A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF

MOTHER IGNACIA DEL ESPIRITU

SANTO - RVM FOUNDRESS
Ignacia del Espiritu Santo was born of a Chinese Father, Jusepe Iuco, who was
from Amoy, China, and a Filipino Mother Maria Jeronima of Binondo, Manila. She was
born when the Philippines was almost a century old as Spanish colony. It was an age
when Christianity had hardly begun to take root in the hearts and lives of the people
and when the social climate was characterized by racial prejudice and discrimination.

Ignacia was baptized on March 4, 1663 at the Church of the Holy Kings of Parian by
the Dominican missionary, Fr. Alberto Collares. OP. It was customary among pious
parents of the time to give their children devotional names at baptism, so "del Espiritu
Santo" truly became real in her life, she was filled by the Holy Spirit. Every action and
decision she did in her lifetime was a fruit of prayer and constant seeking of God' s will.

She was reared by loving and affluent parents. As a child, she could have everything
she had wanted especially education, but women during her time were not given equal
opportunity as persons to improve their social standing. But this did not hinder her from
obtaining an education which gave her lifetime learning. Her home became her school
and her parents were her teachers. She was taught by them through examples. She had
her share of work both in their house and in their business. There was no idle moment
for her. She imbibed her father's hardwork, humility, patience and endurance along with
her mother's strong faith in God, courage and simplicity. Ignacia grew up as a young
lady imbued by the values of her parents. Her love of God was nurtured through prayers,
receiving the sacraments and devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Saints.

She was living a comfortable life and when she reached the age of twenty one, her
parents wanted her to marry a good young man of their choice. At this stage of her life,
she prayed to God invoking the Holy Spirit to guide her to the path she should tread.
Her decision was not done in haste. In prayer and solitude she went on a retreat with
the guidance of Father Paul Klein, a Jesuit priest. From these she resolved to live by the
sweat of her face, despite the fact that she still had parents who could support her. She
courageously told her parents of her decision to live a life of service to the Lord. She
broke the custom observed by the women of her time to get married and stay at home.

In 1684 she started to live a solitary life, which attracted other young women. This was
the start of the foundation of a group of women, known as beatas.
They lived an exemplary life of prayer and penance and devoted themselves to the
service of God as a community of religious women. Mother Ignacia led the beatas to be
involved in the education of children and women. They did not confine themselves to
prayer; they were aware of what was happening outside. The social climate during time
was characterized by racial prejudice and discrimination. Living under such a climate
Mother Ignacia together with her beatas started to seek the Lord's will in the situations
confronting them, she dreamt of a generation that is free, living the truth, and not
enslaved in their very own native land. This was also a radical move, because religious
life then, was in many ways monastic, protected by convent walls and cloister grills.
Mother Ignacia and her beatas did not conform their ways to what was expected of
religious women at that time. Mother Ignacia listened to the spirit, who directed her
every action.

While doing her work outside, Mother Ignacia and the beatas continued living a frugal
life. They existed almost only on rice and a little salt, eating under the moonlight to
save oil for their lamps. With deep humility and full trust in God's loving Providence,
coupled with their ingenuity and the resourcefulness of God's poor, they survived the
challenges of life. In all these difficulties Mother Ignacia exhorted her companions to
bear with constancy and make penance to move God to have mercy on them. Complete
trust in God made them bear everything; in joy and in sorrow they praised God.

Hardships did not diminish the love and courage of the beatas to go on serving God
through their service of the people. Their community even became bigger, as more
young women wished to live the exemplary life of prayer and penance. Mother Ignacia
herself bore heavy cross on her shoulders. Sometimes she frustrated on the ground for
others to step on her. She extended her arms in the form of a cross under the heat of the
noonday sun. Her examples moved others to follow her. Every night they used the
discipline slept very little and spent most of the night in prayer. But she advised them
to be moderate in their discipline upon seeing that the rigors of their penance weakened
them. Indeed, Mother Ignacia's concern for them was felt and seen. She was also a
model of humble servanthood. She relinquished to Mother Dominga del Rosario the
leadership of the foundation, and she took her place among the ranks several years
before she died.

Mother Ignacia died on September 10, 1748 at the age of eighty-five. At the time of her
death she received the honor and recognition which was denied her during her lifetime.

Today, Mother Ignacia lives in the Spirit and heart of the RELIGIOUS OF THE
VIRGIN MARY (RVM), a Religious Congregation of Women which started from her
humble foundation. The sisters are actively participating in God's mission of
proclaiming the Good News through various apostolates: education, pastoral and social
ministry, retreat movements, seminary and dormitory apostolates in the Philippines and
foreign mission. Cardinal Pironio, on December 8, 1983 wrote the Superior General...
"The present fourishing state of the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary
not only testifies to God's blessings on your Institute are giving witness of a truly
religious life, as well as fulfilling the service to the Church intended by Mother Ignacia."

Now her life is a source of inspiration to all people who have shared and continue to
share in her charism, the Religious of the Virgin Mary, and the people whose lives they
touch. She is truly the light that illumines our way - the way which leads to God.