María Séiquer Gayá

After the death of her husband, María first retired to Madrid to stay with her sister Elisa, then moved to Salamanca in 1937 to discern her religious vocation. It was there that she had the providential meeting with Amalia Martín de la Escalera, who also felt the desire to dedicate herself to God and to serve the neglected populations of the countryside. Under the spiritual direction of the Jesuit father Esteban, the two women conceived the project of founding a new religious family. In October 1938, they presented their project to the Bishop of Cartagena, Msgr. Miguel de los Santos Díaz Gómara, who was then a refugee in Zaragoza. On September 13, 1939, upon returning to Murcia, they officially founded the Institute of the Apostolic Sisters of Christ Crucified (Hermanas Apostólicas de Cristo Crucificado) within their property of "Villa Pilar" in Santo Ángel. The work of the congregation focuses on: * Evangelization and catechesis in rural areas and isolated villages (pueblos y aldeas) often abandoned or lacking religious structures. * The education of children and young people through the creation of schools and colleges (the first college was founded in Santo Ángel in 1944). * Social, medical, and human assistance to the poorest peasant families, without distinction of political or ideological affiliation, thus embodying a strong message of national reconciliation after the ravages of the Civil War. María Séiquer Gayá assumed the position of Superior General of the institute. Under her leadership, the congregation developed and expanded. On January 7, 1975, the institute received definitive pontifical approval (Decretum Laudis) from Pope Paul VI. Today, the Apostolic Sisters of Christ Crucified continue their mission in several countries, notably in Spain, Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Mozambique.

After seeing her congregation officially recognized by the Holy See at the beginning of 1975, the health of María Séiquer Gayá, already weakened by long years of illness and physical suffering, declined rapidly. She passed away peacefully on July 17, 1975, at 5:00 a.m. at Villa Pilar (Santo Ángel, Murcia), surrounded by her sisters.

Her death sparked deep popular emotion. The local inhabitants, who already considered her a saint because of her charity and heroic forgiveness, gathered in crowds for her funeral. She was initially buried in the property's cemetery. On March 23, 1984, her mortal remains were transferred to the chapel of Villa Pilar, where they rest alongside those of her husband Ángel Romero and her co-founder Amalia Martín de la Escalera (who died on March 1, 1984).

As the reputation for holiness of María Séiquer Gayá continued to grow, the diocesan informative process for her beatification was officially opened on February 4, 1989, in the Diocese of Cartagena (Murcia).

After a thorough examination of her life, writings, and the testimonies collected, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints validated the diocesan phase. On December 6, 2014, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing her heroic virtues, thereby conferring upon her the title of Venerable.

The cause is currently ongoing, awaiting the official recognition of a miracle attributed to her intercession to pave the way for her beatification.

The spirituality of the Venerable María Séiquer Gayá is deeply rooted in the contemplation of Christ Crucified and the practice of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, which she practiced throughout her life.

Her spiritual legacy rests on three major pillars: 1. Active and redemptive forgiveness: For María, forgiveness is not merely a passive act of forgetting, but an active apostolic force. Inspired by the words of Christ on the Cross, she transformed the tragedy of her husband's assassination into a source of reconciliation and charity toward those very people who had caused her to suffer. 2. Preferential love for the most abandoned: Through the Apostolic Sisters of Christ Crucified, she wanted the presence of the Church to be effective where no one else would go, particularly among poor rural populations. 3. Union with the Cross in suffering: Having lived through painful family trials, the tragic loss of her husband, and then long years of illness, she always viewed suffering as an intimate participation in the mystery of the Redemption.