Saint Rafaela Porras y Ayllón
Also known as
- Rafaela Maria del Sagrado Corazon
- Raphaela of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
- Rafaela Maria Porras y Ayllon
- Raphaela Maria Porras
- Raphaela Mary of the Sacred Heart
- María of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Profile
Daughter of the mayor of Pedro Abad, Spain. Her father died when Raphaela was four years old. She and her sister Dolores (Pilar) joined the Sisters of Marie Reparatrice in Cordova, Spain in 1873. When Bishop Ceferino Gonzalez asked the community to leave his diocese, Raphaela and 15 novices stayed to form a new community. When they were ready to take their vows in 1877, Bishop Gonzalez presented them with a new rule; instead of taking vows, they left Cordova for Madrid, Spain. Raphaela and Dolores finally made their vows in 1877, forming the basis for the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart, a congregation devoted to teaching children and helping at retreats. The congregation received papal approval in 1877. Raphaela served as the congregation’s mother general, and the sisters soon had houses throughout Spain, and began to spread abroad. Mother Raphaela resigned in 1893, spending her remaining 32 years in quiet prayer at her congregation’s house in Rome, Italy.
Born
- 13 May 1949 by Pope Pius XII (decree of heroic virtues)
MLA Citation
- “Saint Rafaela Porras y Ayllón“. CatholicSaints.Info. 28 June 2023. Web. 30 April 2024. <>