Saint Rose of Lima

**Saint Rose of Lima**, also known as **S. Rosae a Sancta Maria Limanae Virginis**. She was born in **Lima, Peru** in **1586** and is known for her piety and chastity. Her birth name was **Isabel Flores de Oliva**, but she was given the nickname "Rose" due to her exceptional beauty.

She is the **patron saint of the Americas, Peru, embroiderers, florists, gardeners, needleworkers, and people ridiculed for their piety**⁵. She was canonized by **Pope Clement X** in **1671**.

Saint Rose of Lima is remembered for her deep devotion to God and her acts of penance. She often spent long periods in prayer and practiced severe asceticism⁵. Her feast day is celebrated on **August 23**.

From the Breviary:
The first flower of holiness in South America was the maiden Rose. She was born of Christian parents at Lima and in her cradle early gave signs of her future sanctity, for the child's face was wonderfully transformed into the likeness of a rose, and this gave her her name. Lest she be compelled by her parents to marry, she secretly cut off her lovely hair. The austerity of her life was most singular. She took the habit of the Third Order of St. Dominic and followed the difficult path of St. Catherine of Siena. For fifteen years, she would suffer terribly for hours at a time from desolation of spirit and from aridity, and bravely bore agonies more bitter than any death. Through frequent apparitions, she enjoyed a wonderful companionship with her Guardian Angel, St. Catherine of Siena, and the Virgin Mother of God, and she was privileged to hear Christ say these words, Rose of my Heart, be thou my bride. Famous for many miracles both before and after her death, she was enrolled in the list of holy Virgins by Pope Clement X.

Saint Rose of Lima, born **Isabel Flores de Oliva** on **April 20/30, 1586** in **Lima, Viceroyalty of Peru** (now Peru), was the first person born in the Western Hemisphere to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. She is the patron saint of Peru and all of South America, as well as of embroiderers, gardeners, and florists.

From a young age, Rose was drawn to penitential practices and a spiritual life. Her mother initially wanted her to marry and refused to allow her to pursue a religious life. To deter suitors, Rose cut off her hair and blistered her skin with hot peppers. After a ten-year struggle, her mother relented, and Rose became a Dominican of the third order in 1606. However, her parents did not permit her to live in a convent, so she chose strict enclosure and contemplation in a hut in the family garden.

Rose practiced severe austerity and asceticism, regularly wearing a crown of thorns, fasting, sleeping only a few hours a night on a bed of potsherds, and self-flagellating.

She experienced numerous visions, particularly of the Devil. Despite her reclusive lifestyle, she was devoted to the sick and hungry in her community, often bringing them to her hut to care for them. She was skilled in needlework and sold her fine lace and embroidery, as well as the flowers she grew in her garden, to help her family and raise funds for the poor.

Saint Rose of Lima experienced numerous mystical visions throughout her life. Some of the notable visions include:

1. **Visions of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus**: Saint Rose claimed that the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus visited her frequently.

2. **Mystical Ring from Christ**: During one vision, she received a mystical ring from Christ, symbolizing her spiritual marriage to Him.

3. **Visions of Jesus, the Mother of God, and the Saints**: She frequently had visions of Jesus, the Mother of God, and various saints, with whom she conversed and received spiritual guidance.

4. **Visions of the Devil**: Saint Rose also experienced visions of the Devil, which she interpreted as tests of her faith and devotion.

Saint Rose of Lima wrote about her visions. Some of her writings were discovered in 1923 by Friar Luis Getino in the room where she died, which is now the Chapel of the Monastery of Saint Rose. These notes provide insights into her mystical experiences and spiritual life.

Additionally, an excerpt from her writings focuses on the role of afflictions, tribulations, and struggles as the access to the unfathomable riches and treasure of divine grace. These writings highlight her deep spiritual insights and her understanding of suffering as a path to divine grace.

Her visions played a significant role in her spiritual life and contributed to her reputation for holiness and mysticism.

Saint Rose of Lima died on **August 24, 1617**, in Lima. Her funeral was an occasion of public honor, and many miracles were said to have occurred after her death. She was beatified in 1668 by **Pope Clement IX** and canonized by **Pope Clement X** on **April 12, 1671**.

(1) Saint Rose of Lima | Biography, Early Life, Patron Saint, & Facts. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Rose-of-Lima.

(2) Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin - My Catholic Life!. https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/august-30st-rose-of-lima/.

(3) CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Rose of Lima - NEW ADVENT. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13192c.htm.

(4) Rose of Lima - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_of_Lima.