“SHE BELIEVED”
Alexia González-Barros
At a papal audience in 1979, a young girl broke through the crowd and ran to the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. She received his blessing before returning to her family in the crowd. But who was this girl, and why is she important?
Her name was Alexia Gonzáles-Barros. She was born to Francisco and Moncha Gonzáles-Barros as the last of seven children. Both Francisco and Moncha were members of Opus Dei - a religious group founded by Saint Josemaría Escrivá that promoted “finding G’D in daily life”.
Alexia was an extrovert who enjoyed music and dancing. She frequented the Royal Theater for concerts and enjoyed the international song competition Eurovision. Very outgoing, Alexia shared her humor and joy with everyone around her.
At thirteen, Alexia was diagnosed with Erving’s Sarcoma - a rare and aggressive form of cancer where tumors develop in and around the bone. Even though the operations and procedures were very painful, Alexia remained joyful and offered all her suffering for the Church and for the intentions of her family and friends.
Through all her pain, Alexia never lost her smile. She died in 1985 after an excruciating ten month battle with cancer. She constantly prayed, “JESUS, MAY I ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU WANT”.
A quote from her brother Francisco proves we can be like Alexia. He said of his little sister, “ALEXIA LIVED A CLEAR AND CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. THE STRENGTH OF ALEXIA’S CASE RESTS ON THIS: SHE BELIEVED.”
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