St. Rose of Lima
Patron Saint of Peru and Latin America
St. Rose of Lima was born Isabel Flores de Oliva in 1586 in what is now Peru. In 1597, upon her Confirmation, she took the name Rose. Although admired for her physical beauty, Rose would often cut her hair and dirty her face, since she wanted to live as a virgin. She would help care for the sick and poor of the city, selling her handmade needlework, lace, and embroidery to care for her family and those in need. Though her parents forbade her from becoming a nun, Rose instead became a lay member of the Dominican Order. She spent the remaining years of her life in prayer, solitude, and care for the poor. She died in 1617 at 31 years of age. She was beatified in 1667 by Pope Clement IX and canonized in 1671 by Pope Clement X. She was the first declared saint born in the Americas.