Saint of the day: Saint Mary Anna of Jesus of Paredes

Saint Maria Anna of Jesus of Paredes: Maria Anna got close to God and his people during her short life. The youngest of eight, Mary Ann was born in Quito, Ecuador, which was brought under Spanish control in 1534.

He joined the Secular Franciscans and led a life of prayer and penance at home, leaving his parents' home only to go to church and to do some work of charity. He founded a clinic and a school for Africans and indigenous Americans in Quito. When a plague broke out, he cured the sick and died shortly thereafter. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

Saint Mary Anne of Jesus of Paredes: reflection

Francesco d'Assisi won over himself and his upbringing when he kissed the man with leprosy. If our self-denial does not lead to charity, penance is practiced for the wrong reason. Mary Ann's penances made her more sensitive to the needs of others and more courageous in trying to serve those needs. On May 28, the liturgical feast of Saint Mary Anna of Jesus of Paredes is celebrated.

Mariana de Jesús de Paredes y Flores was born in Quito, today in Ecuador, on October 31, 1618. Orphaned by her parents while still a child, she consecrated herself to God. However, not being able to be accepted in a monastery, she began a particular type of ascetic life, dedicating himself to prayer, fasting and other pious practices. He also tried to go among the Indians to bring them the faith. Then accepted into the Franciscan Third Order, she devoted herself with great generosity to the assistance of the poor and to the spiritual help of her fellow citizens.

In 1645 the city of Quito was hit by an earthquake, then by an epidemic. During a celebration, Mariana's confessor, the Jesuit Alonso de Rojas, announced that he was willing to offer his life so that the plague would cease: the young woman stood up and declared to take his place. He died shortly thereafter, at the age of twenty-six; the city was saved. Beatified by Blessed Pius IX on November 20, 1853, she was canonized on July 9, 1950 by Pope Pius XII, the first Ecuadorian woman to obtain the highest honor of the altars. Patronage: Ecuador Roman martyrology: In Quito in Ecuador, Saint Marianne of Jesus de Paredes, virgin, who in the Third Order of Saint Francis consecrated her life to Christ and dedicated her strength to the needs of the poor and black natives.