Born in the bosom of a pious Jewish family in Gibraltar in April 1801, her father was a descendant of the tribe of Levi and a rabbi of the community. From infancy she was attracted to the Christian faith and, trained, upon her request, by a Catholic housemaid, she felt devoted to Mary. She wanted to read and learn more about the Christian religion, in spite of the strict prohibition of her parents, and at the age of 16, desiring to be baptized and to serve totally the Lord, she escaped to Medina Sidonia, a distance of 80 kilometers.
Solemnly baptized in the Major Church of Mary the Crowned, in the presence of a great number of authorities and faithful, she entered the nearby “upper convent” of the Augustinian Recollects of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, where she lived for 86 years being an example of a dedicated soul, simple, humble and charitable, a saint. Many faithful, attracted by her charity, came to the convent to receive from her attention, care, advises for spiritual as well as material needs. For this reason, her simple but unfading fame has endured among the religious and the faithful of the town.
The process of her Canonization was opened on November 18, 2001, in the presence of Monsignori Antonio Ceballos and Charles Caruana, by then Bishops of Cadiz and Gibraltar. Now, after the meticulous work of the Tribunal constituted for that occasion and the testimonies of the witnesses and the judgment of the experts in History and in Theology, the time for the closing of the process has come. The religious, filled with enthusiasm and courage, inspired by the many devotees, have worked to move forward the process.
The Ceremony
At 10 in the morning, under an imposing renascence altarpiece, there gathered the faithful from Medina as well as from Chiclana and from the various towns of the area of Gibraltar headed by the mayor of Medina and the ex mayor of the City of Peñon. Her town folks from Gibraltar, more than a hundred pilgrims, came together with their bishop, Msgr. Ralph Heskett, and his Vicar. Other than the community of Medina, there came also the Augustinian Recollects from Chiclana, the entire community, and Granada -from the convents of Corpus and St. Thomas of Villanova-; headed by the Mother Federal, Sister Eva Oiz, who came from Leon. During the Eucharistic celebration twenty priests accompanied the Bishop; among them were eleven Recollects, worth mentioning were Fr. Miguel Miro, the Prior General and the Provincials of St. Nicholas and St. Thomas of Villanova.
The closing session of the process took place after invoking the Holy Spirit with the hymn “Veni Creator”. The Notary presented the acts and the Promoter of Justice certified that the process has been carried on according to the strict norms of the law. The Bishops declared the authenticity of the two copies and ordered them to be brought to Rome by Fr. Samson Silloriquez, OAR, postulator for the Cause. Concluding all that pertained to the proceeding act, the boxes containing the acts of the process were tied and sealed with wax. Meanwhile there was the singing of the hymn of Sister Amor de Dios by those present guided by the choir of Our Lady of Remedies. The session concluded with the words of Msgr. Rafael Zarnoza giving thanks to God and encouraging each one to pray for the glorification of the Servant of God.
Patron of Gibraltar
As a continuation there was the solemn Eucharistic celebration of thanksgiving in honor of Our Lady of Europe, the patron of Gibraltar to whom Simi was especially devoted, and whose image presides the convent choir of the community of Medina. Taking as guide the Hymn of Mary proclaimed during the reading of the Gospel, Msgr. Rafael emphasized, as Simi did, the miracle of the goodness of the Lord, which she felt and sung that God looked down on her poverty and her humility and now wants to exalt her. May her simple life and charity, animates the faithful now a day to live in faith and in charity.
At the end the Bishop gave thanks to God for this gift to the diocese and to the whole Church and encouraged the prayers to Simi in order to receive graces. The Prioress, Sister Lourdes Lejo, thanked the work of the Tribunal and the testimony of the witnesses, also the presence of the participants, starting from the Bishops and Fr. General of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects. And at the same time she requested that the intercession of Simi be invoked to obtain graces and that she be venerated in the altars. It was a petition and acts of thankgiving that received a general applause from those present.
The uniqueness of the life of Simi and the attractive radiance of her figure come from her Jewish origin as well as from the fact of being an example for the Catholics in Gibraltar -who are the majority among the inhabitants of the Colony- other than the simplicity of her life in her community