María del Carmen Hernández Barrera (24 November 1930 in Ólvega – 19 July 2016 in Madrid) was a Spanish Catholic catechist and the co-founder of the Neocatechumenal Way.

Inspired by Charles de Foucauld, she devoted herself to the poor and marginalized[3] in Palomeras Altas, one of the many shanty towns in postwar Madrid.

[6] Through her sister, who was rescuing homosexuals & prostitutes, she met Kiko Argüello who invited her to join the Cursillo but she refused,[4] and together they formed the Neocatechumenal Way in 1964.

[5] The Catholic University of America awarded both Hernández and Argüello honorary doctorate in theology in 2015 in recognition of "their devotion to the poor and the good work they have done for the Church".

[7] At her passing, Pope Francis voiced appreciation for the witness of her faith and encouraged members of the Neocatechumenal Way to continue her work.