PARAGUAY'S NEW SAINT

Paraguay soon  celebrates the honor delivered to the Carmelite nun “Chiquitunga”, marking her  the nation’s first woman to be beatified. The beatification ceremony will take place June 23 in the Cerro Porteño club stadium.

MARIA GUGGIARI ECHEVERRIA  (in religion María Felicia Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament) was a Paraguayan  Discalced Carmelite  who also served in her adolescence as a member of Catholic Action. She entered the order despite the opposition of her parents and was a close friend of Saua Angel, a friend from Catholic Action who became a priest.

María was born in 1925 in Villarica del Espiritu Santo, Guairá, Paraguay as the first of seven children to Ramón Guggiari and María Arminda Echeverría. Her father often called her "Chiquitunga".

In 1941 she became a member of the Catholic Action movement, despite her parents' opposition to it, dedicating herself to the movement. She daily received Communion and  gave herself with  joyful, and unconditional dedication to the work of children, young people and the sick, the elderly and needy. Her love for the poor and suffering was exceptional.

She met her spiritual director Father Julio Cesar Duarte Ortella in 1941. It was during her time with the movement that she met and fell in love with the medical student Saua Angel and she began to wonder if God wanted her to wed like the parents of St Thérèse of Lisieux who made vows to remain chaste in the married life. Maria waited for the Lord's will to manifest itself.  In 1951 Angel  told her in that he felt called to the priesthood. She decided to offer whatever assistance he needed and helped Angel hide it from his father, a Muslim. Angel left for Madrid for further studies and to continue to discern his vocation. Maria made a vow to remain chaste in 1942.

In 1947, due to civil unrest, her father and brother Federico were sent to Posadas in Argentina for a brief period of time.  In February 1950 she and her parents relocated to the capital of the nation. Despite strong opposition from her parents, she entered the Discalced Carmelite Order in 1955.  She lived the next three years with charity, sacrifice and joy, giving of herself in a special way for the lives of priests.

In 1959 she became ill with infectious hepatitis and was forced to move into a sanatorium to recover from her illness. She was with her siblings and parents when she died. Her last words were:  "Jesus I love You! What a sweet encounter! Virgin Mary

For the beatification Mass in Asuncion, Paraguay June 23, Paraguayan artist Koki Ruiz will make an altarpiece with more than 20,000 rosaries donated by parishioners. 60,000 are expected to attend the ceremony.