was established in California (United States), marking the beginning of the international expansion of the institute, which would later extend to Cuba (1911), Chile, Brazil, and France.

After a life entirely given to the service of the Church, education, and the poor, Joaquim Masmitjà de Puig was the victim of a serious fall down a staircase on June 21, 1886. He died from the complications of this accident two months later, on August 26, 1886, in Girona, at the age of 77. He was buried in the motherhouse of his congregation in Olot. The reputation of holiness of Father Masmitjà, characterized by his heroic charity, his profound humility, and his apostolic zeal, prompted the Diocese of Girona to open his cause for beatification. The diocesan process reached its first official stages a century after his death: the decree of nihil obstat was granted by the Holy See on July 22, 1985; the diocesan inquiry into his life and virtues was officially opened on October 15, 1985, and closed on June 17, 1989; the validity of this inquiry was recognized by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on May 24, 1991.

The journey toward the official recognition of his holiness reached a major milestone under the pontificate of Pope Francis. On January 23, 2020, during an audience granted to Cardinal Angelo Becciu, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Pope authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Joaquim Masmitjà de Puig. By this act, he was officially declared Venerable. For his beatification to be pronounced, the Church now requires the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession, which must be the subject of a rigorous medical and theological investigation under the aegis of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

The spirituality of Joaquim Masmitjà de Puig is deeply Trinitarian, Christocentric, and Marian. His pastoral action and life of prayer were guided by his motto: "Prayer and trust." He held an extraordinary filial devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, whom he considered the perfect model of welcoming the divine will and love for one's neighbor. The legacy of the Venerable Joaquim Masmitjà de Puig remains alive through the schools and social works of the Missionaries of the Heart of Mary throughout the world. This spiritual legacy was sealed by the blood of martyrdom during the Spanish Civil War: three sisters by blood and religion belonging to his congregation, the sisters Maria del Carmen, Rosa, and Magdalena Fradera Ferragutcasas, were martyred while defending their faith and their consecration on September 27, 1936, in Lloret de Mar. They were beatified on October 28, 2007, testifying to the spiritual fruitfulness of the religious family founded by Father Masmitjà.