Maria Dulce Rodrigues dos Santos

Maria Dulce Rodrigues dos Santos (religious name Maria Teresa of the Eucharistic Jesus; 20 January 1901 – 8 January 1972) was a Brazilian religious sister and the founder of the Little Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate.

Pope Francis recognized her life of heroic virtue and proclaimed her to be venerable on 3 April 2014.

Life Maria Dulce Rodrigues dos Santos was born in 1901 in Brazil. She decided to consecrate herself to God and became a religious sister. She assumed the name Maria Teresa of the Eucharistic Jesus after admittance to the novitiate.

She established the Little Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate with a focus on the Blessed Virgin Mary while catering to the needs of those who were underprivileged, ailing and poor.

She died in 1972.

Beatification process In 1997, the beatification process was introduced in Brazil with the declaration of nihil obstat ("nothing against") and it bestowed upon her the title of a Servant of God. Pope Francis recognized her life of heroic virtue and conferred on her the title of a Venerable on 3 April 2014.