Piedad de la Cruz was a Spanish religious sister born Tomasa Ortiz Real, who lived from 1842 to 1916. After overcoming various obstacles to her vocation, including illness and family constraints, she established the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart in 1890. Dedicated to serving the sick, the elderly, and orphaned children, she took her religious name following a profound vision of the Sacred Heart. She is recognized as a saint in the Catholic tradition and is commemorated on February 26.
Life and vocation
Born in Bocairent, Tomasa felt a religious calling from her childhood. After working as a textile worker and enduring a period of illness, she experienced a vision of the pierced side of Christ in Barcelona. This led her to join a small group of companions near Alcantarilla, where she formally adopted her religious name. In 1890, she founded her own congregation, placing it under the patronage of Saint Francis de Sales to focus on charitable works.
Veneration
The process for her beatification began in the 1980s, leading to her being declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II in 2000. Following the validation of a miracle, she was beatified in Saint Peter's Square on March 21, 2004. Her religious order, which initially grew from a small group, has expanded to operate in Argentina and Bolivia.