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

1. describe Mother Ignacia’s courageous response to the call of her time

2. appreciate what Mother Ignacia had done to the country in general and Filipinos in particular

3. pray for courage and strength in responding to the signs of the times like M. Ignacia

Being Valiant is acting or possessing bravery and courage. This is what characterized Mother Ignacia who founded a group of women and lived together in the service of God. Living a very simple life, Mother Ignacia led the Beatas with humility and love. Defining her style of leadership, she drew inspiration from the Blessed Virgin Mary. Courageous as she is, Mother Ignacia broke the mold and challenged the society and Church of her time. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it guided her to open new paths on Philippine soil. After her death, the services of the Beatas to the Church continued not only in the colony but to the whole world.

An excerpt from the Decretum Super Virtutibus that says:“Through an accurate report by the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI was dutifully informed by the Cause (of the Servant of God, Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo). His Holiness, accepting and ratifying the said report declared on this day, (July 7, 2007) that “Servant of God, Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, Foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is found to possess a heroic degree the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity toward God and neighbor, as well as the cardinal virtues of Prudence, Justice, Temperance and Fortitude.” Ignacia indeed, was a truly Valiant Woman.

Leaving her parents and choosing to live independently, M. Ignacia went beyond the social conventions of her times. She ventured into the unknown in order to follow the path God wanted for her. Even if she feels uncertain for her future, M. Ignacia proved that a native woman could be strong and courageous in seeking and following the will of God. In search for God’s will, she dared to live alone and to support herself by needlework.

M. Ignacia’s kind of society during Spanish colonization:

1. Spaniards claimed to have sole rights over the land and the people they conquered

This caused the limited rights of the natives. Spaniards claimed superior over the natives, race, culture and religion.

2. Superiority of men over women

Women’s activities were only limited to the home. Native men who were supposed to protect their women were deprived.On the other hand, women who attempted to help their men , would be experienced as a challenge to their maleness. Apparently, the myth of male superiority wounded the native male psyche more than it hampered the activity of the native women.

But M Ignacia fought for her rights in silence. She relied on her innate understanding of herself as a woman. By leaving her home and starting to live on her own, she courageously asserted her independence. She showed her capacity as a woman to be autonomous. She made decisions for herself. Silently, she broke out of the limits of a culture that made a woman so dependent upon a man for her identity. To prove her independence, M Ignacia formed a community that bore witness to women solidarity. The fact that the community “survived the storm”, only implies that the Beatas were formed in a healthy sense of their own dignity as women. (A Lamp to Our Path: chapter 5, pp 65-68)

Responding to the needs of the times, M. Ignacia followed the indicators of an empowered woman. These are the ff.:

1. confidence to face life

2. the ability to change the process in society

3. the ability to effect change.

The Jesuit Fathers guided the Beatas who acted as their confessors and spiritual directors but how to run their community was left to themselves. Women leadership thrived in the Beaterio of M. Ignacia because she had a sense of woman’s innate dignity and capacity.

Her leadership did not stifle the potential of other Beatas to lead. In fact, she relinquished her leadership position as superior of the house to one of the Beatas. She continued nonetheless, to exercise leadership by her example of love and humble service. M. Ignacia proved that women can lead holy lives without close supervision and control by men.

Their solidarity in the community was tested by experiences of poverty and other difficulties. They were able to prove their unity with one another by continuing to support each other. Their trust in each other and in God became a sign of unity to society that was characterized by division of race, culture and gender. Their difficulties did not weaken their bond with each other, on the contrary, these helped them mature as a community of faith. (A Lamp to our Path, Chapter 5 pp 68-70)

At a time when native women were viewed merely as subservient to the will of the colonial masters, M. Ignacia raised the dignity of Filipino womanhood. M. Ignacia confronted & endured the colonizers’ prejudice against the natives. The Yndios/Yndias were looked down as lacking in capacity, knowledge, skill and virtue and even immature in terms of knowledge and practice of Christian faith. M. Ignacia proved the contrary by the following as described by Murillo Velarde:

• M. Ignacia is a strong woman, humble, devout, patient and zealous for the good of souls.

• The Beatas were very much appreciated beauce of their devotion, humility, application to work and to the Spiritual Exercises. M. Ignacia demonstrated the capacity of an yndia to respond freely to God’s will , to live a life of virtue, to come to a maturity of faith that is expressed in loving service to others after the examples of Jesus Christ.

• M. Ignacia represents the best that a Filipino can be! She not only lifts up the dignity of a Filipino, in particular, she shows the dignity of womanhood. (A Lamp to our Path: Chapter 5, pp 70-72 )