On April 16, 1783 it was Holy Wednesday, just as in 2025, 242 years ago, when Joaquina de Vedruna y Vidal was born. Her parents, Lorenzo and Teresa had a great joy.
She was baptized the same day, in her parish of Santa Maria del Pino, by Rev. Onofre Artigas. She was given the names Joaquina, Francisca de Paula and Antonia. The godfather was the presbyter and chapel master of the cathedral, Don Francisco Queralt.
Surely her siblings would be present at the ceremony: Ramon, 11 years old, Josefa, 10, Teresa, 8, and perhaps Francisca, who was 4 years old. They wondered, as usual, “What will this child be?”. Joaquina was the fifth daughter of the couple; Joaquín, Mariana and María would follow.
Joaquina was closely linked throughout her life to the parish of El Pino. Apart from attending Sunday Mass, she appears in a communion book of 1796, at Easter time, together with her parents, older siblings, her younger brother Joaquin, and the two service girls. It was probably the first time he received communion. At that time there was no social feast, but there was a feast of the heart.
On March 24, 1799, Easter Sunday, Joaquina de Vedruna married Teodoro de Mas. We know that her in-laws did not attend because they did not approve of the marriage. Undoubtedly, this must have saddened her. After three weeks she would be sixteen years old.
The children born in Barcelona were baptized in the cathedral, but on May 27, 1815 his daughter Joaquina, eight years old, died and the funeral and burial took place in the parish of El Pino. The cemetery was located where nowadays is the San José Oriol square, on a side outside the basilica.
Nine months later, on March 4, 1816, her husband, Teodoro de Mas, died. The funeral was also held in El Pino, although his remains were transferred to Vic. Joaquina was then 32 years old. After two months her mother, Teresa Vidal, died, and again the funeral was held at El Pino.
Entering the church, on the right is the chapel dedicated to the Virgin of the Forsaken, just as it was at that time. The following words, addressed to Jesus, could well be thought that, in a similar way, Joaquina would say them to her Mother, the Virgin, before this image, when she had just lost her husband and was caring for six children between 16 and 1 year old.
O my Jesus, You know what I ask of You for all my little children; therefore, I trust that You will not look upon my weakness, but upon the desire that is in my heart, which is Yours. I am a mother, and as such I implore your pity that you, as our loving Father, will hear my cries (Ep. 35).
Currently, on the left side, the chapel closest to the presbytery is dedicated to Saint Joaquina.
Sr. María Teresa Llach, ccv
Images courtesy of ©Basilica de Santa Maria del Pi
