Born in Poland in 1865, Blessed Maria Karlowska felt a calling to religious life from an early age, and with the permission of her priest, she made a private vow of chastity at the age of 17. Shortly thereafter, both of her parents died within a few months of each other. She went to school to become a seamstress and worked with her older sister for about 10 years until she met a poor girl who told Maria of her life of prostitution. Already possessing an intense devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Maria was inspired to start a religious congregation to help rehabilitate street workers both physically and spiritually. She and her “shepherd sisters” lived the motto: “to look for and save those who have gone astray”.
CHALLENGE
Blessed Maria Karlowska’s love for others helped many people regain their lost dignity through the light of Christ. Human trafficking is one of the most horrible assaults on human dignity. The organization Exodus Cry is working to end human trafficking. Go to www.exoduscry.com to educate yourself about the problem and see how you can get involved in the solution.
Want to learn more about the Order of Mercy, also known as the Mercedarians? Mercy, Ransom, Redemption is a compilation of short stories about Mercedarian saints, blesseds, brothers, priests, and third order members of the Order.
