Blessed María Dolores Rodríguez Sopeña

Biography

Blessed María Dolores Rodríguez Sopeña was born on December 30, 1848, in Velez Rubio, Almería, Spain. She was the fourth of seven children born to Tomas Rodríguez Sopeña, a lawyer, magistrate, and administrator, and Nicolasa Ortega Salomon. At the age of eight, María underwent eye surgery, which unfortunately left her with limited sight for the rest of her life.

Even from a young age, María showed a deep disinterest in the worldly life and felt a strong calling to serve the sick and poor. Despite the societal norms of her time, María secretly began working with the marginalized communities, knowing that her parents might disapprove. Her faith in Christ Jesus fueled her confidence and motivated her to strive for a united family in Him.

In 1868, when María was twenty years old, her family moved to Madrid, Spain, due to her father being transferred to Puerto Rico as a state attorney. It was in Madrid that María found a spiritual advisor and began catechizing women in prisons, hospitals, and Sunday schools. Four years later, her entire family decided to join her father in Puerto Rico, where María found a Jesuit priest to serve as her spiritual director. Due to her limited sight, she faced difficulties in joining the Sisters of Charity; however, she persisted in her mission and focused on visiting the sick in the safety of a military hospital.

The Rodriguez Sopeña family returned to Madrid in 1877, where María took on the role of matriarch after her mother's death and her father's retirement. She resumed her work with the poor and sick, finding new spiritual guidance along the way. Shortly after her father's passing in 1883, she attempted to join a Salesian convent but realized after ten days that the contemplative life was not her calling.

In 1885, María established a center in Madrid where the poor could seek assistance for social problems. Additionally, she opened a halfway house to help prisoners reintegrate into society. Witnessing the terrible conditions in which the poor lived, María founded the Works of the Doctrines, which later became known as the Center for the Workers due to anti-clerical sentiments. This organization aimed to improve the lives of the poor and provide them with the necessary support.

Maria's desire to extend her work led her to found the Association of the Apostolic Laymen (Sopeña Lay Movement) in 1892. She received government approval to expand her efforts to eight impoverished neighborhoods in Madrid the following year. In 1896, María began working throughout Spain, founding additional Works of the Doctrines to address the needs of the underprivileged.

Maria went on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1900, where she obtained approval to establish a religious institute focused on continuing the works she initiated. On September 24, 1901, in Toledo, Spain, she founded the Ladies of the Catechetical Institute with eight companions and coworkers. This religious order dedicated themselves to the service of God through the education of others.

In 1902, María established the Sopeña Social and Cultural Work (OSCUS), which received government approval and papal recognition in 1907. Today, it is known as the Sopeña Catechetical Institute. Maria's leadership was acknowledged when she was chosen as the Superior General of the community in 1910. Under her guidance, the institute expanded its mission to the Americas in 1917.

Blessed María Dolores Rodríguez Sopeña passed away on January 10, 1918, in Madrid, Spain, due to natural causes. Her legacy lives on through the Sopeña Catechetical Institute, the Sopeña Lay Movement, and the Sopeña Social and Cultural Work. These organizations continue to carry out her mission of serving the poor and marginalized in Spain, Italy, Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.

Blessed María Dolores Rodríguez Sopeña was declared venerable by Pope John Paul II on July 11, 1992, based on her heroic virtues. Pope John Paul II further officially beatified her on March 23, 2003, recognizing her exceptional holiness and dedication to the Gospel.