María Guadalupe García Zavala

María Guadalupe García Zavala (27 April 1878 – 24 June 1963) - born Anastasia Guadalupe García Zavala - was a Mexican Roman Catholic religious sister and the co-founder of the Handmaids of Santa Margherita and the Poor. She is also known as "Mother Lupita". At one time, she was engaged to be married but she decided her religious call was too strong for that and she broke off her engagement in order to pursue this call.

Her beatification cause began in mid-1984 and her formal beatification was celebrated on 25 April 2004. Pope Francis later canonized her as a saint on 12 May 2013 in Saint Peter's Square.

Her feast day is April 27; she is a patron saint of nurses and the Handmaids of Santa Margherita Maria and the Poor.

Life Anastasia Guadalupe García Zavala was born in 1878 in Zapopan to Fortino García and Refugio Zavala de García; her father was a religious store merchant and his shop was located in front of the basilica to which she made frequent visits. In 2005 there were 147 religious in 24 houses though this declined in 2015 with 112 women in 22 houses.

Sainthood

The beatification process began in a diocesan process that opened in the Guadalajara archdiocese from 29 June 1984 until its closure on 11 June 1986; the Congregation for the Causes of Saints validated the cause on 15 March 1991 in Rome while receiving the Positio from postulation officials in 1992. The theological experts first approved the cause on 7 January 2000 while the C.C.S. did so as well on 21 March 2000 while the confirmation of her heroic virtue led Pope John Paul II to name her as Venerable on 1 July 2000.

The miracle for her beatification - a healing science could not explain - was investigated on a diocesan level and received C.C.S. validation on 11 January 2002 while a panel of medical experts on 13 March 2003; theologians likewise approved this on 17 June 2003 as did the C.C.S. on 11 November 2003. John Paul II approved this miracle on 20 December 2003 and beatified her in Saint Peter's Square on 25 April 2004.

The second miracle was investigated and it received C.C.S. validation on 14 May 2010 prior to the approval of a medical board on 15 December 2011; theologians voiced their assent to this on 26 May 2012 as did the C.C.S. on 2 October 2012. Pope Benedict XVI approved this miracle on 20 December 2012 and formalized the date at a consistory of cardinals on 11 February 2013 (just prior to announcing his resignation). Pope Francis canonized Zavala as a saint on 12 May 2013.

The postulator at the time of the canonization was Mgr. Oscar Sánchez Barba.