For the past few years I have had the profound privilege of assisting
with the editing of translations of writings by the Venerable
Concepcion Cabrera de Armida, from Spanish to English. This
saintly woman, known as Conchita to those touched by her spirituality
in Mexico and internationally, managed to write voluminously despite
having been widowed at an early age and left on her own to raise eight
children, often in poor health herself. Born in rural
Mexico in 1862, and receiving next to no formal education, she was able
to read simple devotional books and the lives of the saints.
By the mystical work of the Holy Spirit,
Concepcion Cabrera de Armida received a call from God to be a lay
apostle at age twenty seven. She then understood from God that
she had been given a mission to save souls in union with Christ's
heart. In fact, all of the writing and other spiritual works she
achieved revealed that very mission, alongside her roles as a wife and
mother, as the focus of her life. She frequently wrote as though
having received dictation from her beloved Lord Jesus, and was in fact
directed by Him to found five Works of the Cross: a contemplative order
of nuns, a fraternity of priests, a missionary congregation of
men, an apostolate for large groups of faithful lay people, and a
covenant community for souls very specially called. By the grace
of God, and after several papal audiences, all five were
well-established during her lifetime. The five Works and
Conchita's mission to save souls are presented in more detail in the
booklet "Conchita - a Modern Mystic," by Father M. M. Philipon, O.P.,
translated into English by Susan Hall, and revised by Maria Luisa Icaza
de Medina Mora.
Most of my editing work is done in the presence of one of the
Sisters of the Cross of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Her expertise in
Spanish and in Conchita's particular spirituality are essential to the
editing process. Surrounded by bilingual and monolingual
dictionaries, and original Spanish publications, and usually a couple
English versions, we sit at a table in a small dining room just outside
the cloistered section of the convent. One phrase at a time, we
consider the effectiveness of translations that the Sisters have
received from various writers. Then we decide on the final wording to
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Upon occasions too numerous to count, I have been moved
nearly to tears by the way the Holy Spirit gifts us with suitable
English phraseology to express the rich messages originally penned in
Spanish by the Venerable Conchita.
I confess that without my involvement with the works of Concepcion
Cabrera de Armida, my life as a husband, father,and teacher would be
even less spiritually fruitful than it is. Insights about the Spanish
language, while exciting, are dwarfed by realizations of the infinite
sacrifice done for me by Jesus Christ, of the intimate part the Blessed
Virgin played in it, and of my own selfish aversion to the small
sacrifices I am called to make.
By the time of her death in 1937, Conchita had produced enough
meditations, tracts, books and spiritual diaries to fill a room.
Dozens of her works have been published in Spanish, but many more
remain unpublished. Slowly, some of her classic works are being
translated into English. The letter to her son being published in this
issue of Hereditas appeared this year in English in the volume A
Mother's Letters, which is available from The Sisters of the Cross of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1320 Maze Blvd., Modesto, CA 95351. Other
works by and about Conchita are also available.
Conchita's letter of advice to her son Pancho on his wedding day
contains much godly wisdom, appropriate for anyone married or
considering matrimony. It is at once a comfort and a challenge. In
fact, were I to choose two adjectives to describe the legacy of
Concepcion Cabrera de Armida to believers everywhere--whether lay,
professed, ordained, or aspiring-- those would be the very words
chosen: comforting, yet challenging. Well on the way to being
officially recognized as a saint, Conchita passes on the same blend of
comforts and challenges that she received from God to all she touches
through her written work.
Ron
Leonardo is the father of six, a teacher of English as a Second
Language and Basic Written English at Modesto (California) Junior
College, and a Writing Consultant for WriteGuide.com.
He is also self-employed as a tutor and editor. The majority of his
clientele are priests and religious. Ron enjoys singing (inspired by
God and by his wife), weight training, sharing of Scripture, and
occasional writing.
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