Juana Josefa Cipitria Y Barriola was born on May 31, 1845. She was also baptized on the same day in San Miguel Church. She was the eldest daughter of Juan Miguel Cipitria Y Aramburu and Maria Jesus Barriola Y Querexeta. She had seven other sisters. They were Josefa Ignacia, Josefa Jeromina, Francesca Sotera, Maria Francisca Victoriana, Maria Dominica and Angela Joaquina. Together they lived in Berrospe, an old tower house in Andoain, Guipuzcoa, Spain. Her family was a family of weavers. She learned craft at a very young age. She was also given the nickname Juanita or Juanitatxo. Her family was poor but she was contented with what she had.
Mother Candida's childhood was filled with sacrifices for God. She would pray the rosary everyday in the Church of Santa Maria. She also offered flowers to Jesus and Mary there. When her grandmother cooks her an omelet sandwich (which was her favorite), she would give it to the beggars who would pass by their house.
At the age of 7, she met the statue of St. Ignatius of Loyola in the Church of Santa Maria. Without knowing what was written on the book that St Ignatius was holding, she told the saint, "My dear saint, I want to do what that book says." At the age of 10, she received Holy Communion for the first time. At the age of 15, a young man asked her hand for marriage but she refused and said,
"I am for God alone."
At the age of 16, her family moved to Tolosa to look for greener pasture. At the age of 17, Father Martin brought her to Burgos where she worked as a helper in the Sabater family. She did the typical household chores. Her salary was very little but she always had enough money for the needy. She would buy and cook them food. Because of this, she didn't have money left to buy herself new clothes and shoes. She gave her salary to the poor. Day by day, the number of hungry, poor people increased. The neighbors of the Sabater family didn't like it. They complained to Doña Hermitas Sabater about this. Doña Hermitas then talked to Juanita about the complaints of their neighbors. She asked Juanita if she could stop giving food to the poor. At that moment, Juanita said,
"When there is no room for the poor, there is no room for me."
Mother Candida then transferred to Valladolid with the Sabater family.
While Mother Candida was hearing mass at the Church of Dominican Sisters, Father Miguel San Jose Herranz, a Jesuit priest, saw her and received an inspiration telling him that Juanita was the chosen one for the congregation. Since Mother Candida's family was poor, she wasn't educated well. Fr. Herranz agreed to teach her how to read and to write. After doing her chores, Juanita would go to Fr. Herranz's house to learn.
On April 2, 1869, Mother Candida received inspiration from the Blessed Virgin to found the congregation Hijas de Jesus and to change her name to Candida Maria de Jesus. It happened in the Church of Rosarillo during a Good Friday while she was praying before the altar of the Holy Family. She was 24 at that time.
On December 8, 1871, Mother Candida founded the congregation, together with the help of Fr. Herranz. She was 26 at that time. She founded the congregation in St. Joseph's House, Salamanca. It was also the first house of the Hijas de Jesus community. She was with Gertrudis Garcia, Emilia Torrecilla, Petra Piernavieja, Cipriana Vihuela and Juana Gomez when she founded the congregation.
On December 8, 1873, Mother Candida and her first sisters took their first vows in Salamanca.
On
January 4, 1874, the Hijas de Jesus put up two classrooms in the old House of Concord. This was the first school established by the congregation.On July 30, 1901, Pope Leo XIII granted pontifical recognition to the Congregation of Hijas de Jesus. A year after, the Constitutions and rules were approved.
On September 30, 1911, the Hijas de Jesus sisters went to Brazil. Brazil was their first mission area outside of Spain.
On August 9, 1912, Mother Candida died. On May 12, 1996, she was beatified by Pope John Paul II together with Blessed
Maria Antonia Bandres y Elosegui.
On June 27, 1932, six young Hijas de Jesus sisters arrived at Pototan, Iloilo, Philippines. The first FI school in the Philippines is Colegio de la Immaculada Concepcion.
In July 2009, a meeting took place between Archbishop Angelo Amato,
the Prefect for the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints,
and Pope Benedict XVI. In that meeting, the Pope formally approved a second miracle that the Congregation had reviewed and voted to approve. This clears the way for the date to be announced for her canonization by Pope Benedict XVI.
On February 19, 2010, Pope Benedict announced that her canonization will take place on October 17, 2010.
