A Patron Saint for Gardeners [St. Rose of Lima, August 23]

Catholic Exchange.com ^ | August 22, 2007 | Thomas Craughwell

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A Patron Saint for Gardeners

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August 22, 2007

On April 20, 1586, Maria del Oliva, a woman of mixed Spanish and Incan descent, gave birth to a daughter whom she and her husband, Gaspar de Flores, named Isabel. As one of the family's Incan housemaids admired the newborn, she commented that the infant Isabel was lovely "as a rose." The compliment stuck; the family began to call their beautiful child Rose.

Years later Isabel took as her confirmation name Rosa de Santa Maria (incidentally, the archbishop who confirmed her was the great St. Turibius de Mogrovejo).

Given their own position in Lima society and Rose's beauty her parents expected her to marry well, but Rose refused; she wanted to enter a convent. Gaspar and Maria pleaded with Rose to marry; Rose responded by pleading with her parents to let her enter a cloister. The family impasse lasted 10 years until at last they arrived at compromise: Gaspar and Maria abandoned all hope of marriage for their daughter and Rose gave up her dream of becoming a nun. Instead, she joined the Dominican Third Order which permitted her to take religious vows and wear the religious habit, but live in the world rather than in a convent.

With the help of one of her brothers, Rose built a small cottage for herself in the family garden. Not long afterward the Flores family fell on hard times. Gaspar had invested heavily in a mining operation; when the mine failed, the Floreses were virtually bankrupt. To help support her family Rose did lacework and embroidery and she became a professional gardener, selling the flowers she raised in the market of Lima. Ever since, gardeners have revered St. Rose as their patron, the saint who helps them produce glorious blooms and keep insects at bay.

Her family's distress made Rose more sensitive to the misfortunes of others. With her parents' permission, Rose made one room of their house an informal clinic where she tended sick and needy children and elderly people. This combination of charity, piety, and physical beauty led the people of Lima to regard Rose as their own home-grown saint. Stories of the miracles wrought by Rose began to circulate through the city. It was said that through her prayers, Lima had been spared an attack by pirates. Patients at her infirmary said Rose had a healing touch, and claimed that even greater cures were granted to her because she had set up in the sickroom a statue of Christ dressed as a physician (this wonder-working image was venerated as El Mediquito, The Little Doctor).

Tragically, this beloved young woman died of an unknown illness when she was only 31 years old.

So many people in Peru asserted that she was a saint that the bishops of the country began the process to investigate Rose's life and virtues immediately. In 1668 Pope Clement IX beatified Rose, and three years later Pope Clement X canonized her, making Rose of Lima the first saint of the New World. Her feast day is August 23rd.

Thomas Craughwell is the author of Saints Behaving Badly (Doubleday, 2006), Patron Saint Catholic Cardlinks (Our Sunday Visitor, 2004), and Saints for Every Occasion (Stampley Enterprises, 2001).

(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)

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A Patron Saint for Gardeners [St. Rose of Lima, August 23]

Saint Rose of Lima

[afraidfortherepublic]

Thank you for your post about a most interesting saint.

Ignoring the concerns expressed on another thread about her self mortification, I was impressed with her literacy. She was born in Peru in the late 1500s, for heaven’s sake! Her mother was Incan! Somebody taught her to read and write. We did not have reading and writing females in NORTH America at that time. I am so impressed! In fact, one would be hard pressed to find that many literate females in much of Europe. St. Rose lived in LIMA!

Then, think about how she made her living! She sold her home grown flowers in the market in the late 1500s! And made lace at night, presumably under candlelight. Somebody was buying these niceties to enable her to live and support her family and her charities.

I never imagined Peru in the late 1500s to be able to support such a genteel lifestyle. My family didn’t come here until they settled Jamestown, and they didn’t even bring the women at first. I learned something new today and came away with new respect for St. Rose of Lima. Thank you for posting.

I wonder if I could find a statue of her for my garden...

[Ciexyz]

Most interesting story that highlights the intermixture of the Incan and Spanish peoples.

[Ciexyz]

A person with Rose's intelligence, drive, faith, and determination would make a mark in any society or era.

[Palladin]

Thank you for the charming portrait of Rose of Lima. She was indeed as lovely as a rose.

...and now I know who to pray to in order to get rid of the Japanese beetles!

[kalee]

special ping for the Rosebud

[Cailleach]

The princess Rosebud’s garden is doing quite well. She has carrots, lettuce, and zinnias. She does have one of those $3 mini-rose plants from the grociery store on the verge of death...but mine is as well...

[Salvation]

**We did not have reading and writing females in NORTH America at that time.**

I wondered if she learned these skills from the third order Domiminicans.

Pinging MD, because of interest in third orders.

[Salvation]

**get rid of the Japanese beetles!**

LOL! How about the weeds?

[afraidfortherepublic]

It suggests that the Flores family was educated and valued education. I don’t know how many people from Spain lived in Lima at the time (certainly the Incas did not have a written language)but, apparently there were enough to have teachers and some type of education system that included women — either through the church, or privately. And there was enough of an established society that people had the leisure to find uses for lace and flowers! I just did not think of Lima, Peru as being that developed in 1600. AsI said previously, I learned something today.

[Coleus]

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[Salvation]

St. Rose of Lima

Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin
Optional Memorial
August 23rd

St Rose of Lima
Paintings from 1661
by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Oil on canvas
Museo Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid

History:

St. Rose of Lima, patroness of America was born at Lima, Peru April 20,1586. She had a great reverence, and pronounced love, for all things relating to God. She gave her life to prayer and mortification. She had an intense devotion to the Infant Jesus and His Blessed Mother, before whose altar she spent hours. She was scrupulously obedient and of untiring industry, making rapid progress by earnest attention to her parents' instruction, to her studies, and to her domestic work, especially with her needle. After reading of St. Catherine she determined to take that saint as her model. Many hours were spent before the Blessed Sacrament, which she received daily. She determined to take a vow of virginity. At the outset she had to combat the opposition of her parents, who wished her to marry. For ten years the struggle continued before she won, by patience and prayer, their consent to continue her mission. Her days were filled with acts of charity and industry, her exquisite lace and embroidery helping to support her home, while her nights were devoted to prayer and penance. When her work permitted, she retired to a little grotto which she had built, with her brother's aid, in their small garden, and there passed her nights in solitude and prayer. In her twentieth year she received the habit of St. Dominic. She offered to Him all her mortifications and penances in expiation for offenses against His Divine Majesty, for the idolatry of her country, for the conversion of sinners, and for the souls in Purgatory.

She died August 30, 1617. Many miracles followed her death. She was beatified by Clement IX, in 1667, and canonized in 1671 by Clement X, the first American to be so honoured. She is represented wearing a crown of roses.

(Principal source - Catholic Encyclopedia - 1913 edition)

Collect:
God our Father,
for love of you
St. Rose gave up everything
to devote herself to a life of penance.
By the help of her prayers
may we imitate her selfless way of life on earth
and enjoy the fullness of your blessings in heaven.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


First Reading: 2 Corinthians 10:17-11:2
"Let him who boasts, boast of the Lord." For it is not the man who commends himself that is accepted, but the man whom the Lord commends.

I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband.



Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:44-46
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.