Maria Concepción Barrecheguren García (27 November 1905 – 13 May 1927), also known as ''Conchita Barrecheguren'', was a young

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

woman. She was

beatified Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the ...

on May 6, 2023, by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

.Maria de la Concepción Barrecheguren y García (1905 - 1927)
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Early life

Maria Concepción Barrecheguren García was born on November 27, 1905, in Granada. She was the only child of the couple Francisco Barrecheguren and Concha García, both from wealthy and religious families. She was baptized on December 8, 1905, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When she was just over a year and a half old, she was diagnosed with acute enterocolitis, so much so that her life was feared. The girl soon recovered, being attributed to

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. From an early age, Conchita had health problems, as a result of which she did not attend school. Her father was responsible for educating her in social and catechetical principles. The quality of the teachings transmitted by her father allowed her to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and the

First Communion First Communion is a ceremony in some Christian traditions during which a person of the church first receives the Eucharist. It is most common in many parts of the Latin tradition of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church and Anglican Communion (ot ...

. Since childhood, Conchita wanted to lead a consecrated religious life. However, later illnesses formed an obstacle to her joining the monastic life. In 1917, she was diagnosed with an intestinal infection, which caused her a lot of pain and required a special diet. Conchita patiently accepted her condition, seeing in it an opportunity to better surrender herself to God. In 1924, she was stricken with a mental illness inherited from her mother. With fragile health, she was admitted to the Sanatorium of La Purissima, in Granada. Isolated from society, she devoted herself to

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Orth ...

. While she was hospitalized, she testified to her faith by praying and showing trust in God. She also used to chronicle reporting and writing personal notes. Despite poor health, in August 1926 she made a pilgrimage to

Lisieux Lisieux () is a Communes of France, commune in the Calvados (department), Calvados Departments of France, department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy Regions of France, region in northwestern France. It is the capital of the Pa ...

, where she contracted

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

. Seeking to improve from the new illness she contracted, she moved with her parents to the Carmine di San Valentino, in

Alhambra The Alhambra (, ; ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Muslim world, Islamic world. Additionally, the ...

, but the illness got worse. The last months of Conchita's life were marked by total dependence on caregivers. All were unanimous in reporting her joy and patience when sick. The rest of her life was also marked by the many times she received the Eucharist. Conchita died on May 13, 1927, aged 22, due to tuberculosis. She was initially buried in her family's tomb in Granada. On May 13, 1978, the remains were transferred to the Carmelo di Conchita, in Alhambra and, since November 29, 2007, she has been buried in the Redemptorist Sanctuary of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Beatification

Barreguren's cause was formally opened on 15 April 1946, granting her the title of

Servant of God Servant of God () is a title used in the Catholic Church to indicate that an individual is on the first step toward possible canonization as a saint. Terminology The expression ''Servant of God'' appears nine times in the Bible, the first five in ...

. A archdiocesan inquiry into her writings and testimonies about her life was completed in 1956 and sent to

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for examination by the

Dicastery for the Causes of Saints In the Catholic Church, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, previously named the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (), is the dicastery of the Roman Curia that oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, pas ...

. On May 5, 2020,

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

recognized Conchita's

heroic virtue Heroic virtue is the translation of a phrase coined by Augustine of Hippo to describe the virtue of early Christian martyrs. The phrase is used by the Roman Catholic Church. The Greek pagan term hero described a person with possibly superhuman a ...

s, giving her the title of Venerable. On the same day, her father Francisco was also declared venerable. On May 21, 2022, a decree was signed recognizing the miracle obtained through her intercession. On May 6, 2023, she was beatified in the

Granada Cathedral The Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica of the Incarnation (), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Granada, Spain. The cathedral is the seat of the Archdiocese of Granada. Like many other cathedrals in Andalusia, it was built on top of the ...

. The celebrant chosen to represent Pope Francis was Cardinal

Marcello Semeraro Marcello Semeraro (born 22 December 1947) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who has been the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints since October 2020. He was previously Bishop of Albano and secretary to the group of car ...

, who inscribed her on the list of Blesseds of the Catholic Church. Her liturgical memory is celebrated on May 13.

References

External links

Hagiography Circle
{{DEFAULTSORT:García Barrecheguren, Maria Concepción 1905 births 1927 deaths People from Granada 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Spain Spanish beatified people Beatifications by Pope Francis 20th-century venerated Christians Spanish Roman Catholics 20th-century Spanish women Spanish venerated Catholics