They came from France, from Italy and from Palestine. \u00a0They founded new religious orders; and their orders worked with the elderly and small children, operated\u00a0a monastery, established missions in many lands, and operated 50 Catholic colleges, providing an education to 35,000 new students per year.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, February 14, at the close of the Consistory, Pope Francis announced that he will elevate four holy women to sainthood in May.<\/strong> \u00a0The new soon-to-be-saints are:<\/p>\n Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas<\/strong><\/span> (1843-1927) was a native of Palestine. \u00a0Her family lived in Jerusalem; but when she was just 14, she joined the Congregation of St. Joseph of the Apparition as a postulant. \u00a0After her vows, she was sent to Bethlehem to teach catechism. \u00a0In Bethlehem, she established religious associations promoting devotion to Mary through the Rosary. \u00a0Sister Alphonsine experienced several apparitions in which Mary directed her to found a Palestinian congregation known as the \u201cSisters of the Rosary<\/strong>\u201c; and in 1880, she received approval from Rome. \u00a0She and eight other sisters received the habit of her new Order on October 7, 1883, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. \u00a0Sister Alphonsine founded a school for girls in Beit Sahour, then served in several Palestinian communities before returning to Jerusalem due to declining health. \u00a0She died on the feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1927, in Ein Karem, the city in the hill country where Mary visited Elizabeth and where John the Baptist was born. \u00a0Her order continues its work with the elderly and young children.<\/p>\n Mariam Baouardi<\/strong><\/span> (1846-1848) was a mystic and was also from Palestine. \u00a0Her name means \u201cMary of Jesus Crucified.\u201d \u00a0In 1870, she traveled with the first group of <\/span>Carmelite Apostolic Sisters<\/strong> to Mangalore, India, where she served for two years. \u00a0Then, returning to Pau in 1872, she made her profession of solemn vows. \u00a0She traveled to Palestine where, in 1875, she founded the first monastery of her Order in that region, in the town of Bethlehem. \u00a0Throughout her life, Sister Mariam experienced periods of religious ecstasy frequently during the day.<\/span><\/p>\n Jeanne Emilie de Villeneuve<\/strong><\/span> was a French nun who founded the Congregation of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Castres<\/strong>. \u00a0She was born in Toulouse, in southwestern France, in 1811. \u00a0The Order which she founded operates more than 50 colleges, which receive more than 35,000 new students each year. \u00a0The also operate several homes for abandoned children, and serve in hospitals and for families in need. \u00a0The Sisters operate a residence for pilgrims in Rome. \u00a0Today the\u00a0Order has\u00a0more than 700 sisters working in 16 countries.<\/p>\n Maria Cristina dell\u2019Immacolata<\/strong><\/span> (1856-1906) was from southern Naples, in Italy. \u00a0Her family was wealthy, but she was extremely devout. \u00a0When she was only 12 years old, while kneeling before a statue of the Child Jesus, she made a vow of perpetual chastity. \u00a0She founded the Sisters Expiatory Victims of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament<\/strong>, which runs convents, shelters for young women, orphanages and schools. \u00a0Throughout her life, she kept as her motto, \u201cI must become a saint, I want to become a saint.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The canonization will take place on May 17, 2015.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" They came from France, from Italy and from Palestine. \u00a0They founded new religious orders; and their orders worked with the elderly and small children, operated\u00a0a monastery, established missions in many lands, and operated 50 Catholic colleges, providing an education to 35,000 new students per year. On Saturday, February 14, at the close of the Consistory, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":556,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,1117,223],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-canonization","category-pope-francis","category-saints"],"yoast_head":"\n