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Blessed Guadalupe Ortiz de Landázuri Fernández de Heredia

Blessed Guadalupe Ortiz de Landázuri Fernández de Heredia Also known as

María Guadalupe Ortiz de Landázuri Fernández de Heredia

16 July

Profile

Youngest of four children born to Manuel Ortiz de Landázuri, a career army officer, and Eulogia Fernández-Heredia; one of her brothers is the Servant of God Eduardo Ortiz de Landázuri Fernández de Heredia, her sister-in-law is the Servant of God Laura Busca Otaegui de Ortiz de Landázuri. Because of her father‘s assignments, the family moved a lot to locations in Spain and Morocco. She began studying chemistry at the Universidad Central de Madrid in June 1933, one of only five women in the class; she was remembered as a friendly but serious student. Lost several family members to the firing squads of the Spanish Civil War. She began teaching in Madrid in 1939. Following a feeling that she was called to a more religious life, Guadalup joined Opus Dei in 1944, brought into the group by Saint Josemaría Escrivá. Developed a devotion to Eucharistic Adoration. She was assigned to Mexico by Father Josemaría on 5 March 1950 to help introduce Opus Dei there. While in Mexico, she returned to school to work toward a doctorate in chemistry. She and a physician friend established a mobile clinic and went door to door in poor neighborhoods to treat those who could not afford medical help. Guadalupe moved to Rome, Italy in 1956 to work in the administration of Opus Dei, but a heart condition forced her to return to Madrid for surgery, and kept her close to there for the rest of her life for ongoing treatment. She was able to continue her education and received her doctorate on 8 July 1965. She worked at the Ramiro de Maeztu Institute and Women’s School for Industrial Sciences where she served as an adminstrator for many years. Guadaluped helped plan and establish the Center of Studies and Research of Domestic Sciences. All this was while she continued to work for the spread and strengthening of Opus Dei. Her heart condition continued to deteriorate, however, and though she continued to work as long as she could, it eventually did her in.

Born

12 December 1916 in Madrid, Spain

Died

6:30am on 16 July 1975 in Pamplona, Navarra, Spain of natural causes
buried in Pamplona

Venerated

4 May 2017 by Pope Francis (decree of heroic virtues)

Beatified

18 May 2019 by Pope Francis
beatification recognition celebrated at the Palacio Vistalegre Arena, Carabanchel, Madrid, Spain, presided by Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu
her beatification miracle involved the healing of a cancer patient