Saint Mariana of Paredes
She was born in Quito, Ecuador, October 31st in 1618. By the time she was 6 years old, she lost both parents and went to live with an aunt. While still very young she was interested in the Spiritual exercises of saint Ignatius of Loyola and tried unsuccessfully to join a religious order as a missionary or a cloistered nun. Seeing her resolve, her uncle and aunt gave her several rooms of the house, where she created her own cloister. For the rest of her life Mariana would remain there, dedicating herself to prayer. She would only leave the house to help poor people. In 1645 she offered her life for the victims of an epidemic in the city if Quito. She died the same year and was canonized in 1950. She is the first canonized woman of Ecuador.
Your turn:
- When you have a goal, is your determination really strong, or do you give up easily?
- How does your family support you in your decisions and dreams?
