Saint María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa

Saint María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa (religious name María Antonia of Saint Joseph; 1730 – 7 March 1799), later known as Mama Antula in Santiagueño Quechua, was a Catholic religious sister who established the Daughters of the Divine Savior (Spanish: Hijas del Divino Salvador). She was—on the account of her model Christian life of heroic virtue—proclaimed to be venerable in 2010, and beatified on 27 August 2016. On 11 February 2024, she was canonised by Pope Francis. She is Argentina's first female saint. María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa was born in 1730 in the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata of the Spanish Empire, today Argentina; she was descended from an illustrious family of rulers and conquerors. Her childhood was spent at home, where she led a devout life and decided at the age of fifteen that she wanted to devote herself entirely to God. At that time there was no active cloistered religious life, so she decided to wear a black robe and live with other women in a small community. Guided by the Jesuit priest Gaspar Juarez, she devoted her time to assisting parents in the instruction of their children and also catered to the sick and to the poor. She also spent time doing needlework. In 1767, Charles III of Spain expelled the Jesuits, prompting her to restore the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. This was an initiative that was not well received as there was a hostile environment to the Jesuits, yet she continued to organize this restoration. She began inviting people to retreats from 1768 until 1770, and she did this across the viceroyalty, to places such as Salavina and Atamasqui. After the success of the retreats in those places, she travelled to Buenos Aires in September 1779, where she met with imperial officials, who refused her the task of restoration. In 1780 the retreats in Buenos Aires began with great success, and the Archbishop of Buenos Aires Sebastián Malvar y Pinto supported her.