About Us

Madre Maria Gay Tibau

Birth and Environment

Maria Gay Tibau was born on 24th October 1813 at LLagostera,a town in the Spain Province of Gerona. Her father Martin Gay and Maria Tibau ,of humble origin,were profoundly Christian. God blessed them with three childreen,amond them Maria Gay Tibau second daugther ,was baptised on 25 October in the parish of Saint Felix ,by the parish priest,Rev Narciscio Gruart.The social and political situation of the time was disrupted by the consequences of the war of idenpendence (1808-1814),the town was deserted.Not long afterwards in 1815 Martin Gay died,leaving Maria and Pedro oephans and their mother a widow.The family faced the loss of the father and the difficult situation in LLagostera.

Human and religious Education

The education received at home ,religious instruction received at church from the parish priest and the socio-cultural environment in which she lived were fundamental for Maria Gay and her human and religious formation.Howevwer for Maria Gay,unlike most children of humble families of her tima, her education was personalised.Maria Gay did not go to school as many poor children in her village The mother took great care of Maria Gay and her younger brother Pedro. This family unity was the best school for developing religious and civic virtues and led her to feel concern for others.Devotions and prayers in the family,services in the parish church were elements which completed religious education in those times,and in Maria Gay probably sowed the first seed of desire for the religious life. In the summer of 1884, on 18^th March,the mother of Maria Gay, Maria Tibau died at Santa Catarina Hospital, Maria Gay Tibau was 37 yeas old,she moved to Gerona and started a new way of life.

The foundation of the Institute in Gerona

While Maria Gay Tibau lived serenely with the family of Dr.Ros, looking after the family she realised that the lord was calling her to another mission.Now it was possible to put into practice something the Doctor had so often mentioned when speaking to Maria about the lack of assistance and the obvious state of abandonment of sick people in Gerona. In the years in which she lived in Gerona,Maria Gay encountered many young women anxious to give themselves to the service of God and the sick. One of them ,was Carmen Esteve Andoca,who was to be the Maria's Tibau first companion. On 29^th June 1870, feast of Saint Peter and Paul,Maria and Carmen ,began as a congragation to care for the sick in order to serve God and for his greater glory with prayers and acts of charity. This was the beginning of the Institute of the sisters of St. Joseph,dedicated to caring for the sick. From then on, open to the gift of the Holy spirit ,Maria Gay and her companions hurried tirelessly day and night along town's streets and ally ways assisting the sick people.They entered homes to share times of pain,to bring comfort and the message of God's goodness and peace. The young women soon became known for their selfless dedication, admirable spirit of charity and genuine concern for the suffering.