Discovering One's Real Purpose in Life: A Personal Retreat with Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo Based on Her Writings

By Ignacio Russel Estoconing-Pecore and Tomas Sandoval

Some stories stand out in the annals of history as a beacon of hope amid darkness. One such incredible story is that of the Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo of the Philippines - a young Filipina who was overlooked by the church as a candidate for service but went on to shape the faith and social justice of a country divided by racism, slavery, and poverty. 

Holy Mother Ignacia's story is truly a remarkable one, as it is characterized by her unwavering faith and her commitment to the Four Pillars that she based her life around: To Know God, To Love God, To Serve God, and To Be with God Forever.Despite the insurmountable challenges she faced, Holy Mother Ignacia lived with courageous faith and became a model of a sacrosanct life.

Her vision was realized through the founding of the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM), which continues to thrive to this day, and her legacy continues to inspire and guide countless individuals around the world. Her exemplary and heroic life serves as a beacon of hope for all who seek to live a life of purpose and meaning.

This book brilliantly weaves together rich history, theology, and life principles to provide readers with a "mini-retreat" - a chance to reflect on what it means to hear God's guiding voice in our lives today. It is a testament to the power of faith and the enduring impact that individuals can have on the world around them. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9798889439400

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Discovering One's Real Purpose in Life

A Personal Retreat with Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo Based on Her Writings

Ignacio Russel Estoconing-Pecore and Tomas Sandoval

ISBN 979-8-88943-939-4 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88943-940-0 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by Ignacio Russel Estoconing-Pecore and Tomas Sandoval

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Nihil Obstat

Reverend John Balluf, STD

Censor Deputatus

July 21, 2021

Permission to Publish

Most Reverend Ronald A. Hicks, DD

Bishop, Diocese of Joliet

Illinois, USA

July 27, 2021

The Nihil Obstat and Permission to Publish are official declarations that a book is free of doctrinal and moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat and Permission to Publish agree with the content, opinions, or statements expressed. Nor do they assume any legal responsibility associated with publication.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Foreword

What This Book Is About

Take the Risk

Introduction

About the Cover

Chapter 1

Mother Ignacia's Oblation to God

Chapter 2

Pillar 1: To Know God

Chapter 3

Pillar 2: To Love God

Chapter 4

Pillar 3: To Serve God

Chapter 5

Pillar 4: To Be with God Forever

Echoes Of The Past (Poem)

A Challenge

Mother Ignacia, Hear Us

Bibliography

About the Author

It is with utmost humility and reverence that we present this book to honor the memory of the Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, the glorious foundress of the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary. Holy Mother Ignacia left an indelible mark in history by establishing the first-ever Retreat Movement for women throughout the world, and founding the first indigenous Filipino religious community, making her an icon of spirituality and devotion.

We extend our profound gratitude to the Very Rev. Mother Maria Rosabella R. Gallo, RVM, superior general, and the Sisters who serve as directors of retreats for the SPIRITUAL EXERCISES of St. Ignatius of Loyola. We would especially like to acknowledge the Sisters' Formation as Retreat Directors, who have dedicated themselves to this noble cause, namely: Sister Maria Eulalia Banawis, RVM; Sister Maria Fe Bautista, RVM; Sister Maria Elena de la Cruz, RVM; Sister Maria Virginia Ligaray, RVM; Sister Maria Victoria Lolo, RVM; Sister Maria Encarnacion Orbina, RVM; Sister Maria Josephine Preza, RVM; Sister Maria Corazon Ricafrente, RVM; Sister Maria Rosario Ricafrente, RVM; Sister Maria Angela Nenette Santiago, RVM; Sister Maria Rosabel Sare, RVM; Sister Maria Rafaela Singzon, RVM; Sister Maria Teresa Valdez, RVM; Sister Maria Ligaya Valencia, RVM; Sister Maria Lourdes Veloso, RVM; Sister Maria Agnes Wathun, RVM; and Sister Maria Leah Zozobrado, RVM.

These dedicated daughters of Holy Mother Ignacia have devoted their lives to this noble cause and have been instrumental in propagating the contemplative and transformative exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola to countless individuals seeking spiritual guidance and enlightenment.

Message A

As her cause moves forward, I take this occasion to assure you of my prayers. May Venerable Mother Ignacia's example inspire many to follow the Lord more closely and to bear witness to His love in our world.

—His Eminence James Cardinal Hickey, DD

Archbishop of Washington, DC

Message B

I read with interest about the cause for the beatification of Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, the holy foundress of the Religious of the Virgin Mary—the first Filipino congregation of women religious in the Philippines. I join you and all the Filipino people in praying for the eventual beatification and canonization of this most saintly woman.

—His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, DD

Archbishop of Philadelphia

Message C

We know that in the providence of God and in the work of the Spirit, the life of this simple Filipino woman, Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, who walked the streets of the walled city in Manila, God was preparing that life for the tremendous work that her daughters were to do so that more than 300 years later, we have not a small shrub but already a magnificent tree. But all of it derives from the underground stream, and the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary will be more and more enriched, the more it puts its roots strongly and deeply where it can draw from the waters of her life, of her charism and spirituality, of the gift that was the Holy Spirit.

—Rev. Father Catalino Arevalo, SJ, STD

Professor, Loyola School of Theology, Philippines

(The late cardinal Jaime Sin of Manila named Father Arevalo Dean of all Filipino Theologians. Fr. Arevalo is dubbed the Father of Asian Theology.)

Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, the holy foundress of the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary. In history, she is the first woman retreat director in the world.

Foreword

How do you know what God wants you to do?

Over three hundred years ago, in 1684, a young Filipina set out to find God's will for her life. At twenty-one, Ignacia del Espiritu Santo of Binondo, Manila, was of marriageable age; and her parents eagerly sought to find a suitable husband for her, as was the tradition for women at that time.

But while Ignacia wanted to please her parents, she could not seem to shake off the growing discomfort about this possibility. She could not ignore the stirrings in her heart.

Gathering her courage, she sought the help and advice of her confessor and spiritual director, Fr. Paul Klein, SJ. He advised her to make a retreat based upon the Spiritual Exercises by St. Ignatius of Loyola to guide her in her discernment. In turn, the retreat deepened her devotion to God and the Blessed Mother. She learned to recognize God in all things, to see God's presence in every time and place.

The retreat became a kind of crossroads—a turning point—for Ignacia.

And yet her discernment was not over. She still had to discern how she would serve. Because of the religious and racial prejudice at that time, native Filipinos could not become priests or nuns. But Ignacia