María de la Encarnación, mother of the family (1565–1618)

Biography

From a very young age she wanted to be a nun, but her parents, because she was the only daughter, decided that she should get married. She obeyed, saying, “If I am not allowed to be a wife of Christ, at least I will try to be a good wife to a good Christian.” And indeed it was. He educated his six children with great care, and when they asked him if he was preparing them to be religious, he answered: “I am preparing them to always and in everything fulfill the will of God in the best way.” Her husband, Pedro Acari, a young lawyer who held a high position in the government, was pious and charitable, but he also had strong defects that made our saint suffer a lot. But she endured them with singular patience. For political reasons, her husband was exiled and our saint was left without a husband and without property. But she personally took on the defense of her husband before the government and obtained the lifting of his exile and the return of part of his property. He gave all kinds of material help to his service personnel and made sure that each one fulfilled their duties towards God well. The goodness of his heart reached everyone: he fed the hungry, visited the sick, assisted the dying, taught the catechism and favored all the religious communities that he could. When her husband died, she directed all her efforts to a task that had been entrusted to her in a vision from Saint Teresa, and she dedicated herself to obtaining permits for the Carmelite nuns to enter her country. After many difficulties, he obtains the necessary permits and finds them a home. The Carmelite community was destined to do great good in France for many centuries and to have famous saints such as Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. Mrs. Acari's three daughters became Carmelite nuns and then she entered the convent. This blessed woman was a very special woman in the Church: mother of six children - three nuns, one priest and two married -, widow and lady of high society who ended up being a humble nun in a convent where her own daughter was the superior. The last years of Sister María de la Encarnación were of profound mystical life and frequent ecstasies.