Saint Maria Bernarda Bütler

María Bernarda Bütler (28 May 1848 – 19 May 1924), born Verena Bütler, was a Swiss religious sister. She founded the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Sinners and served in the missions in Ecuador and Colombia. Bütler worked for the care of the poor in these places until her exile from Ecuador and entrance into Colombia where she worked for the remainder of her life. The congregation moved there with her, and continued to expand during her time there until her death. Bütler was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 29 October 1995, and canonised by Pope Benedict XVI on 12 October 2008. Verena Bütler was born in mid-1848 in Switzerland as the fourth of eight children to the farmers Henry and Catherine; she was baptized right after her birth. Her great-grandparents were Jeremias Bütler and Elisabeth Hoffmann; all her siblings were girls and one – Martina (1856–90) – became a Benedictine. Bütler made her First Communion on 16 April 1860 after having received her confirmation in 1856. She finished school in 1862. Bütler became engaged at some stage to a man she loved but experienced a sudden religious experience that prompted her to break off her engagement in order to reflect on possible entrance into the religious life. She at first tried to enter the Sisters of the Holy Cross Menzingen in 1866 but left it after a brief period in order to return home and to discern her true calling. Bütler joined the Franciscan Capuchin nuns at the convent of Mary Help of Sinners in Altstätten – at the encouragement of her local pastor – on 12 November 1867. On 4 May 1868, she assumed the habit, taking the religious name María Bernarda of the Heart of Mary. She made her solemn profession on 4 October 1871. She served as novice mistress from 1879 to 1880 and the superior of her house from 1880 until 1886.