Mariana de Jesús de Paredes (1618–1645)

Biography

Believing them called to a holiness equal to her own, Mariana convinced them to recite the rosary over and over again throughout the day. One day the three of them agreed to go out at night to convert the Manas Indians; but none of them woke up. And thus concluded his apostolic enterprise. On another occasion they escaped in order to live a hermitical life in Pichincha, but a very bad-looking bull blocked their path and they returned home at full speed. Jerónima and her husband, who were tired of having so many saints in their home, decided that Mariana would enter a convent. Given the girl's refusal, they threatened to isolate her in a section of the large building where they lived. Mariana accepted and was accompanied by a crucifix, a handful of books of piety, a coffin made to measure and her guitar. He only went out for services and visits to the poor. He felt so happy there that he used to sing out loud accompanied by the guitar. Due to fasting and mortification, she fell ill on one occasion and the doctor who treated her left her practically without blood. In 1645 a strong earthquake occurred in Quito, followed by an epidemic that terrorized the population. Mariana offered her life to Our Lord so that the calamities would cease. Christ took him at his word: he died and the epidemic ended. Since then, Ecuadorians consider her their national heroine.