How does Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM) was founded?

Mother Ignacia del Espirito Santo

This page enables us to look into the past... a past that brought us pride in the present. This serv

es as an immense honor for the nobility of the institution's foundress, Mother Ignacia Del Espiritu Santo. As you take a glimpse of the events of the past, you'll understand how the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM) was founded. Let's unfold the story behind the existence of the RVM congregation as well as the life of its foundress.

In the 17th century, a group of native women (yndias) in manila establishes a religious community dedicated to the service of God

. The foundress of this community is Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, a Chinese mestiza from Binondo. Against hte will of the king of Spain and with little support from church athorities, these women stand for

what they believe in and defy any attemp to stifle their original inspiration.

The religious community, called the beaterio, becomes a center for spiritual enlightment of yndias, mestizas and even Spanish women of nobility at the time when women are denied of education, political power and a chance to be equal to men in the hispanized society. Despite wars, revolutions and suppression brought about by a patriachal society, the beaterio flourishes until the present time when the religious co

mmunity takes the form of the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM).

Stories

Ignacia Iuco was baptized IGNACIA DEL ESPIRITU SANTO, a name she took and was known until her death. Her father, Jusepe Iuco was a Chinese from Amoy, China; while her mother, Maria Jeronima, was a Filipina or Yndia, as the Filipina was called then. She was the eldest of four children. There were a boy and two girls who died in infancy. She was baptized on March 4, 1663 at Holy Kings Parian, but she grew u

p in Binondo, M

anila, the place for converted Chinese.

At the age of twenty-two, Ignacia's parents wanted to marry her off, but she refused to get married. She felt that married life was not the destiny God had assigned her. Seeking God's will under the spiritual guidance of a Jesuit priest, Fr. Pablo Clain, she went on a retreat where she underwent the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. Before the end of the retreat, she decided to give her whole life to the Lord.

Ignacia's life was a solitary one, mostly devoted to prayers, sacrifices, and charitable works. Ignacia's life attracted and appealed to many ladies who readily joined her; thus, the Beaterio de la Compa�ia de Jesus was born in Intramuros. This group of ladies received this name because they frequently visited the Church of St. Ignatius, the church of the Jesuits, otherwise known at that time as Compa�ia de Jesus.

Life was difficult for the group of women in the beginning. They used banana leaves for plates, ate in the "batalan" during moonlit nights to save oil for light and gathered firewood around the streets. Mother Ignacia, whose life of prayer and penance include carrying the cross under the noonday sun, exhorted her companions to pray for God's mercy and trust in Divine Providence. She earnestly rallied them to the Filipino dic

tum- "Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa."

Guided by the 172

6 Rule, Mother Ignacia relinquished her position as head to Mother Dominga del Rosario in 1737. The Rule stressed that everyone in the house belonged to the family of Mary, and her primary responsibility was to know and to serve the Lord, to live one's life on earth according to His teachings and to attain eternal union with Him in heaven. Everyone was encouraged to live together as one community permeated by the spirit of peace, reconciliation and love.

On September 10,1748, Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo died at the age of eighty-five. She was buried at the Church of St. Ignatius. Her funeral was honored by the presence of ecclesiastics and Spaniards who bore her coffin. Murillo Vela

rde, a Jesuit historian and contemporary of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, has this to say about her: "Mother Ignacia, foundress of this institution, died on September 10,1748. She was genuinely a valiant woman, overcoming not only the great difficulties met from the very founding of the institution up to its completion, but more specifically, for having conquered with singular persistence the three species of indolence most arduous and difficult to overco

me: those innate in the country, those natural to her sex and those congenital in the very entrails of the nation. She was mortified, patient, devout, spiritual, zealous for the good of souls, and very humble. This was proved by her having abdicated spontaneously the government of that house, without allowing herself to be overcome by the desire to command which can be likened to a wood-borer that destroys such hardwood as the c

edar or hyssop."

The group that Mother Ignacia organized received Civil Protection from the King of Spain on November 25, 1755 after having passed the scrutiny of the Royal Audencia. Their service was unanimously rated as laudable to the City of Manila and the Council State in Madrid that considered its contribution as significant to the evangelization and colonization of Spain, when it said that "closure or suppression of the Beaterio is prejudicial to the Republic." This was theresult of a letter of the Archbishop of Manila who could not help noticing the exemplary life of service of this group of women and wanted something done for the Beatas. The letter runs as follows: "Sir: Among the many things I think worthwhile mentioning to Your Majesty in my archdiocese, is the presence of a small group of pio

us native women near the Church of the Colegio de la Compa�ia de Jesus."

