At the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. differentiate empowered leadership from authoritative leadership

2. modify their notion of leadership according to the style of Mo. Ignacia

3. apply the empowering and transformative leadership of Mother Ignacia in their daily life

From a Catholic perspective, leadership means a calling and a charism. In the secular world, people speak of ambition to become a leader. Seeing leadership as a ‘calling’, or a vocation from God, is something very different. It has its roots in our baptismal calling. On the other hand, it is also a charism, that is a gift given to some people by the Holy Spirit for the good of others and for the building up of the Body of Christ. When God grants us the gift of leadership, and calls us to use it, it is not for our benefits or simply to satisfy some personal ambition. But it is given to us to make a difference. (excerpt from Opening address by Archbishop Eamon Martin to Annual Round Table Discussion at Marino Institute of Education).

Mother Ignacia lived out her calling as a leader. She made herself a fine example so that others, like her companions, the beatas, would imitate her way of showing how to serve the community selflessly. She did this by anchoring her relationship constantly to God. She was able to transform the community she had and the people around her. Like Mother Ignacia, may we also live faithfully our calling as a leader and ask that God will bestow us the qualities we should imbibe to effectively carry out our mission as leader.

Excellence: Competence

“Possess wisdom, for it is better than gold. And acquire prudence, for it is more precious than silver” Proverbs 16:16

Faced with a problem regarding the desire of her parents for her to get married, Ignacia resolved it, through consultation and following the advice to make a retreat that led to her decision to serve God by living by the sweat of her brow. Hence, she left her parents and everything except a needle and pair of scissors from home and adopted a lifestyle of prayer, penance and sacrifice. This act of Mother Ignacia changed the process of society when Spanish and Chinese mestizas (sangleyes) and yndias (native Filipino women) joined her to follow her path of service through retreat for women, education and dormitory work as a boarding school. Through her spiritual and transformative leadership, that leadership is service and service is leadership, she made a difference in the Church and society. Discriminated women had a place in society not only in the home. Her house accommodated those interested to become Beatas, those who wanted to stay in the Beaterio as recogidas and children coming from the underprivileged were offered education and trained in household chores in the dormitory. Through her leadership by example, her Beatas were seen as blossoming flowers of virtues and virginity, their work being supported by people around them and women of all walks of life were being led to the Lord through the retreat following the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola of the Jesuits. Her bold initiative was seen as laudable to the City and her response to the needs of the Church as relevant, responsive and effective to men and women and children alike. Her call and response addressed the needs of the family effecting change; namely, for women to collaborate with men in the growth and development of society and children especially the poor be given opportunities to study and be educated in reading, writing and arithmetic and be taught household chores.

Writing a biography of Mother Ignacia, Fr Bello saw rare qualities of leadership in her.

Mother Ignacia was an energetic woman of rare qualities of leadership; hers was an inspiring personality with a generous dose of common sense in dealing with people; her example was her main asset in attracting other women to follow her way of life which was one of abnegation and sacrifice. If she had not possessed all these qualities her spiritual advisers and directors would have from the beginning discouraged her from starting this retreat apostolate and from accepting other women to follow her. (Bello, 1958).

Her empowered leadership was also unique because of the bold initiatives she took as a woman

blazing new trails not only in the country, not only as one coming from an indigenous race but for the Church and the world that sees her as a servant of the Church and of God.

Mother Ignacia is a transformative leader because she made a difference in the church and society. The discriminated women had a place in society not only in the home. She accommodated women who were interested to become beatas and those who wanted to stay in the Beaterio as recogidas. The underprivileged children were offered education and trained in doing household chores in the dormitory. Through her leadership by example, their work was supported by people around them and women from all walks of life were being led to the Lord through retreat following the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Her response to the needs of the family effected change, namely; for women to collaborate with men in the growth and development of the society.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/352203

https://www.catholicapostolatecenter.org/new-evangelization.html

IFP Mo. Ignacia & Leadership –Module 7 -Sn.2-3