Born in Caracas on August 11, 1903, Carmen Elena Rendiles (religious name: María del Monte Carmelo) grew up in a deeply Christian family and was born without her left arm—a limitation she met with quiet resolve. Drawn to the Eucharist and to service, she entered the French congregation of the Servants of the Eucharist in 1927 and completed her novitiate in Toulouse, later returning to Venezuela to guide the community’s houses there. Her leadership, prudence, and Eucharistic devotion became the hallmarks of her vocation.

Sensing the need for a local institute, she founded the Servants of Jesus in Caracas on March 25, 1965; the congregation received diocesan approval in 1969 and focused on catechesis, schools, and parish service among the poor. Known simply as “Madre Carmen,” she formed her sisters in simplicity, charity, and fidelity to daily duty. She died in Caracas on May 9, 1977, leaving a growing family of sisters serving across Venezuela (and beyond).

Her cause advanced steadily: declared Venerable (2013) and beatified in Caracas on June 16, 2018, after a Vatican-approved healing attributed to her intercession. In 2025, after recognition of a second miracle, the Holy See announced her canonization; she was proclaimed a saint in St. Peter’s Square on October 19, 2025.