Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified
The Galilean Carmelite who helped found the Carmel of Bethlehem
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Virgin, Mystic, Founder, Religious
- Life
- 1846 – 1878
- Era
- 19th century
- Feast
- 26 August
- Countries
- Israel, Palestinian Territories, France
Life story
Mariam Baouardy was born on 5 January 1846 at Hurfeish in Galilee, then part of the Ottoman Empire, and grew up in the village of Ibillin. Her family belonged to the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. She was orphaned young and lived with relatives; biographies say she worked as a domestic servant in several households in Alexandria and in France before finding her path in religious life.
In France she entered one religious community and then moved to the Carmel at Pau, where she received the habit in June 1867 and took the name Mary of Jesus Crucified. Witnesses of the time describe ecstasies and extraordinary experiences in her life; the Church treats these with caution in the process of canonisation. She was unlettered but widely admired for her simplicity.
In 1870 she was among the first group of Carmelite sisters sent to Mangalore in India, where she served for about two years. After returning to France she joined the group that founded the Bethlehem Carmel; in September 1875 she arrived in the Holy Land and the new community was set up there. She followed the building of the monastery and lived in Bethlehem for the rest of her life. She died on 26 August 1878 after an injury, aged thirty-two.
John Paul II beatified her on 13 November 1983, and Pope Francis canonised her on 17 May 2015. Her feast falls on 25 or 26 August: the Discalced Carmelites keep it on the 25th and the Melkite Greek Catholic Church on the 26th. She is the first Palestinian saint of modern times.
Works and witness
- Received the Carmelite habit at Pau in June 1867
- Went to Mangalore, India, in 1870 and served about two years
- Helped found the first Carmel in Bethlehem in September 1875
- Died in Bethlehem on 26 August 1878
- Canonised on 17 May 2015
Saints from the same country
References
- Martyrologium Romanum
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile
- Discalced Carmelite Order – profile of Mary of Jesus Crucified
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.