MOTHER IGNACIA’S

TRANSFORMING
PRESENCE IN THE
SOCIETY
 Prior knowledge:

What significant aspect in the life of

Mother Ignacia influences our life at
present?
How did Mother Ignacia become a transformative
agent of the society in her times?
• The fullness of life witnessed by Mother Ignacia showed her to
be a foundress, a pioneer, a spiritual leader, a head of the group
and a prophet responding to the signs of the times.
• In this various roles, Mother Ignacia contributed to the
transformation of society then and now as she lived constantly
in the presence of God, always seeking and doing God’s will
and did all things for the greater honor and Glory of God as
contemplative in action.
THE CALL TO
HIDDEN AND
HUMBLE SERVICE
• Mother Ignacia would like to die as God’s humble
servant with no claim to title, honor or position trusting
that God would continue to direct the community
through chosen leaders, she decided to resign from
being the Superior of the house
• If the rules were in God’s will, following them would
lead to the growth of the community of faith, hope, and
love, even without the guidance of Mother Ignacia.
• By resigning from her office, Mother Ignacia
might have deprived the community of her
governance but not of her guiding example.
• She lived as God’s faithful and humble servant
until her death on September 10, 1748. What
greater tribute could there be to her than Murillo
Velarde’s appreciation of the community.
“ What has always been a source of wonder to me
is that in spite of their large number and of being
all Indias and mestizas, governed by themselves,
in more than sixty years they have not given
reason for talk in the commonwealth. Rather they
have given much edification to all by their
devotion, humility, application to work and to the
spiritual exercise.”
The Pattern of call and response in her
life shows that God was always calling
her to leave the familiar and settle life
and venture into the unknown.
 “The calling of Mother Ignacia is
similar to the calling of Abraham, the
calling and promise of prosperity.” She
continues to bear witness to this
gracious and loving God who fulfilled
her dream beyond all her expectations.
“FOLLOWING THE HUMBLE
CHRIST IN THE SPIRIT OF
MARY”

CHAPTER THREE
• The 1726 constitution attest to her spirituality
of the cross and the centrality of Christ in her
life.
• When she wrote the rules of the Beaterio in
1726, she was already 63 years old.
• The 1726 constitution embody the
spirituality of Mother Ignacia.
• The poor, humble and suffering Christ was her
model and teacher in prayer and practices of penance
and mortification.
• The forgiving love of Christ manifested on the Cross
and experienced in the Eucharist was the basis of her
humble service in the community and in her
apostolic involvements.
• Her humble service was an expression of a
Eucharistic spirituality inspired by Mary’ Magnificat.
Leadership and Service
Prior Knowledge:

What makes a good leader?

What is the concept of a good
leader?
A “POPULAR” YOUTH
MINISTRY

Christus Vivit: Post synodal exhortation

"Christus vivit": Post-Synodal Exhortation to Young People and to the entire People of God (25 March 2019) | Francis (vatican.va)
• 230. In addition to the ordinary, well-planned
pastoral ministry that parishes and movements
carry out, it is also important to allow room for a
“popular” youth ministry, with a different style,
schedule, pace and method.
• Broader and more flexible, it goes out to those
places where real young people are active, and
fosters the natural leadership qualities and the
charisms sown by the Holy Spirit.
• It tries to avoid imposing obstacles, rules,
controls and obligatory structures on these
young believers who are natural leaders in their
neighborhoods and in other settings.
• We need only to accompany and encourage
them, trusting a little more in the genius of the
Holy Spirit, who acts as he wills.
231. We are speaking of truly “popular” leaders, not
elitists or those closed off in small groups of select
individuals. To be able to generate a “popular” ministry to
youth, “they need to learn to listen to the sense of the
people, to become their spokespersons and to work for
their promotion”.[124] When we speak of “the people”, we
are not speaking about the structures of society or the
Church, but about all those persons who journey, not as
individuals, but as a closely-bound community of all and
for all, one that refuses to leave the poor and the
vulnerable behind.
“The people wants everyone to share in the
common good and thus agree to keep pace with
its least members, so that all can arrive
together”.[125] “Popular” leaders, then, are
those able to make everyone, including the poor,
the vulnerable, the frail and the wounded, part of
the forward march of youth. They do not shun or
fear those young people who have experienced
hurt or borne the weight of the cross.
233. Instead of “overwhelming young people with a body of
rules that make Christianity seem reductive and moralistic, we
are called to invest in their fearlessness and to train them to
take up their responsibilities, in the sure knowledge that error,
failure and crisis are experiences that can strengthen their
humanity”.[127]
234. The Synod called for the development of a youth ministry
capable of being inclusive, with room for all kinds of young
people, to show that we are a Church with open doors. Nor
does one have to accept fully all the teachings of the Church
to take part in certain of our activities for young people.
It is enough to have an open mind towards all those
who have the desire and willingness to be
encountered by God’s revealed truth. Some of our
pastoral activities can assume that a journey of faith
has already begun, but we need a “popular” youth
ministry that can open doors and make room for
everyone, with their doubts and frustrations, their
problems and their efforts to find themselves, their
past errors, their experiences of sin and all their
difficulties.
235. Room should also be made for “all
those who have other visions of life,
who belong to other religions or who
distance themselves from religion
altogether. All the young, without
exception, are in God’s heart and thus in
the Church’s heart.