With deep gratitude and affection, the Sisters Hospitallers commemorate the life and passing of Venerable María Josefa Recio Martín (1846–1883), co-foundress and first Superior General of the Congregation of the Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Her life, though brief, remains a radiant example of courage, compassion, and faith expressed through service to those most in need.
Born in Granada, Spain, on 19 March 1846, María Josefa Recio Martín grew up in a time when mental illness was gravely misunderstood and those who suffered were often excluded from society. Widowed at a young age, she discerned in her suffering a deeper call to dedicate her life to the service of the poor and the sick.
Guided by St Benedict Menni, and alongside María Angustias Giménez, she answered this call with extraordinary generosity. Together they founded a small house in Ciempozuelos (Madrid) to care for women living with mental illness, a revolutionary mission at the time. On 31 May 1881, this humble beginning became the official foundation of the Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and María Josefa was appointed the congregation’s first Superior General.
María Josefa’s leadership was marked by gentleness, courage, and unwavering trust in God. She not only guided her sisters in faith but also worked alongside them in the most demanding tasks, tending to the sick, comforting those in despair, and restoring dignity to women who had been forgotten by society.
Tragically, her life was cut short on 30 October 1883, when she died at the age of 37 after sustaining injuries while caring for a woman suffering from severe mental illness. Her death was an act of ultimate charity, the gift of her life for the lives of others. It was, and remains, the truest expression of her vocation.
Though her earthly life ended too soon, María Josefa’s spirit continues to live in the hearts and hands of every Sister Hospitaller and all who share in their mission today. Her faith, her tenderness, and her deep sense of hospitality remain the foundation of our congregational charism.
In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI recognised the heroic virtue of María Josefa Recio Martín, declaring her Venerable. This recognition by the Church affirms what countless lives already testify, that her example continues to inspire works of mercy, compassion, and healing across the world.
Today, the Congregation she helped to found continues to bring her vision to life in more than 25 countries, offering compassionate care to those living with mental illness, disability, or social exclusion. Every act of service, every gesture of hospitality, and every smile offered in love is a living echo of María Josefa’s heart, a heart that knew no bounds.
“I desire and pray to God that charity may always reign in this holy community. I would wish that wherever two or three Daughters of Our Lady are gathered together, it might seem as though there were a choir of angels, so great would be the love they have for one another… Have great charity towards the poor sick women, serving them with love, and let those who care for the most difficult among them strive even more, remembering that they represent Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— From the Testament of Venerable María Josefa Recio
