Ángela was born in Seville, Spain in 1846. She was one of fourteen children. The family was poor, but their faith was strong. Baptisms, First Communions, and Confirmations were a cause for great celebration. Ángela’s mother encouraged the children to honor our Blessed Mother, Mary. The family prayed the Rosary together often.
When she was twelve, Ángela had to quit school to work in a shoe repair shop. Her boss, Antonio Maldonado, was also a faith-filled person. During breaks from work, the employees prayed together and listened to their boss read stories of the lives of the saints. Mrs. Maldonado noticed that Ángela wanted to live a holy life. She introduced Ángela to Fr. Torres who became Ángela’s spiritual director, helping her to grow in faith.
Ángela’s greatest desire was to become a nun, but her health was so frail that she was rejected by one order. She was accepted by another community of nuns, but was not well enough to complete her training. She had to return home to work in the shoe shop. Through prayer and discussions with Fr. Torres, Ángela felt that God was calling her to make private vows and to serve the poor and dying.
Soon other women joined her in her mission. They formed a religious order called the Sisters of the Company of the Cross. During Sister Ángela’s lifetime, the order she founded grew to twenty-five convents. Their work continues today.
We celebrate St. Ángela’s commitment to God. Her example teaches us to offer our gifts and talents to God and to trust that he will use them to make the world a better place.
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