Maria Dulce Rodrigues dos Santos

Upon returning to São José dos Campos to recover her health, Dulce was struck by the precariousness and moral isolation of the patients in the sanatoriums. In January 1927, in agreement with two companions who were also suffering from tuberculosis, she rented a small house to welcome and care for the sick voluntarily, both materially and spiritually. In 1928, Father Henrique de Barros confirmed to her that her true vocation was to dedicate herself to these young sick women, leading her to abandon her initial plan to enter the Carmel. With the spiritual help of Father Ascânio da Cunha Brandão and the support of the Bishop of Taubaté, Msgr. Epaminondas Nunes d'Ávila e Silva, the work was structured. On March 25, 1933, the first stone of the Mary Immaculate Sanatorium, which would become the motherhouse, was laid. On August 14, 1934, the association was erected as an institute of diocesan right under the name of the Congregation of the Little Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (Pequenas Missionárias de Maria Imaculada). Dulce then received the religious habit and took the name Sister Maria Teresa of the Eucharistic Jesus. On June 27, 1936, the Holy See approved the Constitutions of the institute. On November 21, 1936, she pronounced her perpetual vows and was appointed Superior General by Bishop Msgr. André Arcoverde de Albuquerque Cavalcanti. Under her leadership, the congregation experienced rapid development. In 1940, she herself obtained a nursing degree to better serve the sick. From 1943, the work expanded to assist the children of tuberculous mothers, the children of lepers, and orphans. The congregation received the Decretum laudis from Pope Pius XII on February 11, 1952, and then the definitive pontifical approval on December 8, 1964, in the midst of the Second Vatican Council. Mother Maria Teresa led the institute as Superior General until 1966.

After having dedicated her entire life to the service of the sick and the poorest, Mother Maria-Thérèse's strength declined. She fell seriously ill on December 22, 1971, and passed away on January 8, 1972, at the Marie-Immaculée Sanatorium in São José dos Campos, surrounded by her fellow sisters. Her funeral, celebrated on January 9, brought together a huge crowd, particularly the poor and the sick whom she had assisted.

Her mortal remains, initially placed in the municipal cemetery, were exhumed on September 1, 2005, and transferred to the chapel of the congregation's motherhouse in São José dos Campos.

The cause for beatification and canonization was officially introduced in the Diocese of São José dos Campos. The nihil obstat decree was granted by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on February 1, 1997. The diocesan inquiry into her life and virtues was opened on August 17, 1997, and closed on November 25, 2001. The validity of this inquiry was recognized by a Roman decree on May 2, 2003.

On April 3, 2014, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroic nature of her virtues, thus conferring upon her the title of Venerable. For her beatification to be pronounced, the Catholic Church requires the official recognition of a miracle obtained through her intercession. A diocesan inquiry into an alleged miracle was conducted, and its validity was ratified by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on February 8, 2013. The cause is currently under examination in Rome, awaiting the final approval of the miracle by the Sovereign Pontiff.

The spirituality of Mother Maria-Theresa of Jesus-Eucharist rests on an intimate union between contemplation and action. Her life of prayer was deeply centered on Eucharistic adoration, which she considered the source of her missionary drive. For her, the service of the sick and the marginalized was the direct extension of the adoration of Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament. Her legacy continues today through the Congregation of the Little Missionary Sisters of Mary Immaculate. The religious sisters continue her work of charity by managing hospitals, nursing homes, care centers, and social assistance missions. The institute is active not only in Brazil, but has also expanded internationally, notably in Portugal, Italy, and Mozambique (with large-scale humanitarian missions). A memorial located in São José dos Campos preserves her personal belongings and traces her journey of faith and dedication.