St.Maria Bernarda Butler

Ø  Foundress of the Congregation of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary, Help of Christians Ø  She was a missionary in Ecuador.
Born	28 May 1848,  Auw, Switzerland
Died	May 19, 1924, Cartagena, Colombia
Beatified	on October 29, 1995 beatified by Pope John Paul II
Canonized	On October 12, 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI.
Feast	May 19th

Mary Bernard (Verena Bütler) was born in Auw, in the Canton of Argovia, in Switzerland, on the 28th of May 1848 and was baptised on the same day. She was the fourth child of Henry and Catherine Bütler, modest but exemplary country people, who educated the eight children born of their marriage in the love of God and of neighbour.Verena was a happy, intelligent, generous child who loved nature. In keeping with church law at the time, she received first Communion when she was nearly 12, beginning a life-long devotion to the Eucharist.          After completing school at age 14, she worked on the farm and became engaged, but broke it off to enter the convent at 18. She quickly decided God was not calling her to be a contemplative nun and returned home.          She became immersed in the parish, but still felt called to be a contemplative. Her pastor encouraged her to enter the Franciscan Monastery of Mary Help of Sinners shortly before her 20th birthday, taking the name Sr. Maria Bernarda of the Heart of Mary. She was soon novice mistress and, for nine years, was the superior before accepting an invitation from the Bishop of Portoviejo, Ecuador, to be a missionary.          She took the franciscan habit on the 4th of May 1868, taking the name of Sister Mary Bernard of the Heart of Mary, and made her Religious Profession on the 4th of October 1869 with the firm proposal of serving the Lord until death in the contemplative life.          When the Bishop of St. Gall refused to let her go, she sought approval from the pope. She and six sisters left on June 19, 1888, for Ecuador, where she founded the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Help of Christians in Chone, Santana and Canoa Ben.          Ecuador had few priests and little practice of the faith. She and her sisters responded by working with families while learning the culture. They also dealt with heat, health problems, misunderstandings with church officials and the decision of some sisters to start a new order.          In 1895, she and 15 sisters left Ecuador for Brazil and then were invited by the Bishop of Cartagena in Colombia, to work at Obra Pia women’s hospital. Sr. Maria Bernarda served there for the rest of her life.          She also founded houses in Colombia, Austria and Brazil, and paid particular attention to the poor and the sick. She told her sisters: “Open your houses to help the poor and marginalized. Give preference to the care of the indigent over all other activity.”          She died on May 19, 1924  @ Cartagena, Colombia. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 29, 1995 and was canonized on October 12, 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI.