Who was Saint Dulce of the Poor?

Canonized by Pope Francis on October 2019, Sister Dulce, now Saint Dulce of the Poor, was a Brazilian nun. A native of Bahia, the nun became known for her devotion to people most in need and dependent on help. To date, she was the last person in Brazil to earn the title of saint in the Catholic Church.

Maria Rita de Sousa Brito Lopes Pontes was born on May 26, 1914, in Salvador, Bahia. Since she was young, she showed interest in helping the poor and in religious life. In 1933, she entered the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God, in the city of São Cristóvão, Sergipe.

She became a nun on August 13, 1933, a liturgical date. She chose the name Sister Dulce in honor of her mother, who had the same name and died when the future saint was only seven years old. To learn more about the history of the first Brazilian saint, read on and find out more about Sister Dulce.

Getting to know more about Saint Dulce of the Poor

Saint Dulce of the Poor has its origin based on a history of devotion, dedication and action in which Sister Dulce spared no effort in ministering. Helping the poor was her greatest oxygen. She even sheltered 70 sick people in the back of the Convent of St. Anthony. Know the concepts about Saint Dulce of the Poor.

Origin and history

Sister Dulce became a nun in 1933, at the age of 19. She then became a teacher, teaching in a school in Salvador, but her main interest was helping those in need. From 1935, she began assisting communities in Alagoas and Bahia. She founded the Bahia Workers' Cycle and later opened a public school for workers and their children.

She worked in hospitals, convents, and shelters, providing religious care to all those who needed comfort for their ailments. Saint Dulce was a pioneer, being recognized for her acts of faith and solidarity before so many who extended their hands to her.

Miracles of Saint Dulce of the Poor

Among her many miracles, Saint Dulce of the Poor gained her fame after her death, in which hundreds of people claim to have been helped, healed, and blessed by the saint. The stage that precedes canonization, the nun's miracles were enough to consider her venerable to the rank of saint.

The first miracle was reported by a woman who, when giving birth to her son in 2001, had a strong hemorrhage and was in a very serious condition. When she received a priest devoted to Saint Dulce, she prayed the saint's prayers and was healed at her words.

The second and definitive miracle, which sealed the canonization of the nun, is related to the cure of a man who could see again after 14 years.

Canonization

The process of canonization of Saint Dulce of the Poor originated after the recognition of her second and last miracle. After Vatican approval, the saint was declared venerable by the Vatican on January 21, 2009. The then Pope Benedict XVI approved the decree of recognition for her heroic virtues.

On October 27 of that same year, Sister Dulce was declared beatified through a press conference held at the headquarters of the Social Works Sister Dulce, in Bahia. On May 22, 2011, the nun was officially beatified and recognized as "Blessed Dulce of the Poor.

What does Saint Dulce of the Poor represent?

Saint Dulce of the Poor was a warrior and a fighter for her causes. She didn't rest until she saw that all those she welcomed were benefiting according to her will. Her holy art in helping the needy was something enchanting. It flowed naturally, through gestures that could be considered sacred, due to a structure so peculiar to the nun's vision.

Loved, cherished and respected, she received the admiration of Brazilians and was recognized internationally for her dedication and effort on behalf of those who had nothing in life. The reports of people who once knew her are gratifying through their words, such was the expression that Sister Dulce passed on when she received them. And there are also reports that people touched by the saint, felt blessedand protected.

Devotion in the world

A good angel of Bahia and a saint by the Vatican, Sister Dulce is venerated in Brazil and recognized worldwide for her actions and bravery throughout the world. International missionaries recognize the importance of the work of Sister Dulce, and today they see in Saint Dulce of the Poor the greatest content that miracles exist and can be represented and authenticated.

With her works gaining worldwide repercussion, it did not take long for Saint Dulce of the Poor to be seen as one of the greatest religious references today, both in Brazil and in several other countries.

Prayer to Saint Dulce of the Poor and obtain a grace

Through words spoken to Saint Dulce of the Poor, obtaining graces will increase your confidence in yourself and your faith in the Saint. The prayer asks for protection and fulfillment of what you wish to achieve. With the holy words, immerse your heart in acts of humility, wisdom, and understanding of what you wish to ask for, and especially in prayer.

Indications

The prayer to Saint Dulce of the Poor is indicated for any need that a person finds himself in to solve or fulfill. By means of the words and with concentrated faith and firmness in the words, the prayer will bring endurance, relief, and satisfaction.

