María Luisa Josefa

María Luisa Josefa of the Most Blessed Sacrament, also called "Mother Luisita" (June 21, 1866 – February 11, 1937) was a Mexican Catholic religious sister who founded the Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mexico and the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles. A beatification process for her was opened and she has been declared venerable.

Life She was born María Luisa de la Peña y Navarro on June 21, 1866 in Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco, the third (and first surviving) of fourteen children. Although she felt drawn to the religious life, at the age of fifteen, in obedience to her parents, she married Pascual Rojas, a prominent physician twice her age. Their life together was happy. They built the little Hospital of the Sacred Heart to serve those less fortunate. After fourteen years of married life, María Luisa was left a widow, in 1896.

Eight years later María Luisa entered the Cloistered Carmelites and became immersed in the spirituality of Carmel. After seven months she was asked by the archbishop to return to her work at the hospital which needed her guidance. Along with the hospital, she opened a school and orphanage. where she continued her work of providing healthcare for the poor.

María Luisa died on February 11, 1937. By her: In Love's Safekeeping: The Letters and Spiritual Writings of Mother Maria Luisa Josefa of the Most Blessed Sacrament, OCD (Mother Luisita)

Letters by Mother Luisita for specific needs (Written during the religious persecution in Mexico; permission to download granted by the Sisters) Prayer Life Sickness Carrying your cross Growing in holiness Discouragement and depression Experiencing financial difficulty Worry and anxiety Communicating with God Experiencing God's peace Trusting in God's providence God, your soul and eternity Growing in courage Growing in simplicity, meekness, and gentleness Growing in humility

Veneration On July 1, 2000 Pope John Paul II promulgated that María Luisa be called venerable, which means that it has been proven that she practiced heroic virtue. Another miracle from her intercession is still needed in order to receive beatification prior to canonization. María Luisa Joséfa of the Most Blessed Sacrament is the designated patron of the Santa Clara, CA convent of the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara.