St. Mariana (1618 - 1645) was born in Quito, Ecuador to noble Spanish parents. Both her parents died at a very young age and she was under the care of her sister. Mariannna became a solitary in her sister's home under the direction of Mariana's Jesuit confessor. Marianna practiced the greatest austerities, ate hardly anything, slept for only three hours a night for years, had the gift of prophesy, and reputedly performed miracles. When an earthquake followed by an epidemic shook Quito in 1645, she offered herself publicly as a victim for the sins of the people. When the epidemic began to abate, she was stricken and died on May 26th. She is also known as the lily of Quito.
St. Marianna please pray for us to be able to pray with such great love.
Patron of: Ecuador; Americas; bodily ills; loss of parents; people rejected by religious orders; sick people; sickness.
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