BIOGRAPHY

Victoria de la Cruz García was born in Málaga, Andalusia, Spain, on 24 June 1907. She was born at the “Andaluza” inn, owned by her paternal grandmother, which occupied the central building on Juan Díaz Street. The daughter of Manuela and Francisco—concertmaster of the Málaga Orchestra and professor at the Conservatory—she was the second of nine siblings and was baptized in El Sagrario. Her niece, Angelita, described her as an intelligent and hardworking girl who pursued her studies to become a teacher at the Normal School. To support her family, she gave private lessons to children in La Caleta.

The family later moved to Calle Cister and, in 1914, to Calle Madre de Dios. After attending spiritual exercises, she felt a deep calling to religious life. She entered the novitiate in Guadalajara. However, when the Spanish Civil War broke out, a relative took her out of the convent and brought her back to Málaga—an event she endured with great distress, longing to return to religious life. Eventually, she was able to do so.

In 1936, she was sent to Japan, making the journey by boat, which took two months. Three years after her arrival in Tokyo, with the onset of World War II, she and the nuns of her community were forced to relocate to the mountains of Karuizawa (Nagano Prefecture). She sent photos to her family, showing them standing in snow up to their knees. They endured extreme cold and food shortages in the mountains, persevering through the hardships of war until its end, when they finally left for the city of Yokohama.

During her years as a missionary, she worked in various schools across Japan, earning recognition from the Japanese government and serving as superior in several of the communities where she was stationed. She founded numerous centers, including the Colegio de las Adoratrices in Dos Palos, California, where she lived for six years. She did not return to Málaga until 1963, a long-awaited event for her family. According to her nephew, when she visited her mother and siblings—sometimes even traveling across the former Soviet Union on the Trans-Siberian Railway—her only thought was of returning to Japan. Her visits continued until 1981, after which she communicated exclusively by letter. Over time, their correspondence transitioned to telephone conversations.

At some point, she moved to a residence for nuns in the town of Kitami, located in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. Her daily routine began at five-thirty in the morning when she woke up. She mentioned that she slept well and was not particular about food. She expressed contentment, saying, “Nothing bothers me or causes me suffering. I am very well, and I thank God and everyone.” At the time, she continued to read the newspaper daily in both English and Japanese.

Victoria de la Cruz García passed away in Tokyo, on 4 June 2018, at the age of 110 years, 345 days.

RECOGNITION

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Fallece Victoria de la Cruz, religiosa de 110 años y misionera en Japón” – Diócesis de Málaga, 27 July 2015

* “109 años a ritmo de castañuelas” – Diario Sur, 24 June 2016

* “Una misionera española en Japón celebra sus 110 años tocando con castañuelas ‘Que viva España’” – Las Provincias, 24 June 2017

GALLERY