Turned away from every convent in Manila for being Filipina, Venerable Ignacia del Espíritu Santo built one herself with a needle and scissors.
When Spanish colonial convents refused to accept native Filipina women, Ignacia left home with almost nothing and began a quiet life of prayer and honest work near Manila's Jesuits. Other women joined her, and the community she never sought official credit for became the first religious congregation for native Filipino women.
"She just had her love for Jesus and her willingness to live it out in the open."
Want to keep living Ignacia's story after the episode ends? Grab our free Family Pack — a saint calendar with daily challenges, feast-day activities, family discussion questions, and more — free for email subscribers, so your family can follow along together: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/pages/every-days-a-feast-day-follow-along