MADRE ESPERANZA OF JESUS (DIED 1983)

Of Spanish origin, born at the very beginning of this century, Madre Esperanza de Jesus, Servant of God (1993), is one of these outstanding souls that God sends us from time to time. Already in 1927, she had received the 'inspiration' to give herself to the divine Merciful Love, for the sanctification of priests.
On February 24, 1951, the Lord would also inspire her to proceed to the "Foundation of the Servants of the Merciful Love" to be officially approved by Rome . . . in the following month of August!
Madre Esperanza de Jesus 'learned' about the apparitions of San Sebastian de Garabandal; furthermore, we know that she was firmly convinced of their supernatural character, thanks to the testimony of Miss Emilia Andreo Rubio, who had met the Madre on the occasion of a pilgrimage to Collevalenza, Italy: the religious foundress reacted indeed very positively to the intention of Emilia and some of her friends to go to Garabandal, and . . . only there! She even declared: "You are going to San Sebastian de Garabandal? Good! Good!"

Here, too, we will have to wait to know more about the great contemporary Foundress's strong faith in Garabandal. The process for her beatification is also being pursued.
In 1964, Carol Wojtyla, then archbishop of Cracow, and future Pope John Paul II, during a visit to the Sanctuary, on the Feast of Christ the King, distributed Holy Communion. He had known Collevalenza for already a long time since, as a young priest studying in Rome, in 1946, he used to go there, even spending the whole night in prayer! It was there that Madre Esperanza received the inspiration to create the famous Sanctuary.
It is as Sovereign Pontiff that he was to make a new and very special pilgrimage to the Sanctuary on November 22, 1981, according to the prediction Our Lord had made to Sister Esperanza in the 1950's, and which said that "a Pope will go to Collevalenza"!
After the Holy Father's visit, the Sanctuary became a "Minor Basilica", in 1982.
[From 'Garabandal' Book, page 230-231]

There's a great picture in this book showing Pope John Paul II kissing Madre Esperanza on the head! What a humble man he was! I remember when he was elected. I was down at Joey's Lomangino's house, which was being used as a mail-room for distributing Garabandal material, and stuffing envelopes, when the news came. We were so happy, because there was so much modernism creeping into the Church at that time, and I thought to myself, "God has sent us a deliverer!" I believe he did stop the spread of many errors from exploding and causing more harm than they did. Now with our New Pope Benedict XVI, I have those same feelings again. I don't know if it is tied in with Garabandal, but I believe there are some great changes coming to our beloved Church which will make her a beacon for all the world to join! What do you think?
Roman Deacon