Drew Tetangco
- Francisca del Fuentes was born to a rich family and was married, but became a widow and did not bear any children before her husband’s demise.
- She dedicated her life in service of God, and has founded the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine of Siena.
- Pope Francis has declared her to be “Venerable,” after confirming her heroic virtues, and is a couple of steps further from being declared a saint
Manila, Philippines – Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo has been given the title of “Venerable, only a few weeks after Venerable Maria Beatriz del Rosario Arroyo was given the title herself. This puts them closer to being declared a saint, after Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Saint Pedro Calungsod. On July 5, 2019, yet another Filipina was given the title “Venerable.”
In a report made by Rappler, Pope Francis has seen that Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo has lived a life of heroic virtue, and has finally given her the title of “Venerable.”
For one to be declared a saint, there are numerous steps that needs to be taken. The person’s life will need to be investigated upon by the Church first, and then there are four titles that they will need to achieve:
- Servant of God: The person’s life will be carefully examined will need to be approved by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
- Venerable: This is given once the person in question is determined that they have lived a “life of heroic virtue.”
- Blessed: The person will undergo Beatification after a miracle was associated with him
- Sainthood: A second miracle needs to be verified before one can go under Canonisation. There are special cases for martyrs, where they only need to have one verified miracle before they can be declared a saint.
Francisca del Espiritu Santo Fuentes was born on 1647, but her exact birth date is not verified. She was born into a wealthy family, and when she grew up, she was arranged to marry a gentleman, who unfortunately met his demise early. She was left with no children.
She had then dedicated her life in service to God and helped the poor and sick in the city. She dedicated her life to help the women that wanted to serve God as well, and this is when she was able to establish the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine of Siena. Despite the political turmoil that they encountered, she was successful with opening the congregation, and she was declared Prioress for life.
We’re glad that another Filipina was recognized by the Catholic Church and hopefully this can inspire other people as well.
Also read: The Title of “Venerable” Given to Filipina Nun, Close to Becoming a Saint
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