Mercedes de Jesús Egido y Izquierdo, (29 March 1935 – 3 August 2004) was a Spanish Roman Catholic nun of the

Order of the Immaculate Conception , image = OrdoIC.jpg , size = 150px , abbreviation = OIC , nickname = Conceptionists , motto = , formation = , founder = Saint Beatrice of Silva) , founding_location ...

who undertook a major reform of the Order's way of life. The cause for her beatification is being investigated by the Holy See.

Biography

Born María del Rosario Egido y Izquierdo in Salamanca, she was one of the nine children of Ildefonso Egido y Curto and Carmen Izquierdo y Olazzari, who were both tailors. At the age of seven, Egido and her sister were enrolled in a boarding school operated by the

Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between groups ...

. Showing advanced comprehension of her studies, she was promoted several years ahead of her age group. After four years, however, she was required to leave the school as her parents considered moving to Madrid in the hope of finding more work. During this time, she developed a strong desire to become a missionary. After a lengthy period of reflection, Egido followed her two older sisters into the Order of the Immaculate Conception on 25 October 1953, at the monastery of

La Puebla de Montalbán La Puebla de Montalbán is a Spanish town and municipality in the province of Toledo, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. It is located in a plain of the River Tajo. Government The mayor of La Puebla de Montalbán is Juan José ...

, Toledo, Spain. She was admitted to the

novitiate The novitiate, also called the noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a Christian ''novice'' (or ''prospective'') monastic, apostolic, or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether ...

of the monastery on 27 April 1954, at which time she was given the

religious name A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts. Christianity Catholic Church Baptismal name In baptism, Catholic Church, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should ...

of Mercedes de Jesús. She took her temporary vows of

consecrated life Consecrated life (also known as religious life) is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by those faithful who are called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way. It includes those in institutes of consecrated life (religious and se ...

on 12 May 1955, and her solemn vows on 16 May 1958. On 20 January 1964 she was moved to

Alcázar de San Juan Alcázar de San Juan is a city and municipality of Spain located in the province of Ciudad Real, autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. It lies on the plain of La Mancha. From the 13th to the 19th century the history of Alcázar is strongly ...

Ciudad Real Ciudad Real (, ; en, "Royal City") is a municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha, capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It is the 5th most populated municipality in the region. History It was founde ...

, by the Federation of the Order. Influenced by the Second Vatican Council's 1965 '' Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life'', Egido followed

Beatrice of Silva Beatrice of Silva (Campo Maior, Portugal ca. 1424 – Toledo, Castile, 16 August 1492), born Beatriz de Menezes da Silva, was a Portuguese Nobility, noblewoman who became the foundress of the Christian_monasticism#Roman_Catholicism, monastic Con ...

, the Portuguese foundress of the Order of the Immaculate Conception, and on 8 September 1996 became a reformer of the Order after she received the Decree of Approval of the amendments of the General Constitutions of the Order from the Holy See. Egido died on 3 August 2004 in the Monastery of Alcázar de San Juan. The Requiem Mass was presided over by 19 priests including the emeritus Bishop Don Rafael Torija.

Veneration

On 26 January 2011 the Holy See accepted her cause for beatification for investigation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Egido, Mercedes De Jesus 1935 births 2004 deaths People from Salamanca Conceptionist nuns 20th-century Spanish nuns Spanish Servants of God 20th-century venerated Christians 21st-century venerated Christians 21st-century Spanish nuns