Three centuries separate them, but they walk side by side towards the altar. Both Jenaro Fernandez Echeverria and Isabel Ximenez of the Mother of God are Spanish Augustinian Recollects. He died in Rome in 1972 while Isabel concluded her earthly life in the convent of La Calzada de Oropesa (Toledo) in 1687. The friar was a doctor in canon law, as well as historian and researcher; while, the monk was unschooled, but in spite of it she was able to found two Augustinian Recollect monasteries, that of Serradilla (Caceres) and La Calzada (Toledo).
Although in 1690 there was the first attempt to open her cause, the process of Canonization of Isabel of the Mother of God started in Toledo on January 18, 2008; five days earlier that of Jenaro was open in Rome. Both causes concluded with few months apart: the former took place on November 28, 2009 while on June 28, 2010 that of the latter. So as to facilitate the access of the faithful to their tombs, their mortal remains were transferred to their respective churches almost at the same time: on June 13, 2008, the remains of Jenaro were taken from the cemetery in Rome to the chapel of the General Curia and on July 3 the uncorrupted body of Isabel was transferred to the church of the monastery in La Calzada.
Validity of the Process
Recently, during the ordinary consistory on March 4, the Vatican Congregation of the Causes of Saints acknowledged the validity of both diocesan processes. This means that the Diocesan Informative Process, be on the documentation as well as on the personal testimonies on the life, virtues and fame of sanctity of these two is done according to the law. On this effect, the Congregation issued the Decree of Validity.
Thus ends the first phase of the Cause of Canonization under the care of the Postulator General of the Causes of Saints of the Order. The next step is to study all these materials and prove that throughout their life these two persons practiced the Christian and religious virtues in a heroic degree.