Tomasa Ortiz Real

It was in Barcelona, during an intense mystical experience before the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that Tomasa received her true mission. Christ showed her his bloodied side and asked her to help him carry his cross by founding a new congregation. Encouraged by her confessor, Father Gualtero de Castro, and with the bishop's authorization, she turned toward the region of Murcia, which had been severely affected by the flooding of the Segura River in 1884. In March 1884, Tomasa and three companions settled in Puebla de Soto, near Alcantarilla, to found the "Community of the Tertiaries of the Virgin of Carmel." She then took the religious name "Piedad de la Cruz" (Pity of the Cross). The sisters devoted themselves tirelessly to the orphans and the sick who were victims of a cholera epidemic. Despite the development of the work in Alcantarilla and Caudete, internal dissensions broke out. In August 1890, the sisters of Caudete separated from the foundress and took the novices with them, leaving Mother Piedad alone with a single companion, Sister Alfonsa. Supported by the Bishop of Cartagena, Msgr. Bryan y Livermore, Mother Piedad made a one-month retreat at the Visitation Monastery of Orihuela. Inspired by the spirituality of Saint Francis de Sales, she laid the foundations for a new religious family. On September 8, 1890, she officially founded in Alcantarilla the Congregation of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Hermanas Salesianas del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús). The institute's mission was to welcome and educate orphaned girls, support young female workers, and care for the sick and abandoned elderly. Under her leadership, the congregation experienced rapid growth, opening 25 houses across several Spanish provinces (Albacete, Alicante, Burgos, Madrid, Valencia, and Murcia).

Mother Piedad de la Cruz dedicated the remainder of her life to consolidating her foundation, distinguishing herself through absolute poverty, profound humility, and boundless charity. At the beginning of 1916, her health declined severely. She passed away on February 26, 1916, in Alcantarilla, at the age of 73. Faithful to her spirit of penance, she refused to die in a bed, declaring: "He [Christ] died on the cross, and I must not die in a bed, but on the floor." She expired while seated in an armchair, a crucifix pressed against her lips. Upon the announcement of her death, the local population spontaneously cried out: "The saint is dead!"

Mother Piedad's reputation for holiness led the Diocese of Cartagena to officially open her cause for beatification and canonization on February 6, 1982. The diocesan phase was validated by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on February 3, 1984. On July 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues, conferring upon her the title of Venerable.

To allow for her beatification, the Church examined a miracle attributed to her intercession: the scientifically inexplicable healing of a religious sister. This miracle was formally approved by the Vatican medical commission on May 10, 2002, and then by the theological consultants on February 10, 2003. The official decree recognizing the miracle was signed by Pope John Paul II on April 12, 2003.

The beatification ceremony was celebrated by Pope John Paul II on March 21, 2004, in Saint Peter's Square in Rome, in the presence of thousands of the faithful and members of her congregation. Her liturgical memorial is set for February 26, the day of her birth into heaven.

The spirituality of Blessed Piedad de la Cruz is deeply Christocentric, rooted in the contemplation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the mystery of the Cross. Her charism consists of manifesting the providential love of the Father through the merciful Heart of the crucified Christ, by making herself a "victim" of love for the poorest. She liked to repeat: "The alms of love are worth more than those of money."

The legacy of Mother Piedad remains alive through the Congregation of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whose motherhouse is still located in Alcantarilla. The religious sisters continue their mission of social assistance, education, and care for the sick in Spain, but also in Latin America, notably in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.