Mother Ignacia Del Espirito Santo:

Her Values Driven Leadership

Mother Ignacia Del Espirito Santo
-Her spirituality of humble service was expressed in her capacity to forgive, to bear
wrongs patiently and to correct with gentleness and meekness.

- This spirituality was manifested in peace and harmony in the community, mutual
love and union of wills, witnessing to the love of Christ and the maternal care of
the Blessed Mother which sustained them in their moments of difficulties.

-They attracted many followers and had established a more stablelifestyle and set
of rules in performing the routine of their spiritual lives.

-With the growing number of beatas, MIDES came to realize that the deaterio she
was founding was called by God not only to a life of prayer and penance but also
to apostolic service.

-The congregation she led is now know as the Religious of the Virgin Mary.

- She had proven that God is the God of all peoples, of whatever color or race.
HER LEADERSHIP IN EXAMPLE
-Mother Ignacia sold no idea or pressured no one to follow her doctrines and principles in life. In humility
and simplicity, she responded to God's call in faith, courage and generousity wihout the intention of
attracting followers.

- Her hidden service and humility manifested was not in her desire to be in the limelight. She even
voluntarily gave up her superiorship when she saw that others could take it by living a chaste, poor, and
obedient life.

- To the Filipino people, she set ans example of how to integrate faith and culture in life.

- To the Spaniards, she became an image of reconciliation, where the aspirations and the needs of both
races were attended to in her apostolates without making eithe party guilty of neglect or failure in the
process.
HER LEGACIES:
1.HER SPIRITUALITY- characterized as centered on a loving God and a humble and obedient Jesus. It is also Marian-
inspired. Every spirituality is a way or path of BEING AND DOING. In the Christian tradition, spirituality is to be understood
as inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is a way of relating with God. It is a way of following Jesus who is the WAY to God. In
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Mother Ignacia’s case, her spirituality is primarily characterized by LOVE. She looked up to God as CHARITY AND LOVE.
Her image of Jesus was one of humility, obedience, and love.

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2. HER COMMUNITY- the Beaterio de la Compania did not give cause to be talked about by the larger community.
Instead it gave EDIFICATION to the larger community which tried to live out in CHARITY. Charity is LOVE IN ACTION.
Mother Ignacia and her community tried to make it real in the Beaterio. By their example and despite their human

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limitations, they tried to live concretely the message of Jesus, which was the Father’s LOVE for humankind.

3. THE WORKS or SERVICES IN EDUCATION, RETREAT, and DORMITORY- the BEATERIO gave equitable
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opportunities to young girls and women to be educated (reading, writing, sewing, works appropriate to their gender). The
beaterio also served as a retreat facility and a dormitory for girls and women studying at the beaterio.
4. HER INDEPENDENCE- her example of independence symbolized by the needle and scissors she brought

with her when she left home. These two stand for the FORMATIVE purpose of the beaterio exemplified

through the education of young girls and women in preparation for their role either as mothers or as beatas.

Secondly, with today’s glorification of fashion, clothing, project runway and other endeavors related to

clothing, the use of needle and scissors as source of income is truly entrepreneurial in nature.

5. The concept of “LIVING BY THE SWEAT OF THE BROW” - the Beaterio de la Compañiade Jesus was

known to be self-supporting. They did not go begging although they were given alms. They made the best of

what was available to them. As they relied on the providence of God, they also helped themselves.
Mother Ignacia as a leader and her leadership example
is a legacy we should be thankful for.

She showcases of how we can think of

ways to help in the transformation of
our communities by starting with
ourselves first.