Born in Galilee, Mary lived in Egypt, Lebanon, France and India and her short life came to an end in Bethlehem. She is a bridge between the Christians of the East and West.

Miriam Baouardy was born in Galilee on 5 January 1846 to Greek parents of the Melkite Rite. Both parents died when she was just 3 years old and Mary was placed in the care of her paternal uncle who took her to Alexandria.

At 13 she rejected the marriage arranged for her by her uncle and subsequently worked as a servant in Alexandria, Jerusalem, Beirut and Marseille. She joined the Discalced Carmelites in Pau, France in 1865.

In 1875 she was part of the founding community of the new Carmel in Bethlehem. Mary was instrumental in choosing the site of the new convent and overseeing the building works. With her fluent Arabic she became a familiar figure in Bethlehem and her simple goodness endeared her to many.

Sr Miriam died in Bethlehem on 26 August 1878 aged 32.

“Poor and uneducated, she was able to counsel others and provide theological explanations with extreme clarity, the fruit of her constant converse with the Holy Spirit. Her docility to the Spirit also made her a means of encounter and fellowship with the Muslim world.” From the homily of Pope Francis during the Canonization Mass.