José Antonio Plancarte y Labastida

At the heart of his ministry in Jacona, José Antonio Plancarte y Labastida noted the urgent need to ensure the education and moral formation of young girls. To address this, he first founded the Purísima College in 1867. In order to perpetuate this educational work, he founded the congregation of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate of Guadalupe on February 2, 1878. This religious institute was actively dedicated to teaching, the accompaniment of orphans, and charitable works. At the same time, he was appointed the sixteenth abbot of the sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City in 1895. In this position, he played a decisive role in the promotion of national Marian devotion, obtaining the canonical coronation of the famous image of the Virgin of Guadalupe and working for the sanctuary to receive the title of basilica. He also founded the Mexican Nocturnal Adoration and oversaw the construction of the National Expiatory Temple of San Felipe de Jesús.

The spiritual life of José Antonio Plancarte y Labastida is deeply rooted in an intimate relationship with Christ and a filial trust in the Virgin Mary. His personal writings, notably his Journal and his retreat notes, testify to a constant desire to conform his will to that of God and to work tirelessly for the salvation of souls. Despite the religious persecutions and political difficulties of his time in Mexico, he demonstrated heroic charity, using his own resources to support the poor, build churches, and open asylums. His unwavering obedience to the Church and his humility in the face of honors—refusing the episcopate on several occasions—deeply marked his contemporaries. His reputation for holiness, already vivid during his lifetime, spread rapidly after his death among the faithful and the members of his congregation.

The cause for the canonization of José Antonio Plancarte y Labastida was officially introduced on April 26, 1996, at the Expiatory Temple of San Felipe de Jesús in Mexico City, on the occasion of the centenary of the pontifical coronation of the Virgin of Guadalupe. After a meticulous examination of his writings and his life by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing his heroic virtues on January 23, 2020, thereby conferring upon him the title of venerable. For his beatification to be pronounced, the Church now requires the official recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession. His feast or local memorial is generally commemorated on April 26, the anniversary of his birth into heaven.

Today, the work of the Venerable José Antonio Plancarte y Labastida remains alive through the Daughters of Mary Immaculate of Guadalupe, who continue their educational and charitable mission in several countries. The Guadalupana Plancartina family draws direct inspiration from his Marian and Eucharistic spirituality. His mortal remains, transferred on November 23, 1990, now rest in the crypt of the abbots of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, a highly symbolic place of pilgrimage for his spiritual daughters and the Mexican faithful. Furthermore, the Mexican Nocturnal Adoration, which he helped to structure, continues to gather numerous laypeople across the country for Eucharistic contemplation, testifying to the lasting fruitfulness of his apostolic zeal.