By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic

MIAMI | Sister Carmen Maria of the Sacred Wounds, a founding member of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary who served the Archdiocese of Miami for more than four decades, died June 16, 2026, following a lengthy battle with cancer, her religious order announced. She was 71.

Born Carmen Maria Ors Leon on May 4, 1955, in Versalles, Matanzas, Cuba, she devoted 36 years of her life to religious service. She was among the first women to join Mother Adela Galindo in the mid-1980s, helping lay the foundations for what would become the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SCTJM) in Miami.

 

Serving the Church in Miami

Throughout her religious life, Sister Carmen played a key role in shaping the Miami-based community's mission of evangelization and spiritual formation. She helped coordinate adult faith formation programs, parish evangelization initiatives, and other apostolic works that sought to bring people closer to Christ through devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Known for her dedication and leadership, Sister Carmen also managed operations at St. Mary Cathedral and later served as superior of St. Anne's Convent. Fellow sisters remembered her as a foundational member of the community whose life was marked by faithful service to God, the Church, and the people entrusted to her care.

 

A founding sister of a growing community

Founded in the Archdiocese of Miami in 1990 by Mother Adela Galindo, the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary is dedicated to evangelization, catechesis, retreats, youth ministry, and spiritual formation. Sister Carmen was among the pioneering members who helped establish and strengthen the community during its early years.

Over the years, the community expanded its presence beyond South Florida while remaining rooted in its Marian spirituality and devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Sister Carmen helped nurture that growth through her leadership, dedication, and faithful witness.

Funeral services for Sister Carmen included a prayer vigil at St. Raymond of Peñafort Parish in Miami and a Funeral Mass followed by burial at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Doral. The community remembered her life as one of total self-giving to God and service to others, echoing the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.”

Please keep Sister Carmen, her family, and the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary in your prayers. May she rest in the peace of Christ.

Funeral arrangements

According to the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, funeral arrangements for Sister Carmen Maria of the Sacred Wounds were as follows:

Wednesday, June 24 — St. Raymond of Peñafort Parish, Miami

Prayer Vigil: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Thursday, June 25 — Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Doral

Holy Rosary: 9 a.m. Funeral Mass: 9:30 a.m.

Thursday, June 25 — Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery, Doral

Burial: Following the Funeral Mass