Ignacia del Espíritu Santo

Venerable Ignacia del Espíritu Santo
Founder, The Religious of the Virgin Mary
Born	February 1, 1663 Binondo, Manila, Philippines
Died	September 10, 1748 Intramuros, Manila, Philippines
Honored in	Roman Catholic Church
Major shrine	Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz, RVM Motherhouse
Feast	September 10, March 4

Mother Ignacia del Espíritu Santo is a Filipino Venerable of the Roman Catholic Church. She led a religious life in 1684 and the founder of Beaterio de la Compañía de Jesús, now known as Congregation of the Sisters of the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM), the first Filipino congregation for religious women in the Philippines.^[1]

Early life

Ignacia del Espíritu Santo was born on February 1, 1663 and was the eldest and sole surviving child of María Jerónima, a native Filipina and Jusepe Iuco, a Christianised Chinese migrant from Xiamen, China. She was 21 years old when her parents wanted her to marry. Wishing to follow a monastic life though not wanting to disappoint her parents, Ignacia sought religious counsel from Paul Klein, a Jesuit priest from Bohemia. The priest gave her the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola from which Ignacia drew her religious devotion and piety. After this period of solitude and prayer, Ignacia finally decided to pursue her religious calling, to “remain in the service of the Divine Majesty” and “live by the sweat of her brow.” She left her parents' home with only a needle and a pair of scissors.

Religious Life

Ignacia began to live alone in a vacant house at the back of the Colegio Jesuita de Manila, the headquarters of Jesuits in Manila. Her devoted life of public prayer and labour attracted other women to monasticism at a time when native Filipinos were barred from pursuing the religious life. Ignacia accepted these women into her company, and though they were not officially recognised as a religious order at the time, together they became known as the Beatas de la Compañía de Jesús. They frequently received the sacraments at the old church of St. Ignatius, performed many acts of public devotion there and went to the Jesuit priests for spiritual direction and confession.

This penitential spirituality sustained the other women in hardship, especially during times of extreme poverty, when they had to beg for rice and salt and scour the streets for firewood. The beatas continued to support themselves through manual labour and sometimes the financial assistance of pious laypeople.

The growing number of beatas called for a more stable lifestyle and a set of rules. A daily schedule was drawn up and community practises were defined. The association only admitted young girls and boarders who were taught Christian doctrine as well as work proper to them. Ignacia did not make any distinction of colour or race but accepted all interested women.

In 1726, Ignacia submitted the constitutions of the Congregation to the Archdiocesan Office of Manila for ecclesiastical approval. This was granted in 1732 by the Fiscal Provisor of Manila, after which Ignacia decided to resign as Superior. She lived as an ordinary member until her death on September 10, 1748.

King Ferdinand IV of Spain granted civil protection to the Congregation on November 25, 1755, a petition formally sent by Archbishop Most Rev. Pedro Arizala of Manila to the King two months before Ignacia's death. The King did not recognise them officially a convent of religious women, rather as a pious association of faithful women.

History of the Congregation

The Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary is the oldest and largest Filipino congregation, founded in 1684 by Ignacia del Espiritu Santo is the first all-Filipino religious congregation for women in the Philippines. Its duties included laboring for the sanctification of men and women through the Roman Catholic Church, expansion of Catholic education for the youth and catechetical instruction in parishes, as well as fostering spiritual retreats among lay women, conducting dormitories, and taking care of the sick in hospitals.

In 1732, the Archbishop of Manila approved the Rules then in use among the other religious women. Ignacia had the consolation of seeing the steady growth of her small band of members. Ignacia del Espíritu Santo died on September 10, 1748 at the age of eighty-five. She died on her knees after receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion at the communion rail of the old Jesuit church of St. Ignatius at Intramuros.

On March 17, 1907, Pope Pius X, promulgated the Decree of Praise in favor of the congregation's Rules and Constitutions. The Decree of Approbation was granted by Pope Pius XI on March 24, 1931. This Decree elevated the Congregation to Pontifical status. Finally, on January 12, 1948, the 200th anniversary of the death of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, Pope Pius XII issued the Decree of Definitive Pontifical Approbation of the Constitutions.

Beatification / Canonization

In a decree dated July 6, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI accepted the findings of the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and declared that “the Servant of God, Ignacia, foundress of the Religious of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is found to possess to a heroic degree the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity toward God and neighbor, as well as the cardinal virtues of Prudence, Justice, Temperance and Fortitude.”

Venerable

On February 1, 2008, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Gaudencio Rosaales presided over the promulgation which officially accorded to Ignacia the title "Venerable" at the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo, Manila

References

1. ^ Mother Ignacia del Espíritu Santo, History of the Religious of the Virgin Mary, UIC.edu.ph

External links

• The Lives of Saints
• RVM Online
• Saint Mary's Quezon City
• Chapel of San LorenzoRuiz
• Saint Mary's Academy

Persondata
Name	Espiritu Santo, Mother Ignacia del
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 1, 1663
Place of birth	Binondo, Manila, Philippines
Date of death	September 10, 1748
Place of death	Intramuros, Manila, Philippines