Pope Francis greets a group of Argentine pilgrims at the Vatican Feb. 9, 2024, ahead of the Feb. 11 canonization of Argentina's first female saint, Blessed María Antonia de Paz Figueroa, known as "Mama Antula." (CNS photo/Vatican Media)Argentina will get its first home-grown female saint Feb. 11 with the canonization of Blessed María Antonia de San José.
The Vatican announced Oct. 24, 2023, that San José, born as María Antonia de Paz Figueroa, but known throughout Argentina simply as Mama Antula, would be elevated to sainthood as the pope authorized the promulgation of the decree on the miracle attributed to her intercession.
The decision means a lot for Argentina, its native Pope Francis and his Jesuit order. When canonized, she will be the fifth saint associated with Argentina of whom four were elevated to sainthood by Pope Francis but is the first female of Argentina to be canonized.
"Mama Antula is considered the mother of the nation. She was a strong, brave woman who believed in Argentina. She was committed to the country and that knowing Christ would transform society," Bishop Santiago Olivera told OSV News.
Olivera has a double role in the Argentine Episcopal Conference, heading the military diocese and the commission for the cause of saints.
Mama Antula's path to sainthood began more than a century ago. In general, two miracles need to be accepted by the church as having occurred through the intercession of the sainthood candidate, one for beatification and one for canonization. The first miracle attributed to her came in 1904, more than a century after her death in 1799 and 112 years before her beatification by Pope Francis in 2016.
Born in 1730 into a wealthy family, the future saint left home at 15 to avoid an arranged marriage. Her family expected her to enter a convent, but that was not her calling. Bishop Olivera said nuns in the 18th century were cloistered and Mama Antula, after meeting Jesuit priests, decided to dedicate her life to working with them and spreading the Word.
Blessed María Antonia de Paz Figueroa, known as "Mama Antula," (CNS photo/courtesy of Archdiocese of Buenos Aires)This turned out to be providential -- when the Jesuits were expelled from Spain and its colonies in the Americas in 1767, Bishop Olivera said that Mama Antula kept the Jesuits' work going, spending long years walking throughout Argentina and teaching about the church in Quechua, the language from her home province of Santiago de Estero in the north of the country, and Spanish, Argentina’s official language.
Mama Antula is believed to have walked over 3,000 miles throughout Argentina before ending up in Buenos Aires, the capital, where she founded a spiritual center and charity programs for women and children.
Careful not to offend the Spanish viceroys, she nevertheless promoted the idea of an independent Argentina, which would not happen until 1816, more than a decade after her death.
She continued to work with the Jesuits until the end of her life, with a stream of letters crossing the Atlantic between her in Argentina and the priests in Europe. The letters were eventually gathered into a book, reflecting Mama Antula's importance in keeping the Jesuit tradition alive in Argentina.
"It is impressive that after all these years she will be canonized and it will be a Jesuit who makes her a saint," said Bishop Olivera.
Her work remains evident today, with the spiritual center still standing in Buenos Aires and her tomb in the Our Lady of Mercy Basilica has become an increasingly important pilgrimage site. Her resting spot was declared a National Historic Tomb in 2014 by then-President Cristina Fernández.
Mama Antula will become the country's second saint to be born and die in Argentina. The first, José Gabriel Brochero, was canonized in 2016 by Pope Francis.
The first saint with ties to Argentina, Héctor Valdivielso Sáez, was born in Argentina, but died in Spain. He was canonized in 1999 by Pope John Paul II.
The other two, Nazaria Ignacia March (born in Spain, canonized in 2018) and Artémides Zatti (born in Italy, canonized in 2022), died in Argentina, but were not natives.
— Lucien Chauvin, OSV News
Pope clears way for canonization of 'Mama Antula'
-
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Maria Antonia de Paz Figueroa, an 18th-century consecrated lay woman from Argentina.
The Vatican press office said the pope signed the decree, which clears the way for her canonization, during an audience Oct. 24 with Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
The sainthood candidate, known affectionately as "Mama Antula," was a student and later master of Ignatian spiritual exercises and, after the Jesuits were expelled from Argentina, she continued to lead Ignatian retreats.
"Her exemplary Christian testimony, especially her apostolate to promote the Spiritual Exercises (of St. Ignatius of Loyola) can awaken the desire to cling to Christ and the Gospel," Pope Francis said after her beatification in 2016.
She had consecrated herself to God at the age of 15, choosing to dress in a black robe and taking the name Maria Antonia of Saint Joseph. She later formed a religious community of women, the Daughters of the Divine Savior, who prayed together, did works of charity and assisted the local Jesuits.
When the Jesuits were expelled from the Argentina in 1767, she took it upon herself to continue offering the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, traveling thousands of miles on foot to lead 10-day retreats in various provinces in the country.
Her mission took her to Buenos Aires where thousands attended the retreats, ultimately leading her to establish the Holy House of Spiritual Exercises in 1796. She died in 1799.
— OSV News