AMERICA/PARAGUAY - The young Carmelite Chiquitunga Blessed, tireless apostle of the discarded

Monday, 25 June 2018 beatification   youth   poverty   spirituality  

Asunción (Agenzia Fides) - "A model of a young Christian", "a very intelligent person who expressed joy", "a model of a thinking person, that 'questions' and discusses, because there are realities that need to be questioned in order to be able to walk towards the good". Thus Mgr. Adalberto Martínez Flores, Bishop elect of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo, describes to Agenzia Fides the young Discalced Carmelite María Felicia de Jesús Sacramentado Guggiari, better known as "Chiquitunga", blessed on Saturday, 23 June, in Asunción in front of 50.000 faithful from all over Paraguay and also from Argentina, in a solemn celebration presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
In his homily Cardinal Amato recalled that "Ángel Sauá invited her to the cinema, and as an answer she invited her to see a much more realistic film: she took her to the hospital to visit the sick. There they knew of a person who needed a blood transfusion, and they both donated their blood". The Cardinal called Chiquitunga "a library of holiness" for the considerable quantity of acts of generosity, goodness and humility gathered for the cause, and "an eminent figure of a young educated and enthusiastic saint of her faith and vocation". "Contemporary witnesses speak of an immense, convinced, explosive faith", some "compare her to Mother Teresa of Calcutta", said Cardinal Amato, stressing that the Blessed, born on 12 January 1925, belonged to a family deeply linked to national politics and persecuted personally for this, and "renounced human love to give it to the Lord" through contemplative life. After working for four years as a teacher, María Felicia entered the Carmelite monastery of Asunción, where she lived until April 28, 1959, when she died due to an infectious hepatitis. The anniversary of her "dies natalis" will be the date of her liturgical memorial as from next year.
After the Marian prayer of the Angelus, with the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square, Sunday, June 24, Pope Francis recalled with these words the new Blessed: "yesterday, Mary Felicia of Jesus Blessed Sacrament was blessed in Asunción (Paraguay), a Carmelite nun, known affectionately as "Chiquitunga". The young woman lived during the first half of the 20th century and died aged 34, having accepted her illness with serenity, dedicated her life to the care of the elderly, the sick and prison inmates. The testimony of this young Blessed is an invitation for all young people, especially Paraguayans, to live life with generosity, gentleness and joy". (SM) (Agenzia Fides, 25/06/2018)


























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