In 1840, touched by the Holy Spirit, Saint Mary of the Rose embarked on what would be the most ambitious project of her life: the founding of a female religious community dedicated to caring for the sick in hospitals. The new Order would be called the Congregation of the Servants of Charity. The initial group was made up of four young people, but three months later they increased to 32. Sister María de la Rosa was unanimously named superior of the nascent community.
Crucified with Christ
The final stage of Mary Crucified de la Rosa’s life was dedicated to strengthening the Order and obtaining the necessary ecclesiastical recognition. In 1850, the Holy See, by the express will of Pope Pius IX, granted its congregation approval.
A few years later, Santa María de la Rosa would die in the odor of holiness, on December 15, 1855, at the age of 44. The process of her canonization began during the pontificate of Saint Pius Vatican.