Mary Jane Wilson

Also known as ‘Maria of Saint Francis’, Mary Jane Wilson was born on October 3^rd 1840 in Hurryhur, Mysore, Karnataka, India.

Although she was born in India, her parents on the other hand, were English. She was orphaned in childhood and handed over to her aunt who gave her a proper education.

She was raised an Anglican and converted to Catholicism, joining the Church in France in 1873.

On May 26th 1881 she arrived in Madeira where she worked as a nurse taking care of an English patient. At the same time, she taught catechism to the local children, looked after the sick and support education to the young by teaching youngsters across the island.

On January 15^th 1884, she founded the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Victory who dededicated their lives to caring for children and the sick. She was dubbed ‘Sister Mary Jane Wilson’.

During the destructive epidemic of 1907, the Franciscan Sisters worked by her side looking after the victims of smallpox. For this act of bravery she was awarded the "Torre e Espada" (Tower & Sword) by King D. Carlos.
In October 1910, with the republican revolution, the Congregation was extinguished and as a result, Sister Mary Jane Wilson  was expelled to England. After a year of exile she was able to return to Madeira where she gave new life to the congregation she had founded.

She died on October 18^th 1916 in Câmara de Lobos due to natural causes. She was 76.

She was also dubbed "Good Mother" due to her deep faith and saintly acts towards the poor and the young. Enlightened by her example, the Congregation she founded now has sisters, not only in Madeira, but also in mainland Portugal and the Azores, Mozambique, England, Italy, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, Philippines, Angola, India, Congo, Timor and Tanzania.
Inspired by the life of the “Good Mother”, the association "Friends of Sister Wilson" was founded with the intention of carrying on her work.

She was venerated on 9 October 9^th 2013 by Pope Francis (decree of heroic virtues)