NARCISA DE JESÚS MARTILLO MORÁN

1869
 

Narcisa de Jesús Martillo Morán (29 October 1832 – 8 December 1869) was an Ecuadorian known for her charitable giving and strict devotion to Jesus Christ while becoming somewhat of a hermit dedicated to discerning His will.

The death of her father in January 1852 prompted her to relocate to Guayaquil where she lived with prominent nobles and it was here that she began her mission of helping the poor and the sick and caring for abandoned children. It was also here that she took a job as a seamstress in order to fund her mission as well as supporting her eight brothers and sisters.But she soon moved to Cuenca for some months where she went from home to home and lived with whoever would take her in, to allow herself greater time for silent contemplation and penance.

In June 1868 she relocated to Lima in Peru at the advice of her new Franciscan spiritual director where she lived in the Dominican convent at Patrocinio despite not being a nun. It was here that she followed a demanding schedule of eight hours of reflection which was offered in silence and solitude. In addition she devoted four hours of the night to various forms of mortification which included flagellation and the wearing of a crown of thorns. In terms of nourishment she fasted on bread and water alone and took the Eucharist as her sole form of sustenance while was sometimes seen in an ecstatic state.

more at Wikipedia