Mama Antula, who was the nun who became the first saint of Argentina

The Vatican gave know the schedule of activities by canonization of Argentina. Mama Antulaborn in 1730, was a evangelizer of indigenous communities along with the members of the Society of Jesus, before her expulsion and she will be the first Argentine to achieve the status of saint for her religious work.

Argentina She was already beatified in 2016 in Santiago del Esteroafter he Pope Francisco would authorize the publication of a miracle for the healing of a nun. Now, Mama Antula achieved the status of saint after this Sunday’s ceremony in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Who was Mama Antula?

María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, better known as Mama Antula, He was born in 1730 in Villa Silípicatoday province of Santiago del Estero. Belonging to a prominent family, the blessed woman began her religious practice by approaching the jesuits.

During her religious career, she was founder of the House of Spiritual Exercises of Buenos Aires in his hometown. In 1760, Mama Antula, along with a group of young women, dedicated herself to practicing charity and collaborate with the Jesuits.

In 1767After the expulsion of the Jesuits from the Viceroyalty and from Spain by decision of King Carlos III, the blessed woman began to travel from city to city in northeastern Argentina. promoting spiritual exercises. Dressed in men’s clothing, the Argentine challenged the conventions of colonial society and had a crucial influence.

In his mission, Mama Antula walked almost 5,000 kilometers through the viceroyalty of Peru -composed of the current provinces of Santiago del Estero, Tucuman, Jump, Jujuy, Catamarca, La Rioja and Córdoba-, and made the Ignatian spiritual exercises fashionable when building the Holy House of Exercises. In addition, his tasks also included protecting homeless women, as well as sheltering abandoned children, providing them with food, clothing and baptizing them with the surname “San José”.

Antula died in 1799. His remains are found in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy of Buenos Aires.

The Argentine was already beatified in 2016 in Santiago del Estero, after the Pope authorized the publication of a miracle by the healing of a nun of the Daughters of the Divine Savior. According to history, the affected woman would have recovered her health in the year 1900 through the intercession of Mama Antula.

What were the miracles of Mama Antula?

The first miracle attributed to Mama Antula, and of which there is a record, was the healing of religious sister Vanina Rosa in 1905. This first fact was what earned him beatification in 2016.

For a person to be beatified and – later – canonized by the Catholic Church, a canonical process established by church rules and laws. After validating and certifying the miracle, the person can be nominated for beatification.

To receive the status of saint, the Church must corroborate “another miracle“, so that the person is eligible for the canonization process. In the case of Mama Antula, that second miracle occurred 19 years ago in the province of Santa Fewith the healing of a man who had a stroke.

The patient had been left in a very difficult state due to the injuries caused by the stroke and, according to the doctors, it was not going to be cured. But those close to the man prayed to María Antonia, who would have produced the miracle of healing.

The man’s medical history was sent to Rome to be evaluated and certified as a new miracle. After this occurs, Mama Antula became qualified to be canonized.

This is how Antula became the first Argentine saint canonized by the Vatican. After several days of activities that the Catholic Church organized in honor of the blessed Argentine, the process will culminate on Sunday February 11 with a mass in Basilica of Saint Peterwhich will be chaired by the Pope Francisco and which will be attended by president Javier Milei.