Since these pious women give much edification to all by their manner of living; since they help the public welfare by educating and teaching the young, since immeasurable spiritual benefits are derived from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.. I beg to appeal to your Majesty's clemency and benignity to favor these women, permission and approval to continue their holy life, serving as example to their natives, for the glory of His Divine Majesty and common good of the Spanish Republic."

This process of eighteenth century Spanish accreditation of a native group of women coming through Spain's initiative was a landmark in the hist

ory of the Philippines, afflicted by the racial discrimination, where the Spaniards were considered first class citizens and the natives third class. This was the time when the "patronato real" or royal subsidy following the Law of the Indies was only for Spaniards and their families and the natives were judged as immature in faith and adult in age but childish in behavior (forty years old with a mind of a child). As regards women, religious convents founded by them were supposed to be of Spanish membership and to be cloistered as in the case of Beaterio de Sta. Clara and Beaterio de Sto. Domingo established later, one had to be a Spaniard.

With these as the signs of the times, the Beaterio de la Compa�ia de Jesus founde by Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo was seen:

composed of pious native women living by the sweat of their brows - "not a financial burden to the government"

a group of women governed by themselves,

a united, disciplined, and well-behaved group who caused no gossip in town,

a group serving all kinds of people - Spaniards, Soanish and Chinese mestizas and Yndias.

a group helping the Church and the country in ca

rrying out educational and catechetical

work, dormitory work, and retreats for women from all works of life.

"Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo is the genuine product of the highest order of the nation and a fitting model of womanhood." An article in the September 7, 1893 issue of the weekly paper, La Ilustracion Filipina runs as follows: "She was foundress of a religious institution that still lives its pristine spirit vigorously two centuries after its foundation.

On the other hand, the Philippine National Historical Association recognized her as:

the first Filipina to start the first Filipino congregation for women in the Philippines

the female organizer of retreat movement for wm

en throughout the world

one of the pioneers of Christian education of the youth in the Philippines

The congregation she started was described during her time as the "blossoming of virues and virginity in a thorn-choked desert." Twentieth century Philippines called the Religious of Virgin Mary, the pre

sent name of the Beaterio as the citadel of religion and culture and the reincarnation of authentic Marian devotion in the Philippines. (And Mahal na Birhen 1975).

This year 1984 marked the celebration of the first three hundred years of the founding of the Religious of Virgin Mary. And the highlight of the celebration was the presentation of the "Beautiful Filipina," a play by Fr. James B. Reuter, S.J. on the life of Mother Igancia del Espiritu Santo, the foundress; still, it portrayed the early

history of the congregation. The presentation were held in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Down the centuries, Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo has been described as a discerning woman of courage with strong faith in God. This faith propelled her to make bold initiatives is spite of obstacles to be of service to all people, especially the poor, and those who are discriminated against. This was the greatest service she rendered to her country and to the Church.

Continuing Fama Sanctitatis

As stated at the beginning, the fame of holiness of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo begun to pick up in the twentieth century as the apostolate of her daughters in the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary expanded all over the country, and later, into the foreign missions. The canonical status of the Congregation stabilized through the various stages of Papal approval, the superiors as well as the members of the Congregation started to hope for the Church's recognition of the heroic virtues of their Mother, as an inspiration to the Filipino people and Christians the world over.

Gradually learning the steps to be taken towards the achievement of their dreams, struggling through obstacles and setbacks, and with the encouragement of the succeeding Metropolitans of the Archdiocese of Manila, the Cause of the Beatification of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo finally reached the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome.

At the time the historical commission was established, the search for testemonies to the fame of her holiness begun in earnest. At the presentation of the collection of historical documents to the Archdiocesan Chancery a volume of such testimonies was compiled, covering the years 1942 to 1986. A second volume was completed in 1992, with another in preparation.

In May 1988 lay leaders in the Archdiocese of Manila initiated a movement in support of the Cause for the beatification of Mother Ignacia, which picked up by other dioceses in the country, became a national movement, and expanding even outside of the Philippines as recipients of favors spread their experiences to others. This development resulted in a great increase of written testimonies submitted.

Reports of scientifically proven miracles are still being processed and will be presented in proper form. At this point favors received are cited in relation to the fama sanctitatis of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo. The testimonies reflect the levels of relationship the petitioners have with the Servant of God, the trust and hope they hold in her ready assistance, from the simplest aches to be alleviated, to the more complicated problems of human life that they bring to her as to a mother and friend. Some approach her with great familiarity; other testimonies are coached in very formal terms, but each reflects the deep trust and appreciation for the favors received.