Blessed Rafaela Ybarra Arambarri de Villalonga
Profile
Born to a wealthy and pious family, the daughter of Gutiérrez de Cabiedes and Rosaria de Arambarri y Mancebo. Rafeala was a pious girl, made her first Communion at age 11, and was given to long meditations on the suffering of Christ. In 1861, at age 18, she married the wealthy and pious Giuseppe Vilallonga of Catalonia. The couple had seven children of their own, and took in many relatives who were poor, sick, frail or neglected. In her mid-thirties, and with Giuseppe’s approval, Rafaela took personal vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. Widowed, she spent her life and fortune caring for others. She founded the Institute of the Sisters of Guardian Angels to work with abandoned and neglected children.
Born
- 16 January 1843 in Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain
- 23 February 1900 in Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain
- 16 March 1970 by Pope Paul VI (decree of heroic virtues)
MLA Citation
- “Blessed Rafaela Ybarra Arambarri de Villalonga“. CatholicSaints.Info. 1 July 2023. Web. 25 April 2024. <>