Biography
Isabel Flores de Oliva was born in Lima, Peru. She was exceptionally beautiful, which led her family to call her 'Rose.' To deter suitors and combat vanity, she rubbed her face with pepper to cause blisters and cut off her hair. Emulating St. Catherine of Siena, she refused marriage, took a vow of virginity, and became a Third Order Dominican. She lived in a tiny hut in her parents' garden, practicing severe penances, wearing a heavy silver crown with spikes inside, and fasting constantly. She dedicated herself to needlework and selling flowers to help support her impoverished family, while caring for the sick and poor of Lima. She experienced intense mystical visions and dark nights of the soul.
Miracles & Signs
- ✦Defending Lima from Dutch pirates through prayer in the Church of Santo Domingo
- ✦Flowers blooming out of season upon her death
Wisdom & Quotes
“Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.”
“Know that the greatest service that man can offer to God is to help convert souls.”