If there is trust, the devotee's heart will be kinder and the mind will be lighter, in the certainty and credibility that the saint will answer his or her calls. Before beginning your prayer, be liberated and serene. Firm your words and feel the irradiation of the energy of your words and belief.

Meaning

The prayer to Saint Dulce of the Poor represents, first of all, love. In devotion to the saint and out of knowledge of her causes on behalf of the needy, devout people know how much they must keep humility, hope, faith, and gratitude in their words in prayers to Saint Dulce of the Poor in order to obtain graces.

Prayer

Lord our God

Remembering your Servant Dulce Lopes Pontes,

Burning with love for you and for the brothers,

We thank you for your service to

Of the poor and excluded.

Renew us in faith and charity,

And grant us, after their example, to live in communion

With simplicity and humility,

Guided by the sweetness of Christ's Spirit

Blessed for ever and ever, Amen!

Prayer to Blessed Saint Dulce of the Poor

In this prayer to Saint Dulce of the Poor, the indications are consistent with several causes. Its meaning is love. To speak of Sister Dulce represents love and charity. In its vast meaning, it is to take upon oneself the gesture of humility and to understand that people need more devotion and welcome to those who are discredited.

Indications

The prayer praises unity and encourages people to live as wise brothers and sisters. At this moment, one must care for brotherhood and goodwill, since its content is directed to the relationship between people. The goal is to transmit affection, joy, and help to those in need.

The prayer indicates life. It asks that the complicity of affection, love, and kindness to one's neighbor not be forgotten. Within the main concepts in which Sister Dulce lived.

Meaning

The meaning of this prayer is to bring people together. Through the words of the devotees, it is to ask for unity, wisdom, belief, and hope in those who will one day unify in the same gestures of wisdom and recognition.

For those who have faith, there is no better way to recognize the holiness of Sister Dulce in her purest praise of God and people.

Prayer

Lord our God, we remember your daughter, Blessed Dulce of the Poor,

whose heart burned with love for you and for his brothers, particularly the poor and excluded,

we ask you: give us the same love for the needy; renew our faith and hope

and grant us, following the example of this daughter of yours, to live as brothers, seeking sanctity daily,

to be authentic missionary disciples of your Son Jesus, Amen.

Prayer to Saint Dulce of the Poor for protection

For your protection and that of others, the prayer of Saint Dulce of the Poor brings the certainty that words to the saint will guarantee the importance and well-being of feeling protected. Through faith and trust, the prayer aims to bring to those who ask for intentions, the divine power to emanate peace, serenity, and protection to spirits in need.

Indications

The prayer for protection to Saint Dulce of the Poor is indicated for involvement in causes of protection, security, and peace. Bringing comfort, hope, and peace in the hearts of those who ask for physical care, the prayer consists of the full power and certainty that Saint Dulce of the Poor will watch over the health, peace, unity, and wisdom of all those who take it to heart as a certainty of graces to be attained.

Meaning

The prayer, through its verses and words, brings a better expression that the protection granted by Saint Dulce of the Poor is the certainty of faith and belief through the words sent to the saint. Through full confidence in the fulfillment of the requests, the devotee creates better expectations for his life, in the certainty that he is on the right path and nothing should fear or shake his trust in Saint Dulceof the Poor.

Prayer

God of mercy grant us by your grace the virtue of humility,

so that following in the footsteps of Blessed Dulce of the Poor,

we can forget ourselves and overcome our selfishness to seek the good and the salvation of our brothers. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Prayer to Saint Dulce of the Poor for a request

In the intention of your requests, raise your words to Saint Dulce of the Poor with firmness, faith, and belief. To make a request, concentrate on what you need to accomplish, and be sure that your prayers will be lifted up and reach the saint. Be assured that you will be able in the greatest of ways to feel the fulfillment of your wishes, since you will have your heart open to receive your deserved grace.

Indications

The indication for the prayer is mixed. It consists of the act of the request, in which the faith and determination of the devotee must be placed as a priority in achieving the desired grace. Through words that indicate fervor and praise to the saint, the prayer is indicated for various causes, believing that no matter how complex the situation may be, the devotee will be sure to have his request fulfilled through thewisdom, faith, and kindness of Saint Dulce of the Poor.

Meaning

Prayer signifies the devotee's best intention to have a grace obtained. By raising his spirit and words to the saint, he will have the fullness and confidence of the realization of his goals. Even if the request is difficult, which is not impossible to happen, the prayer for a request to Saint Dulce of the Poor is the way for the relief to be well adventured and the devotee to feel light, fulfilled and have his faithstronger and stronger for the saint.

