Cristina Gaztelu

Cristina Gaztelu Vargas was a young artist, student, and seeker of truth. Cristina was born in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain, on February 22, 1994 to a Catholic family. Cristina’s parents, Fátima Vargas Domínguez and José Ramón Gaztelu Pastor, belong to the community “Los Siervos de Jesús” (the Servants of Jesus).

Cristina loved art immensely, especially music, graphic arts, painting, photography, cinema, and writing. She loved to sing and write songs, paint flowers, draw anime, and take photos of nature. Through her innate talent for the arts, she felt called to communicate her faith and do good in the world.

Cristina’s family and friends describe her as the sweetest, purest, and most wonderful person they have ever known.

Cristina grew up being a sensitive and loving child. Cris suffered bullying at school which caused her great pain. Cris was kind and loving toward everyone she met, including people who were not always kind to her. Saint Kateri also suffered from bullying for living her Catholic faith.

Since Cristina was very young she offered everything for the good of creation, and especially for those who suffered as she did. In her heart, Cristina had a strong desire to search for good. She carried out her apostleship within her family, wherever she went, and through social media networks, including Instagram, Instagram (Art), Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

“Lord, help me know how to make sacrifices for those who do not feel prepared or trained. Help me focus things with truth and justice, to act with humility and good” (Cristina Gaztelu, Diary, 11/09/2017).

Cristina felt a great concern to drive her life toward helping with poverty, the environment, animals, and people who suffer. She viewed advertising, public relations, and social media as means to promote messages for the common good and for integral ecology as a way of life.

Cristina was studying for a degree in advertising and public relations at the Universidad de Cádiz when she faced cancer for the second time in her life, this time over the last eight months of her life. Cristina totally lost sight in her right eye due to her cancer and she barely saw with her left. Saint Kateri also suffered blindness from the illness she suffered. The two loved with all their being the beautiful CREATION of God and the most vulnerable on Earth.

In the midst of her pain, Cristina offered every day to the Lord and continued to accept and appreciate God’s will in her life. She embraced her suffering for the salvation of the world, for other people who suffer greatly, for those she loved, and even for those who had harmed her. 

Cristina was inspired by and lived her faith from this verse of Psalm 42: “As the deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for you, O God.”

Cristina lived trusting the will of God at every step, knowing that the grace of the Lord was enough for her.

“Mama, the Lord will help me.” “El Señor me va a ayudar.” This was the last sentence Cristina said in this world. Cristina went with Jesus in a resounding leap of faith, noticing that neither the doctors, nor her mother or father could prevent this walk through life from coming to an end. Cristina said this while looking at her mother to relieve her mother and father because of her mother’s look of desperation, as much as she tried to hide it from her daughter. Cristina arrived at her Father’s house at the age of 24, on the June 26, 2018. (As told by her mother.)

A few days before God came for her, Cristina said to her mother, “Mama, I was thinking … In God I have found EVERYTHING and I am happy, very happy.”

Several weeks before passing, Cristina learned about Saint Kateri Tekakwitha.

Cristina is with like-minded saints whom she loved, including Saint Francis of Assisi, and saints who also died at 24 years old, who understood suffering and loved nature: Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and Saint Kateri Tekakwitha.

Cristina left a precious testimony in her social networks and diaries, which her parents generously share online, leaving a trail of light that encourages the world to meet again with the Lord. The example of Cristina inspires us to live committed to the care of creation, to life in all its fullness, and to a truly integral ecology. Living as true children of God, in Cris’s words we say: “Do what you can as best you can.”

We have experienced Cristina’s intercession for us at the Saint Kateri Conservation Center, both in our personal lives and as an organization. We thank God for the favors that we receive through Cristina’s intercession. We hope to follow Cris’s example, and we pray for Cris and her wonderful family and friends.

In September 2021, Bishop José Rico Pavés of the Diocese of Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, appointed a priest to officially begin the cause of beatification for Cristina.

Saint Kateri, Saint Therese, and Cristina, pray that the spirit of LAUDATO SI’ is lived in the Church, rooted with strength and tenacity, and throughout the world. Pray for us.

Below is an Intercessory Prayer with an ecclesiastical license for private devotion. Please inform us of favors received at cris.likestar@gmail.com.

INTERCESSION PRAYER

Lord, we give you thanks for Cristina, who searched for the truth and found it in you, accepting and appreciating your will to the extreme.

She invites us to do everyday what we can, the best we can, like the hummingbird, pouring drops of tenderness over us.

With her closeness, her smile, and her gaze, she reminds us that purity is possible. Feeling herself like a deer of the Psalms she satisfied her thirst with the living water of grace and like a lighthouse she passes on to us the divine light and she guides us to live love for families, friendship, and true love.

By offering her suffering, for those who suffer most, for the care of your creation, and for those who walk misguided to change their ways, she did not stop her continuous effort to do good.

Together with the Virgin Mary we ask, through the intercession of Cristina, that you grant us this grace we present to you [intention].

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.