Life of St. Rose & Ministry Fair
We celebrated the feast of St. Rose of Lima, our Patroness, on Sunday, August 21. In addition to Mass, we held the first Ministry Fair since the beginning of COVID-19. It was good to see so many people at the Fair as we came together to remember St. Rose of Lima and the example of her life of prayer and service.
Although she was named Isabel Flores de Olivia when she was born in 1586 in Lima, Peru to Spanish colonists, because of her great beauty, people nicknamed her "Rose” and that became her name. According to legend, a servant had a vision where her face turned into a rose. At her confirmation in 1597, she officially took the name of Rose or Rosa.
From an early age, Rosa wanted to become a nun, often praying, fasting, and sometimes practicing severe penance in secret. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Holy Eucharist were part of her daily life. As a young woman, her beauty began to attract suitors. To deter these men, Rosa not only cut off her beautiful hair, but she also marred her face, rubbing it with pepper to make it blister.
Her parents opposed her vow to become a nun; they wanted her to marry. The struggle between them lasted 10 years, during which time Rosa made a perpetual vow of virginity. In 1606 her father relented and allowed Rosa to become a Dominican of the Third Order, though her parents would not permit her to live in a convent. Instead, Rosa chose strict enclosure and contemplation and withdrew to the seclusion of a hut in the family garden where she continued a life of prayer, fasting, and extreme penance.
Though she was largely a recluse, Rosa was devoted to the poor, sick, and hungry and often brought them to her hut to care for them. She was skilled in needlework and sold her fine lace and embroidery and the flowers that she grew in her garden to help her family and to raise funds for the poor. Her funeral was an occasion of public honor, and many miracles were said to have occurred after her death.
Rosa died on August 25, 1617, at the age of 31. Pope Clement IX beatified her in 1667 and Pope Clement X recognized her as St. Rose, canonizing her in 1671. She is the first canonized saint of the New World. Her feast day is August 23 around the world, although some countries, like Peru, celebrate her on August 30. St. Rose is the patroness of embroiderers, gardeners, florists, those who suffer ridicule for their piety, and people who suffer family problems.
While we don’t live like St. Rose did, our Ministry Fair offers us a number of ways that we can practice our faith right here within our community. To name just a few of the groups taking part on Sunday:
Gabriel Project Hispanic Ministries
Youth Ministry Liturgical Ministries
S.T.A.R. St. Vincent de Paul
Choir Prayer Blanket Ministry
Vocations Knights of Columbus
Men’s Club RCIA
Altar Guild CCE
ACTS Kolbe Prison Ministry
Let’s take some time this week to learn more about these and other ministry opportunities at https://www.stroselima.org/ministries. We can take a little more time discerning what might be the right ministry for each of us, then take the next step in a life of prayer and service!
Deacon Ed Herrera