May 26 – Saint Mariana de Paredes

Saint Mariana de Jesus de Paredes is the patron saint of Ecuador. Born in Quito in 1618, she was orphaned at the age of four and was brought up by her married older sister and the latter’s husband. Drawn to the spiritual life, Mariana chose to live in seclusion when at home and led an ascetic lifestyle involving self-mortification and strict fasting. She centred her spiritual life on the nearby Jesuit church where she prayed at length before the Blessed Sacrament. She became a member of the Sodality of Our Lady and the Third Order of St Francis.

Saint Mariana possessed an ecstatic gift of prayer, had an ability to foretell future events and experienced an apparition of the Christ Child Crucified (which is commemorated in a statue on nearby Mount Pichincha). She founded a clinic and a nursery for poor children. Miraculous cures were attributed to her. In 1645 there were earthquakes in Quito and many people died from an epidemic of disease. During one Mass Mariana publicly offered herself to the Lord as propitiatory victim to stop the earthquakes. She became fatally ill shortly afterwards. After her death there were no further earthquakes or deaths from disease. After her death a white lily sprung up from her blood. As a result she has been titled “The Lily of Quito”. Saint Mariana was beatified in 1853 and canonised in 1950. Her feast day is celebrated on 26 May.

Paul Cavadino