Piedad de la Cruz was a Spanish religious sister born Tomasa Ortiz Real, who lived from 1842 to 1916. After overcoming various obstacles to her vocation, including illness and family constraints, she established the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart in 1890. Dedicated to serving the sick, the elderly, and orphaned children, she took her religious name following a profound vision of the Sacred Heart. She is recognized as a saint in the Catholic tradition and is commemorated on February 26.