These visions would sometimes playfully delight her, or teach her God’s way, or console her in times of trial. Such mystical encounters led Rose into a life dedicated to prayer and service to those who were suffering and in need of help. Though her life was cut short—she died at the age of thirty-one, probably from tuberculosis—the extraordinary story of her life is a model for us today, just as it was for the people of Peru many centuries ago.

Child of God. Rose was the seventh of eleven children born to Gaspar and Maria Flores in Lima, Peru, in 1586. At birth, she was named Isabel after her grandmother. During her canonization process, her mother told the story of how she came to be called Rose. When the baby was only a few months old, Mariana, a young servant girl, peered into her cradle and let out a startled cry. Everyone in the room rushed over to look into the cradle, and lo and behold, the baby’s whole face had turned into a pretty little rose. In the middle of the delicate flower, the tiny features of her eyes, mouth, and nose could be seen. From that day forward, she would be called Rose.

Little Rose was a beautiful child with radiant skin and rosy cheeks. She was said to be sweet, intelligent, and quite determined, with a vivid religious imagination. When she was about three years old, her mother tried to teach her to read and write. When little Rose could not grasp these concepts, her mother became frustrated. The child came back a little later with a notebook with perfect handwriting and then proceeded to read with ease. When her surprised mother asked how this had happened, Rose’s response was, “I asked the baby Jesus to teach me, Mama, to save you the work, and he did.”

When Rose was five years old, her grandmother read her a book about Catherine of Siena. Rose immediately knew she wanted to be just like St. Catherine. She began to call Catherine her “mistress” and wanted to copy her in all things. Inspired by what Catherine did as a child, when Rose was six years old, she sought out a priest and told him that she wanted to stay single and dedicate her life to God. Surprisingly, the priest allowed her to make a private vow. Perhaps the priest thought this might be a phase little Rose would outgrow as she matured. However, she remained faithful to this vow for the rest of her life.

Tension in the Family. Rose had a stable and safe childhood. While her family had a high social standing, they struggled financially, which often created stress in the household. She was close to her siblings and father; however, she had a difficult relationship with her mother. From the time Rose took her private vow of virginity at age six, her aspirations for herself were in complete conflict with her mother’s. Her mother delighted in her beauty and was always attempting to dress her in fancy clothes, to curl her hair, and to show her off to friends and family. The emphasis and attention on her beauty and appearance were upsetting to Rose, and she often fought and argued with her mother, refusing to cooperate.

Rose grew into a lovely young woman with many of the skills proper to her social class. She was well-mannered, well-spoken, and could read and write. She was known for growing beautiful flowers, which she carefully arranged on the altar at the Dominican church. Rose played the guitar and the lute, sang beautifully, and wrote lyrics and poetry. Her needlework was exceptional, and she often sold it to help with the family finances.

As Rose grew into adulthood, the tension with her mother increased. Her parents had high hopes that their beautiful daughter would marry well and help the family financially. However, Rose would have no part of it. She chopped off her hair and put pepper on her face and dirt on her clothes. She was flat-out rude to all potential suitors, chasing them away by refusing to speak to them or by freezing in place and pretending she was a statue! Her mother would become very angry with Rose, and there were many arguments and tears between the two.

In time, her parents yielded to Rose’s deep desire to dedicate her life to God. However, Rose did not want to enter the convent; she was determined to follow in the footsteps of her beloved Catherine of Siena and become a lay Dominican tertiary. When Rose was twenty years old, she took vows and received the Dominican habit. One of her brothers helped her build a little hermitage on her parents’ property (which is still standing today), where she lived as a religious for the rest of her life.

Spiritual Leader and Caregiver to the Poor. Rose often spent long hours praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament and was allowed the special privilege at the time of receiving Communion every day. As is often the case, her deep love of God and union with Christ through prayer and the Eucharist led her to a great compassion for the suffering of others.

The city’s main hospital was located across from Rose’s home, and she was terribly upset to see the poor—mostly Black slaves and indigenous people—being turned away. She would go out in the streets trying to find medicine, food, and housing for poor people, using her family’s limited resources to cover the cost. Finally, in frustration, her parents gave her a room in their home and permission to bring in the sick for care.

Her partner in caring for the sick was the future saint, Martin de Porres, also a member of the Dominican Order. Seven years her senior, Martin had completed an apprenticeship in barbering and medicine. Together, Rose and Martin ministered to the poorest outcasts in Lima, serving all equally and never turning anyone away. Along with offering shelter and food, Rose and Martin tenderly nursed and treated desperately ill people, always seeing their beloved Christ in each person.

Rose’s mother marveled at how Rose handled the terrible sights and smells of her patients, but she knew that Rose was never happier than when every bed was filled. Rose and Martin’s intercessory spiritual gifts were widely known throughout all of Lima, and there are many stories of miraculous healings of those in their care.

In Love with the Crucified One. As is widely known, Rose engaged in very severe penitential practices. She fasted, often for three days each week, slept on a bed of hard wood, and sometimes placed a crown of thorns under the lovely crown of roses she was known to wear.

While these practices seem bizarre to us, they were commonplace among religious men and women in Rose’s time and place. During Rose’s life, Lima was an intense place marked by earthquakes, pirate attacks, political upheaval, and plagues. Given that she was surrounded by chaos, suffering, and death, it makes sense that her personal spirituality would be linked to Christ’s suffering on the cross and the belief that the path to intimate union with Christ was by experiencing personal suffering. While these ways seem extreme to us, the fruits and truth of her love for God can be seen in her great compassion and love for humanity.

Saint of the People. Rose did not fear death; she said she was joyfully looking forward to heaven and complete union with the God she so loved. She prophesied her own death, which she said would take place on the feast of St. Bartholomew, to whom she had a great devotion. Of course, her death at only thirty-one was a searing loss for her family and friends, and indeed, all of Lima—rich and poor alike—were in deep mourning at her passing. No doubt the beloved Christ Child, who often visited Rose during her earthly life, was there to greet her and welcome her into her eternal life.

Rose was canonized in 1671, the first saint of the “New World.” On her deathbed, Rose thanked St. Dominic for receiving her into his Order and giving her a place to live out her religious life. Today, we thank Rose for the beautiful example she gives us of a life lived in faith, hope, and charity.

Jennie Weiss Block, OP, DMin, is a Dominican laywoman and a practical theologian. She is the author of Paul Farmer: Servant to the Poor.