Saint Maria Bernarda Bütler

Maria Bernarda Bütler, born Verena Bütler on May 28, 1848, in Switzerland, was a Franciscan religious sister who dedicated her life to serving the poor and founding the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Sinners. She founded this congregation in Ecuador but was eventually exiled from the country and moved to Colombia where she continued her work until her death on May 19, 1924. Bütler's efforts in caring for the poor and expanding her congregation were significant, leading to her eventual beatification by Pope John Paul II in 1995 and canonization by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.