The Archbishop of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz (Argentina), Mons. Sergio Fenoy, decreed the beginning of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Sister Cecilia María de la Santa Faz, a Carmelite nun who lived in the Carmel located in the Archdiocese between 1997 and 2016, remembered for having kept her smile even at the time of her death.
The archbishop also named the investigation officers, and called on the faithful to participate in the Mass and opening session of the investigation, which will be celebrated on Sunday, February 23 at 9:00 a.m. in the convent of San José y Santa Teresa, of the Discalced Carmelite Sisters (Av. López y Planes 4116, Santa Fe).
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In 2024, upon signing the edict To begin the process prior to the Cause of Canonization, the prelate highlighted the nun’s testimony of “love and trust in Jesus Christ, even in the midst of the hardest trials,” ensuring that “she has awakened in many hearts the desire for a greater commitment to Christian life.
Who was Sister Cecilia María de la Santa Faz?
Cecilia María Sánchez Sorondo was born on December 5, 1973 in San Martín de los Andes, Neuquén (Argentina). At the age of 24 she entered the Discalced Carmelites monastery in the city of Santa Fe, receiving the name Cecilia María de la Santa Faz.
She graduated as a nurse and at the age of 26 she made her first vows as a Discalced Carmelite. In 2003 he made his final profession.
She was joyful and spontaneous, and was able to make her life a deep friendship with Christ and embody love in the community. She dedicated herself to prayer and the contemplative life, played the violin and was known for her sweetness and permanent smile.
She was diagnosed with tongue cancer, and the disease worsened due to lung metastasis, so she had to be hospitalized. During that difficult time, she did not stop praying and offering the sufferings she suffered, convinced that she was close to her encounter with God.
Sister Cecilia María died in Buenos Aires in the early morning of June 23, 2016, after a hard fight against cancer.
His last wish, which he wrote on a piece of paper, was: “I was thinking about what I wanted my funeral to be like. First a little strong prayer, and then a big party for everyone. Don’t forget to pray but don’t forget to celebrate either!
His testimony and the photos of his last days went around the world, especially because he kept his characteristic smile until the moment of his death.
Juliet Villar
I am a journalist, with a degree in communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non-governmental organizations. Since 2016 I have been dedicated to Catholic journalism, first at the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as ACI Prensa correspondent for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.