Blessed Candlemas of San José was a Venezuelan religious sister born Susana Paz-Castillo Ramírez in 1863. After losing both parents during her youth, she took on significant family responsibilities before dedicating her life to service. She became the director of a hospital in 1903 and eventually established the Carmelite Sisters of Venezuela. Throughout her life, she provided care to the sick during epidemics and conflicts, eventually joining the Carmelite order. She died in Cumaná in 1940 and was later beatified by the Catholic Church.
Life and service
Born in Altagracia de Orituco, Susana managed her household following her mother's death. Her commitment to charity grew through her work at the San Antonio hospital and her assistance to those wounded during the Liberation Revolution. In 1906, she adopted the religious name Candelaria of Saint Joseph. She founded a congregation of sisters to address local needs, establishing hospitals on the island of Margarita and in Upata to support the vulnerable.
Veneration
The Catholic Church recognized her heroic virtues, leading to her title as venerable. In 2008, she was beatified in Venezuela, marking the first such ceremony held in the country. This event drew tens of thousands of faithful to stadiums in her homeland. She is commemorated annually on January 31, the day she passed away.