MOTHER IGNACIA'S ROOTS AND HERITAGE

M. Ignacia del Espiritu Santo was born, lived and died during the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines. The precise date of her birth is not known. Her baptismal record mentions only the date of her baptism, March 4, 1663. This confirms the statement of Pedro Murillo Velarde that Ignacia was 21 years old in 1684. Ignacia was the eldest and the sole surviving child of Maria Jeronima, an yndia, and Jusepe Iuco, a pure Chinese immigrant from Amoy, China, who was converted to the Catholic faith in 1652 and resided in Binondo, Manila. Moreover, the younger siblings of Ignacia were Rafaela Rodriguez, Santiago, and Juana dela Concepcion. Rafaela was baptized by Fr. Alberto Collares on March 4, 1665 and her madrino (godparent) was Isabel Rodrigues. Santiago was baptized by Fr. Christoval Pedroche on February 27, 1668 and his padrino was Nicolas Siancong. Juana was baptized by Fr. Alberto Collares on December 22, 1669 and her godparent was de Passai.

At her baptism, Ignacia’s parents, Jusepe Iuco, a Sangley, and Maria Jeronima, an yndia, decided to name their daughter, IGNACIA DEL ESPIRITU SANTO. They thought it was a fitting name for one who was born on the feastday of St. Ignatius of Antioch. In affixing the name “del Espiritu Santo'' they were expressing their devotion to the Holy Spirit. Little did they realize the significance of that name. Indeed, Ignacia would be living her life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The name “Ignacia” comes from the Latin ignis, which means “fire.” Ignacia would be the “fire of the Holy Spirit'' on a native soil as she bore witness to God’s gracious action in the mist of a colonized people.

When Ignacia was 21 years old, her parents wanted her to marry. Heeding a call deep within but not wanting to disappoint her parents, Ignacia sought counsel from Fr. Paul Klein, a Jesuit priest from Bohemia who arrived in Manila in 1682. The priest gave her the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. After this period of solitude and prayer, Ignacia received the inspiration to “remain in the service of the Divine Majesty” and she resolved to “live by the sweat of her brow.” She left home and brought with her only a needle and a pair of scissors.

She started to live alone in the house located at the back of the Jesuit College of Manila. Her life of prayer and labor attracted yndias who also felt called to the religious life but could not be admitted into the existing congregation at that time. M. Ignacia accepted these women into her company and the first community was born. They became known as the Beatas de la Compañia de Jesus because they frequently received the sacraments at the Church of St. Ignatius, performed many acts of devotion there and had the Jesuit Fathers for their spiritual directors and confessors.

M. Ignacia centered her life on the suffering Christ and tried to imitate him through a life of service and humility. She prayed earnestly to God and performed penances to move God to have mercy on them. 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 manifest 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. This spirituality sustained the beatas in their moments of difficulties especially during times of extreme poverty, when they even had to beg for rice and salt and scrounge the streets for firewood. The beatas continued to support themselves by the labor of their hands and sometimes received some financial help from pious people. In all these, they did not cease to thank God and to trust in divine providence.