Maria Dolores Segarra was a Spanish Catholic nun born in Melilla in 1921. After experiencing a religious vocation at a young age, she dedicated herself to parish work, teaching catechism, and assisting the elderly. In 1955, she established the Missionary Sisters of Christ Priest, a congregation intended to support priests in their ministry. Following her death in Granada in 1959, her life and spiritual dedication led to her being recognized as a venerable by the Catholic Church.
Life and work
After initially joining the Daughters of the Church in 1944, Segarra later left the institute following disagreements regarding its transition to a cloistered order. Following an investigation that found her dismissal unjustified, she founded her own congregation in 1955 alongside Father Sebastián Carrasco Jiménez. This new order, based in Huescar, focused on assisting clergy and working with youth through parish apostolates.
Veneration
The Catholic Church recognizes her heroic virtues, a status officially declared by Pope Francis in 2020. As a result, she is titled venerable. Her commemoration is observed annually on March 1, the date of her death.