Viqui Molins, the 'street nun', dies at 88

BarcelonaThe Teresian nun and writer Maria Victoria Molins, Viqui Molins, died tonight at the age of 88, according to Catalunya Cristiana portal reports. Known as the street nun, Molins died at home after a heart attack. "Her heart failed her. It was expected because she was the one who gave the most, her heart. For everyone it was an immense gift," said the parish priest of the church of Santa Ana in Barcelona, ​​​​Peio Sánchez, in statements collected on the same website.

It was precisely with Sánchez that Molins promoted the Santa Anna field hospital in 2017, a point of care for homeless people - the "nothing", as she said - to whom she dedicated a large part of her life. The initiative, which included dental, podiatry, mental health and general medicine services, was especially active during the pandemic, when they were distributed about 200 meals a day for vulnerable people. The queues outside the church attested to the social emergency resulting from Covid.

Born into a well-off family in Bonanova in March 1936, Molins entered the She joined the Society of Saint Teresa of Jesus and after completing her novitiate she studied philosophy and literature at the University of Barcelona. Her vocation to serve the most marginalized segments of society was born in the mid-1980s as a result of her trips to Latin America and Africa. Since then she has combined editorial work – in 1982 she was appointed director of Edicions STJ – with caring for the most disadvantaged in the Raval neighborhood, where she had lived since 1995. She also visited prisoners weekly who, on the other hand, would not receive anyone.

With more than 60 books written and numerous articles in media such as ARA, Molins was invested honoris causa by Ramon Llull University in 2015 "in recognition of her professional and personal career in the world of education and religion", and the following year she was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi. To continue the legacy of the nun, in November 2023 the Viqui Molins Foundation was created, which is dedicated to offering assistance and support to homeless people, young people at risk, vulnerable women and migrants.

The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has joined in the messages of condolence that have followed his death. In a post on X, the socialist has lamented the disappearance of Molins. "We will always remember his great work helping the most vulnerable people," he wrote.