Pope Francis will canonize an Argentine nun, Blessed María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa (1706-1799), on February 11 in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints has announced.
The religious sister, known as “Mama Antula,” founded the Daughters of the Divine Savior and promoted retreats based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola at a time when the Jesuits were suppressed. In October, the Pontiff recognized a miracle attributed to her intercession.
The timing of the canonization Mass is unusual: canonizations typically take place in the spring or in October (on World Mission Sunday).