Prayer

Lord our God

Remembering your Servant Dulce Lopes Pontes,

Burning with love for you and for the brothers,

We thank you for your service to

Of the poor and excluded.

Renew us in faith and charity,

And grant us, after their example, to live in communion

With simplicity and humility,

Guided by the sweetness of Christ's Spirit

Blessed for ever and ever. Amen

Prayer Novena of Saint Dulce of the Poor

The novena should begin on the 13th of each month and continue until the 21st. The initial prayer should be said every day, followed by the reading and prayer for each of the nine days. At this time, fill your heart with hope, joy, faith, and optimism, so that your words will gain praise and reach Saint Dulce of the Poor with all your intentions.

Indications

The intention of the novena is to go through several paths to the subjects that stand out the most in life and survival. They involve protection, closeness, union, peace, love, help, and requests that make the devotees' expectations the highest of their intentions. To achieve the graces, keep your faith and belief, be firm and have purpose in your requests to the saint.

How to pray the novena

Since the novena represents nine days or nine hours, it is convenient to start it at this time every 9th. However, it is not a rule, just a symbolism attached to the term. Keep your words strong to Saint Dulce of the Poor. Do it aloud or mentally. What matters is your faith and belief.

Keep the place private during the prayers. Do it in the church, alone or in groups, or at home. Never fail to finish the novena. There is no punishment for interrupting it, but by completing the prayers, you will have spiritual benefits.

Meaning

The novena to Saint Dulce of the Poor means the exaltation of the devotee's faith in the saint. It is a meeting of devotion between prayers and Saint Dulce of the Poor. Regardless of intentions, it generates affection, love, and complicity for what one wishes to achieve or ask for.

Opening Prayer

O Lord Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament, I come through this novena and adoration, following the example of Sister Dulce, the good angel of Brazil, who spent nights and nights in your presence, to intercede and pray for those most in need of both material and spiritual goods. I wish, therefore, to have recourse to the intercession of this your servant, the blessed Dulce of the Poor, so that you,Lord, may you look upon the poverty of my soul, which bows down before your mercy to ask for what I need (make the request).

Day 1

O Father Creator of all things, who calls us to perfection through your Son Jesus Christ, grant us the grace to live the vocation of children of God, so that by serving you in your Church and in our brothers and sisters, we may contribute with our yes, following the example of Mary and Blessed Dulce, to the realization of your plan of salvation. Amen.

Day 2

O God, Father of goodness, deliver us from the selfishness and illusions of this world, so that by heeding the call of your Son, following the example of Blessed Dulce, we may be sensitive to the spiritual and physical needs of our brothers and sisters, helping through our conversion to build their project of salvation in the world. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Pray: 1 Our Father, 3 Hail Marys and 1 Glory BeDad.

Day 3

Lord give us the grace that through the life of prayer and intimacy with you, experiencing your love and listening to your Will, through the meditation of your Word, we can learn to love and serve you and our brothers with our lives, transmitting what you give us through prayer. Amen.

Day 4

O God of goodness, make us attentive listeners of your Word of Life so that, by becoming disciples of your Son Jesus, we can announce him with our lives and actions, following the example of Blessed Dulce, thus building your kingdom of peace, justice and solidarity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

Day 5

O Lord, infuse in our souls the desire to constantly seek to nourish our lives in the love of Christ, offered in the Eucharist, so that, following the example of Blessed Dulce, we may, strengthened by your love, love our brother without limits, to the point of giving our lives for his salvation.

Day 6

Lord our Savior, increase our hope in your promises of fullness of life, so that trusting in your love we can transform by faith, like Dulce, the impossible for us into possible for you. Amen.

Day 7

God of mercy, grant us by your grace the virtue of humility, so that following in the footsteps of Blessed Dulce of the poor, we may forget ourselves and overcome our selfishness in order to seek the good and the salvation of our brothers. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Day 8

O Lord, our savior, who has provided the graces necessary for our salvation through your Church, grant that we, following in the footsteps of the blessed Dulce through full trust in your love, may overcome the difficulties of life with serenity, and not let despair take over our hearts. Amen.

Day 9

At the end of the novena, thank St. Dulce of the Poor for each day and hour that you spoke the words. Be assured that with the fervor of your words and faith, you will have more spirituality and live in peace with her.

Closing Prayer

Lord of the Church, impel us to live our baptism, as Blessed Dulce lived, so that consecrating our lives to the Lord, we may work for our salvation and that of our brother, thus realizing the project of love, which our God has prepared for all mankind. Amen.

