Blessed María De La Salud Baldoví Trull

Biography

Blessed María De La Salud Baldoví Trull, also known as Sister María Micaela, Mother María Micaela, Micaela Baldovi Trull, Maria Micaela Baldoví Trull, and María de la Salud, was born on 28 April 1869 in Algemesí, Valencia, Spain, to Juan Bautista Baldoví and Joaquina Trull. She was the eldest of their five children.

Deeply drawn to a life of piety and dedication to God, María De La Salud entered the Cistercian nuns at the Gratia Dei Monastery in La Zaidía, Valencia, Spain in 1892. She made her profession in 1893, committing herself fully to the monastic life. María De La Salud's devout spirit and leadership qualities were recognized within the community, leading to her appointment as the abbess of the Gratia Dei Monastery from 1917 to 1921.

However, her desire for a stricter observance of the Cistercian Rule eventually prompted her to embark on a new endeavor. Alongside six like-minded sisters, María De La Salud founded the Fons Saltus abbey in June 1925. Within this new community, she served as the first abbess, leading her sisters in a life of prayer and contemplation in adherence to their chosen path of spirituality.

Unfortunately, their peaceful lives were disrupted by the eruption of the Spanish Civil War, which broke out in June 1936. The Fons Saltus abbey, located in Benifayó, Valencia, was seized and used as a prison. On 16 October 1936, Mother María Micaela, as she was also known, was captured and imprisoned within her own abbey.

Mother María Micaela and her fellow sisters suffered immensely during their captivity. They endured weeks of abuse and suffering at the hands of their captors, who resented their religious fervor. Finally, on the morning of 9 November 1936, they were executed by firing squad on the road outside Benifayó. Their bodies were callously decapitated and thrown into a mass grave.

Following the conclusion of the war, the remains of Mother María Micaela and her martyred sisters were recovered and given Christian burial in the Benifayó cemetery. Later, their relics were transferred to the crypt of the Ermita del Cristo de la Agonía church. In 1974, the relics were moved once again, this time to the Fons Salutis convent in Algemesí, Valencia, Spain. There, they continue to be venerated by the faithful in remembrance of the sacrifices made by these holy women.

Blessed María De La Salud Baldoví Trull was officially recognized for her martyrdom on 22 January 2015 by Pope Francis, who declared her beatification. The beatification ceremony took place on 3 October 2015 at the cathedral of Santander, Spain, with Cardinal Angelo Amato serving as the principal celebrant. Today, she is venerated for her unwavering faith, dedication to God, and willingness to lay down her life for her beliefs.