Pope Francis to Canonize Venezuela’s Mother Carmen Rendiles

Written on 04/01/2025
Victor Cohen
Pope Francis order to canonize Mother Carmen Rendiles, founder of the Servants of Jesus of Caracas, as the first saint woman in Venezuela. Credit: Church of England and Wales / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Pope Francis ordered to canonize Mother Carmen Rendiles, making her the first Venezuelan woman to become a saint.

Pope Francis previously named her as Venerable in July 2013, and authorized her beatification in June 2018. A few weeks ago, Pope Francis had also announced the upcoming canonization of José Gregorio Hernández, a revered figure in Venezuela, Colombia and Latin America. José Gregorio and Maria Carmen would be Venezuela’s first-ever saints.

Who is Carmen Rendiles, first saint woman from Venezuela

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, on August 11, 1903, Carmen Elena Rendiles Martinez was known as Maria del Monte Carmelo. Born without her left arm, she was raised in a deeply religious family.

By the age of fifteen, she had already expressed a deep desire to dedicate her life to God, and after a prolonged illness, she began serving as a catechist and spiritual guide to her family and friends.

At the age of 24, she joined the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus of the Blessed Sacrament in Caracas, a French-founded institution that had recently arrived in Venezuela. She took her perpetual vows five years later and was known for her natural leadership, charity, and joy, leaving a lasting impression on her fellow sisters.

At 33, Mother Carmen was appointed Novice Mistress, and by 1947, she became the Superior of the Motherhouse in Venezuela. Under her leadership, the congregation expanded its mission across the country, focusing on service to those in need. In 1942, the congregation began its educational work, founding schools such as Betania, Santa Ana, Belen, and Nuestra Señora del Rosario. The sisters also contributed to local parishes by preparing altar bread and liturgical ornaments. She personally crafted furniture for the congregation, some of which is preserved today in a museum at Colegio Belen in Caracas.

Following the Second Vatican Council, when the congregation’s leadership in France decided to transition into a secular institute, Mother Carmen strongly opposed the change. With the support of the Venezuelan bishops, particularly Cardinal Jose Humberto Quintero, she led the process of separating from the French community. In 1965, she successfully established a new religious congregation, the Servants of Jesus in Venezuela.

In 1969, she was appointed Superior General, complying with her mission until her passing on May 9, 1977, shortly after celebrating 50 years of religious life.

Her beatification process began in Caracas on March 9, 1995. On July 5, 2013, Pope Francis declared her Venerable, recognizing her heroic virtues. On December 18, 2017, the Vatican approved a miracle attributed to her intercession: The healing of Venezuelan doctor Trinette Duran de Branger’s arm. After touching an image of the nun in the chapel of Colegio Belen in Caracas, the woman regained full and lasting mobility and health, a case key to her canonization.

On June 16, 2018, Mother Carmen was beatified in a ceremony at the University Stadium of Caracas, presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato, the papal envoy and prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. She became Venezuela’s third beatified figure and the first from Caracas.

The Archbishop of Caracas declared, “It is a joy for the Archdiocese of Caracas and all of Venezuela. Now we will have not only the canonization of José Gregorio Hernández but also of Mother Carmen. What pride for Venezuela! We already have two saints in this Jubilee year, one layperson and one religious.” He added that it is a “recognition for Venezuelan women, pillars of the family and the tradition of faith.”