Bl. Concepcion Cabrera

Blessed Concepción Cabrera Arias (Conchita) was born on December 8, 1862, in San Luis Potosi (Mexico). She was the seventh of twelve children of Octaviano Cabrera Arias Lacavex and Clara Rivera. Since childhood, Conchita was attracted to God, especially in the Eucharist, and distinguished herself for her purity, humility, and spirit of sacrifice. On November 8, 1884, she married Francisco Armida Garcia. Together they had nine children.
In 1889, Conchita attended her first spiritual exercises. There she discovered her mission, "to save souls" Thanks to Fr. Alberto Mir, SJ's guidance, she advanced significantly in her spiritual life and began to write a spiritual diary.
On January 14, 1894, moved by the desire to belong to Jesus Christ entirely, she marked her chest with the monogram "JHS," and a spontaneous cry came from her lips and heart, "Jesus, Savior of all people, save them." That day is considered the birth of the Works of the Cross. A few days later, she had a vision of the Cross of the Apostolate, the symbol of the Spirituality of the Cross which God gave the world through Conchita. On May 3, 1894, the first Cross of the Apostolate was erected in her family's hacienda of Jesus Maria. Today, many faithful come on pilgrimage to this holy place seeking God and to venerate the cross.
On May 3, 1895, with Bishop Ramón Ibarra's approval, the Apostleship of the Cross was founded in the Diocese of Chilapa (Mexico). On May 3, 1897, with Fr. Mir's help, she founded the Sisters of the Cross of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In 1901 Francisco died, and Conchita became a widow raising her children.
On February 4, 1903, she providentially met Fr. Felix Rougier, a French Marist, who was to be the founder of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit.
On March 25, 1906, God granted Conchita the grace of the mystical incarnation, a grace of transformation into Christ, and great spiritual fruitfulness.
With the support of Msgr. Ibarra, then Archbishop of Puebla, founded the Covenant of Love with the Sacred Heart of Jesus on November 8, 1909, and on January 19, 1912, the Fraternity of Christ the Priest.
In 1913 Conchita traveled to the Holy Land and Rome on a pilgrimage organized by Msgr. Ibarra. There, she met with Pope St. Pius X in a private audience. The Holy Father granted permission for the foundation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, and they were founded on December 25, 1914.
In 1925, Archbishop Luis Maria Martinez became Conchita's last spiritual director. He was instrumental in bringing to maturity the work of sanctification of this mystic and apostle. Conchita died in Mexico City on March 3, 1937, with a reputation for holiness.
Some of the great treasures that this laywoman gave to the Church are her numerous mystical and autobiographical texts, her letters to different recipients, and her catechetical and devotional writings. In 1956 her canonization process was initiated. On December 20, 1999, Pope St. John Paul II acknowledged her Christian virtues to be those of a heroic degree and declared her Venerable. She was beatified on May 4, 2019, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Mexico City.