Joaquina Maria Mercedes Barcelo Pages

Joaquina María Mercedes Barceló y Pagés (July 24, 1857 - July 31, 1940), better known as Consuelo Barceló, was a Roman Catholic Spanish Augustinian tertiary who cofounded the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation along with her sister, Rita Barceló, in the Philippines. Born on July 24, 1857, and died on August 4, 1940, at the age of 83 in Manila.

Life and mission Consuelo Barcelo was born on July 24, 1857, in Sarriá, Barcelona, Spain, to Salvador Barceló y Roces and Maria Pagés y Campanya. Her siblings were Salvador, Joaquin, Ana Maria and Ignes Joaquina Vicenta, (the future Mother Rita Barceló).

Joaquina studied for fourteen years and was an intern at the Colegio de las Esclavas del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus (The Slaves of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) in Barcelona. Despite her outgoing personality, she felt a calling to the contemplative life like her eldest sister, Ana Maria. She entered the Monasterio de las Comendadoras de San Juan de Jerusalén in Barcelona. The recurrence of an abscess in her knee forced her to leave the monastery. However, when the Agustinian siters were invited to go to the Philippines to take care of young girls, orphaned because of the cholera epidemic, her desire for convent life was rekindled.

She entered the Beaterio de Mantelatas de San Agustin of Barcelona as a postulant and joined the second group of sisters who left for Manila on September 1, 1883, and reached Manila on October 5, 1883. The Filipino sisters were left "with neither a house nor a single cent nor the hope of acquiring it." But they resolved to stay together to preserve their community. They were supported by the daughters of charity, especially Mother Maria Ocariz. The Filipino sisters applied for affiliation with the Agustinas Misioneras in Madrid. They also applied with the Beaterio de Barcelona, but their applications were denied.

The Hermanas Agustinas Terciarias de las Islas Filipinas received on May 31, 1902, the official aggregation to the Augustinian Order by the Prior General in Rome. This was upon the recommendation of Mother Rita before she died in Barcelona.

On January 11, 1904, Bernabe Jimenez, the then spiritual director of the Filipino sisters, wrote Mother Consuelo informing her that the apostolic delegate, who had received petitions from the Filipino sisters in Manila for her and for Mother Rita’s return, had approved the petitions. But Mother Rita died on May 14, 1904, before she could return to the Philippines. On June 18, 1904, Mother Consuelo returned to the Philippines alone.

A miracle attributed to Barceló was the recovery of Chit Vizconde from a coma and organ failure in 2004. A prayer brigade had been launched by family, friends, and the nuns of the La Consolacion College requesting the intercession of Barceló.

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