Venerable Maria Josefa Karolina Brader

Maria Josefa Karolina Brader (15 August 1860 – 27 February 1943), also known by her religious name Maria Caridad of the Holy Spirit, was a Swiss religious sister who founded the Franciscan Sisters of Mary Immaculate. Brader served as a member of the missions in Ecuador for a brief period of time before being transferred to Colombia where she served as a catechist and evangelizer for the remainder of her life. Brader's canonization cause commenced on 24 October 1985 (she was titled as a Servant of God) and she was later declared Venerable on 28 June 1999 before Pope John Paul II beatified Brader on 23 March 2003 in Saint Peter's Square. Maria Josefa Karolina Brader was born in Kaltbrunn in the St. Gallen canton on 15 August 1860 as the sole child of Joseph Sebastian Brader and Karolina Zahner. Brader was baptized on 16 August 1860. Brader was an intelligent child who excelled in her studies while at school in Kaltbrunn and she received the best education that her mother attempted to provide her with. There were high expectations for her future but she decided not to go through with further studies in favor of pursuing her call to the religious life. Brader entered a Franciscan convent at Maria Hilf in Altstätten on 1 October 1880 that the Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis managed. Brader was clothed in the habit on 1 March 1881 – in which she was given a new name – and made her final vows on 22 August 1882. Her mother's initial opposition faded after her mother wanted Brader to remain at home due to being a widow and Brader being the sole child she had. Following her profession she was assigned to serve as a teacher. Brader volunteered to be one of the first six missionaries sent to work in Chone in Ecuador in 1888. Maria Bernarda Bütler was the head of the group and selected Brader herself and of that decision made known the fact that Brader "... will be able to render great services to the mission".