Prayers of the Rosary of Saint Dulce of the Poor

The rosary of Saint Dulce of the Poor consists in strengthening the devotee's closeness to the saint. For this, faith is indispensable, and steadfastness in prayer must be done with praise and adoration. In a private place and in silence, begin praying the rosary and raise your words in the highest level of perseverance, faith, and gratitude.

Indications

The rosary consists of several situations. For requests, prayers, thanksgiving, or other intentions, the devotee must direct his words in the focus of what he wishes to achieve. In order to elevate the prayers, maintain concentration and seek the path he desires.

How to pray the rosary

In a private, quiet place, concentrate on prayer. Alone or in a group, at home or at church, pray your prayers consistently, keeping the praise of the words. Pray aloud or mentally, always with your intentions of praise.

Meaning

The prayer of the rosary of Saint Dulce of the Poor means peace, spiritual greatness, faith, love, and devotion. Through the prayers and words uttered, it consists of bringing tranquility and relief for various causes. Among the holy words, the intention is thanksgiving or requests to attain graces.

Sign of the Cross

By the sign of the Holy Cross, deliver us, God, our Lord, from our enemies.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Our Father Prayer

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

The 3 Hail Marys

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Glory to the Father

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be.

Amen.

Opening Prayer

Lord our God, remembering your daughter, the Blessed Dulce of the Poor, whose heart burned with love for you and her brothers and sisters, especially the poor and excluded, we ask you: give us the same love for the needy, renew our faith and hope, and grant us, following the example of your daughter, to live as brothers and sisters, seeking holiness daily, so that we may be authentic disciples.missionaries of your Son Jesus.

Amen.

First ten

In the first decade we contemplate the charity of Saint Dulce of the Poor.

Saint Dulce of the Poor, we thank you for your service and praise. In the name of Jesus, renew us in faith and charity, and grant us, following her example, to live in communion, with simplicity and humility, guided by the sweetness of the Holy Spirit of God.

Go on, Saint Dulce, always continue to bless us with your resilience, charity, and devotion to God.

Second ten

In the second decade we contemplate the love of Saint Dulce of the Poor for the needy.

Saint Dulce of the Poor, we thank you for your service and praise. In the name of Jesus, renew us in faith and charity, and grant us, following her example, to live in communion, with simplicity and humility, guided by the sweetness of the Holy Spirit of God.

If there was more love, the world would be a different place. Help us to protect and help the poor and needy.

Third ten

In the third decade we contemplate the dedication of Saint Dulce of the Poor for the sick.

Saint Dulce of the Poor, we thank you for your service and praise. In the name of Jesus, renew us in faith and charity, and grant us, following her example, to live in communion, with simplicity and humility, guided by the sweetness of the Holy Spirit of God.

We thank you for your service and ask for your intercession in the healing of the sick.

Fourth ten

In the fourth decade we contemplate the simplicity and humility of Saint Dulce of the Poor.

Saint Dulce of the Poor, we thank you for your service and praise. In the name of Jesus, renew us in faith and charity, and grant us, following her example, to live in communion, with simplicity and humility, guided by the sweetness of the Holy Spirit of God.

Saint Dulce of the Poor, through the intercession of Mary, guide us on the path of humility, simplicity, and faith.

Fifth ten

In the fifth decade we help St. Dulce of the Poor for the protection of the homeless.

Saint Dulce of the Poor, we thank you for your service and praise. In the name of Jesus, renew us in faith and charity, and grant us, following her example, to live in communion, with simplicity and humility, guided by the sweetness of the Holy Spirit of God.

Saint Dulce of the Poor, you who fought on behalf of the poor and homeless, help us to have a roof over our heads and food on our tables.

Closing Prayer

By the light of the Holy Spirit, and through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, we turn to Saint Dulce of the Poor for peace, humility, and help to the poor, sick, and needy. In the name of Jesus, we ask for her protection.

How to say a prayer to Saint Dulce of the Poor correctly?

To pray the prayer of Saint Dulce of the Poor correctly, concentrate. Say your words with faith, love, and gratitude. Elevate your thoughts to the saint, to God, and to those you wish to ask for protection or other intentions. Have faith and believe in the power of the saint's words and goodness.

Show your wisdom about the works of Sister Dulce. Cultivate affection and remember that the focus is on helping those in need. Follow the merits that Sister Dulce achieved in your life and look for ways that will lift your spirit and your state of benevolence.