Bl. Rita Amada de Jesus Biography |
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| Date of Birth | March 5 1848 |
|---|---|
| Country of Birth | Portugal of Europe |
| Matrimony/Holy Orders | Blesseds who were Not Married |
| Profession | Professed Religious |
| Place of Work | Portugal |
| Date of Death | January 6 1913 |
| Place of Death | Viseu, Portugal |
| Feast Day | January 6 |
| Beatification | Beatified by Pope Benedict XV on May 8 2006 |
| Canonization | Canonized by N/A |
| Patron Saint of | Sisters of Jesus, Mary and Joseph |
Blessed Rita Amada de Jesus’ Life Story
Rita Lopes de Almeida, religious name being Rita Amada de Jesus, was born on March 5 1848, in Ribafelta, Portugal. She was the 4th of the five children in her family and was baptized on March 13 1849 with the name Rita. Her family was christian-oriented; as during their childhood, they would have evening recitals of the holy rosary each and every day.
She developed a great devotion towards Saint Joseph and the Sacred Heart. She used to spend her tie visiting the Benedictines at Viseu and traveled to parishes appealing to people to acknowledge their faith in God and in doing so, he created both friends and enemies who threatened even to kill her for being apostolic.
She actively rejected suitors who came her way. When she was 29, she joined the cont of the Sisters of Charity in Oporto city, which was the sole functioning religious institute at the time due to christian persecutions fueled by government policies.
She then saw that the place as not fulfilling enough and so she left and in 1880, she founded the Sisters of Jesus, Mary and Joseph so that she may help poor abandoned girls, which received Papal approval from Pope Leo XIII on May 10 1902.
In 1910, there was the establishment of Portugal as a Republic, which led to the fear of an upcoming violence in the country and so she resorted to move the order and its members to Brazil though she did not get to go with them. She wanted to assure that the order lived on.
Rita Amada de Jesus died after a period of illness on January 6 1913 in Casalmedinho.
Blessed Rita Amada de Jesus’ Birth
Rita Amada de Jesus was born on March 5 1848, in Ribafelta, Portugal.
Blessed Rita Amada de Jesus’ Death
Rita Amada de Jesus died after a period of illness on January 6 1913 in Casalmedinho.
Nationality and Ethnicity
She is Portuguese in both nationality and ethnicity
Family Background
She was the 4th born in a family of 5 children and her parents were, Manuel Lopes and Josefa de Jesus Almeida.
Profession
She lived as a professed religious doing missionary work and trying her best to give hope to the less fortunate.
Beatification
She was beatified on May 28 2006 by Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martini in Viseu.
Venerated in
She is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church.
Attributes
Rita Amada is represented as a religious habit.
Blessed Rita Amada de Jesus’ Patronage
Her patronage is the Sisters of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
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