“Always do good to everyone, as Jesus taught us.”
These words help us reflect on the legacy of María Josefa Recio, founder of the Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, especially as we remember the moment of her death on 30 October 1883.
In the accounts of her life, one word appears again and again: love. A love that did not remain mere words, but became service, care and self-giving, both towards people who were ill and towards her fellow Sisters.
Those who knew her particularly remember her motherly concern for the sick. Whenever someone fell ill, María Josefa was among the last to leave her bedside, remaining by her side and attentive to her needs.
She herself encouraged her daughters to live out Hospitality in this way: “Show great charity towards the poor sick, serving them with love, and take even greater care of those who are most difficult, considering that they represent Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This spirit was especially evident during the final days of her life. Following an assault on one of the women in the care home, María Josefa, even amid her own suffering, asked the Sisters not to punish her, because she was unaware of what she had done.
During those final days, through her words, she left what could be considered a true spiritual testament: to practise fraternal charity, remain united and genuinely love one another.
This is recorded in the account of her life. Shortly before her death, she addressed the Sisters with words that capture the depth of that love: “Take heart, my Sisters, take heart! From heaven, I will pray for you all. Tell those who come after you that I love them all equally, from the first to the very last who is yet to join this Congregation.”
María Josefa spoke of a love without conditions or limits, a love rooted in the Lord and capable of reaching even those who had not yet joined the Congregation.
That love was the path María Josefa helped to open, and it continues to give meaning to our Hospitality today. Her understanding of care reminds us that Hospitality begins when we recognise the dignity of every person and commit ourselves to upholding it.
A Short Life, a Lasting Legacy
María Josefa died on 30 October 1883, at the age of 37, as a result of injuries sustained after being assaulted by a woman with a mental illness whom she was caring for. Her death, just two years after the Congregation was founded, became forever linked to her dedication to people who were ill.
In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI recognised the heroic nature of her Christian virtues, and she was declared Venerable.
Today, her legacy lives on in the Hospitaller Family and in every gesture of welcome, respect and care towards people experiencing vulnerability.
Remembering María Josefa Recio means recognising a woman who dared to forge new paths and made Hospitality a way of life. A pioneering woman whose example continues to inspire us to transform care into dignity, closeness and hope.
