On October 13, 1833, in the small farming town of Moncada (Valencia, Spain), Jaime Pascual and Mariana Doménech witnessed the birth of their first and only daughter, whom they name Francisca.

Mr. Jaime and Mrs. Mariana, married in the second nuptials after both widowed, they already had three children of their former marriages: Jaime, Marian and Josefa. They formed a Christian, humble and simple family, plenty of love and the faith.

Due to the fact that in those days women had very few opportunities to  study and even less in the countryside, Francisca attended only primary school and when she was only 12 years, she was in need to help with her work to the family economy.

Her first employment was like a maid in a house of a wealthy family of the city of Valencia. She worked there until the industrial revolution came to the city, them Francisca became a factory worker.

Early in the morning Francisca and her coworkers had to walk eight kilometres form Moncada to the factory in Valencia because transportation was very expensive. After 16 hard working hours, they had to undo the way back.

Francisca experienced closely women exploitation and poverty difficulties, but her entrepreneurial spirit and sense of fraternity led to looking for a practical solution. Then, Francisca and her friends rented an apartment to live in Valencia during the week. 

Francisca encouraged and guided her friends to face of difficulties, this way she discovered her vocation as a commitment to God and men.

Determined to respond to God's call, Francisca knocked the doors of the Sisters Adorers, who were dedicated to contemplation and care of women in need. But the doors of this and other congregations were closed for Francisca because in those days congregations used to ask the candidates a dowry which served to support the community

But Francisca was firmly resolved to respond to God's call, so she requested to enter to the Institution for pious old women of Tertiary Franciscan. There he found new problems: there was not a room available and the minimum age for entry was 35 years, Frances was only 30.

Francisca felt the Lord calling her to serve there, so she insisted until the blessed sisters accepted her, accommodating her in a small room under the stairs.

It was running the year 1863 when Francisca started this new stage of her life. She was noted among her mates for her virtues: simplicity, courage, humility, trust in God, goodness, wisdom and intelligence.

The sisters decided to name her superior. Francisca refused because she felt she was not qualified to guide them, but finally agreed, knowing that God looks at the humble and simple of heart, doing great works through them.

In the convent, the sisters were living under the same roof without living a community life. Each one had a room with a with a stove where they cooked their food, did charity work they thought necessary and prayed and did penance individually.

Mother Francisca realized that the lifestyle of the institution was not allowing them to expand the love for God in the neighbor, so she decided to propose the sisters a reform. It was February 27, 1876, thirteen of the fifteen approved the change and only two did not agree and chose to leave.

Francisca proposed to live in community taking brotherhood as a lifestyle, service to the disadvantaged as spreading God's mercy, and prayer and penance as approximation to the Lord.

To concrete this initiative, Mother Francisca had to write the Constitutions and organize the sisters training to be able to obtain the diocesan acceptance, the perpetual vows and the congregation approval by the Pope.

While waiting for the desired blessing of the church institutions, Francisca guided the newborn Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception to accomplish multiple foundations for the attention of elders, hard-working, young women, deaf, blind, sick with lepers and children.

On 26 April 1903, two years after Pope Leo XIII had signed the approval of the Congregation and its evangelical life project, Mother Frances died in Moncada with the same humility and simplicity with which she lived. His legacy lives on today in the hands of her sisters and has spread across several continents expands the love of God in others, wherever it needs it.