Childhood

Luisa Josefina Voiron was the baptism’s name of Mother Maria Teodora Voiron. She was born on April 6^th, 1835 in Chambéry, France. She was the oldest daughter of couple Claudio Voiron and Catarina Héritier, farmers that gave to her a great education with love and example of faith, along with her four brothers.

Only with ten years old, she tasted the bitter smell of loss, with the death of her mother. She carried with her the great responsibility to help her father to educate her younger brothers. The father worried with the education of the girls, decided to register them in the Institute that Sisters of St. Joseph had founded lately. Luisa Josefina, awake the attention of religious people by the kindness that she treated all the people.

Teenage

With fifteen years old, she felt a strong call for the religious life and decided to search for orientation with Superior Mother Maria Felicidade Veyrat that oriented her to pray and ask for Holy Spirit a clarification in her decision. Two years later, on December 17^th, 1852, Luisa joined the novitiate of St. Joseph’s Sisters Congregation and dedicated entirely herself for the Lord, in a life of donation and sacrifice.

In 1854, Sister Maria Teodora went through a great probation of faith. In Saboia’s region, developed a disease called cholera morbus that killed a lot of people. It was necessary help from everywhere. Sister Maria Teodora was a volunteer, jointly with others Sisters, during two months, where they went through several difficulties. The fear of infect themselves was big, but the faith was the biggest and no one Sister was infected.

Arrived in Brazil

The work of missionaries doesn’t stop; after send some of them for India and Denmark, time arrived for Brazil to be awarded with the presence of Sisters of St. Joseph. Mother Maria Felicidade responsible for choose the religious people for the great mission, she designated seven Sisters, having Mother Maria Basília like their superior.

The travel was tough and Mother got a strong cold, dying two days before arrives in Brazil, and her body was threw into the sea. Another time, Mother Maria Felicidade stayed besides in a dilemma: who choose to stay in the place of Mother Maria Basilia?

Sister Maria Teodora felt more than ever, a desire to do anything for Jesus Christ. As Sister Maria Teodora could expect, she was the chosen and on March 29^th, 1859 she started the travel. On May 24^th, she arrived in Guanabara Bay, preparing herself to travel for Itu city, state of São Paulo. She arrived in Itu in the afternoon of June 15^th, 1859. The Sisters stayed temporarily in the building of Santa Casa de Misericordia of Itu until the build of schools that they would manage where were completed.

She went down well by all Sisters, but she didn’t please the Bishop D. Antonio Joaquim de Melo, who considered Mother Teodora much young to be the superior, because she was only 24 years old. Then he decided that Mother Justina, who was nominated as Assistant Sister of Mother Basilia, would be the superior until Mother Teodora learned the language and Brazil’s traditions.

After a few months, D. Anôonio searched Sister Maria Teodora and entrusted her the superior position. This happened on November 13^th, the day of Our Lady of Patrocinio, and the day of the inauguration of school that received her name.

Works

Undoubtedly, Mother Maria Teodora Voiron had a great importance in the field of education, in our city and country. She worked a lot for the teaching through Patrocínio School which was the first female school ran by Sisters in state of São Paulo.

Breaking all the prejudices, Mother Maria Teodora didn’t understand the slavery in Brazil, and wanting to break the prejudice barrier of society of the time, she accomplished a great prodigy opening a free school, in Patrocínio, for slaves’ daughters.

She also took care of the religious education of slaves’ adults. She had a long life and during 62 years was in charge of works of Sister of St. Joseph in Brazil. At the beginning she acted as a superior and after as Provincial. Mother Teodora took part of several charities work like: orphanages, rest homes, hospitals, lepers hospital and schools for girls of underprivileged backgrounds.

With 85 years old she broke her femur because of a fall down, and therefore she had to use a wheelchair. But she didn’t stop to take part of religious acts of everyday. In the following year, in 1921, she asked for resignation for her Provincial position and she got that.

She died on July 17th, 1925, with 90 years old. Her mortal remains are buried in Patrocinio Church, which is visited by million people.

St. Joseph’s Sisters Congregation still remains around Brazil, doing a social work of extremely importance, mainly in the education field. The City Hall established in the year 1989 the “Week Mother Maria Teodora” to remember the arrival of Mother Maria Teodora in Brazil, on May 24^th, 1859. This event is celebrates annually on May 18^th and 24^th.

After the death of Mother Maria Teodora, started to appear people that say to have received graces by Mother’s intersection.  According to Sister Áurea, who was the secretary of cause of beatification and now lives in Rest Home St. Joseph, some graces happened with her when Mother Teodora was still alive.