Story of Saint Rose of Lima, Peru
The New World's First Flower of Sanctity
Christened Isabella de Herra after her birth in April, 1586, Our Patroness was such a beautiful infant the people of Lima, Peru, likened her to an exquisite Rose. From the beginning of her life she was known as an extraordinary child. She was one of those souls chosen by Almighty God to manifest His Glory as He sometimes condescends to do in the souls of His creatures. Miracles and wonders surrounded her infancy and childhood.
Her beauty increased with the years and persons were in the habit of alluding to it in her presence. This distressed Rose. One day in her practical way of praying, she said to Our Mother, "This name they call me is not my own, it was given to me as a kind of vain adornment. I do not deserve it.
But as she knelt in the Chapel, Our Lady smiled upon her and said, "Thy name is very pleasing to the Son whom I bear in my arms; but henceforth, thou shalt add mine to it, and shalt be called Rose of Saint Mary. Thy soul must be a fragrant flower consecrated to Jesus."
From this time forward she used such means of mortifying her innocent body that a modern Christian must shrink from the very mention of them. She offered herself as a sacrifice for the conversion of hardened sinners.
Rose joined the tertiaries of Saint Dominic. They are like the third Order of Saint Francis, to which people living in the world belong. She occupied a little house, or cell, in the garden where she worked, and lived apart from the rest of the household. She received Holy Communion every day, and often this would be her only nourishment. She passed whole weeks without taking food.
When Rose died in 1617 at the age of 31, her body was laid in the Church of the Dominicans, where it still rests - the most precious treasure of the great city of Lima.
Saint Rose had hardly taken her place in Heaven, before crowds began to visit her tomb. Many miracles were worked through her intercession, but the greatest of all would seem to be the conversions that took place. Rose had spent her whole life praying for sinners, suffering for them, offering up every pain of body and soul that they might be touched by the Grace of God, and brought to repentance and salvation. Now the people went to the Sacraments in throngs.
Saint Rose was canonized in 1671, and was made Patroness of America and the Philippines. http://saints.catholic.org/saints/roselima.html
In reflecting on her life, we find that everything Saint Rose did was an instance of self-sacrifice - always with the intention of doing God's will. She realized that beauty is a gift of God, and that neither from it, nor from any other gift we possess may we take credit ourselves, and she was ever mindful that the only real beauty is that of virtue and holiness.
Saint Rose, dear Patroness, Pray For Us.
Excerpted, with editorial alterations, from a sermon by the Reverend Walter R. Conroy, August 30, 1949, at the dedication of the statue of Saint Rose of Lima, which remains on our Church grounds today.
Dedication to our Pastors and our Forebears
In gratitude for your leadership, vision, service and
sacrifice; in recognition that we are the beneficiaries of the
cumulative efforts and the works of the scores of clergy, religious
men and women, staff, and parishioners who came before us; in
acknowledgement that we have been entrusted to build upon the Saint
Rose Church legacy, that future generations of parishioners may be
strengthened in the Spirit by the work we do today; for the praise
and glory of His Name, Amen.
1859-1862 Rev. Francis J. Lenihan
1862-1868 Rev. James Daly
1868-1873 Rev. John Rogers
1873-1889 Rev. James McCartan
1889-1891 Rev. Patrick Donohue
1891-1910 Rev. Patrick Fox
1910-1921 Rev. George T. Sinnott
1921-1922 Rev. John A. Conway
1922-1925 Rev. Michael Regan
1925-1929 Rev. William H. Kennedy
1929-1931 Rev. Charles H. Kane
1931-1946 Right Rev. William J. Collins, P.A., V.G.
1946-1970 Msgr. Walter R. Conroy
1970-1973 Rev. Raymond Stevenson
1973-1986 Rev. Joseph Kohut
1986-1999 Msgr. George D. Birge