Daily Saint

Rose of Lima pursued justice for Indigenous people through direct action and radical charity. She was aware of the harsh treatment of Indigenous workers at the Andean mining projects and the impoverished existence of the people. This fueled her commitment to the marginalized. She opened a makeshift shelter in her family’s home to nurse, feed, and assist abandoned children and elderly people, particularly those of Indigenous and African descent. She sold her fine lace, embroidery, and flowers in the market to help fund services for the impoverished. Deeply aware of the systemic injustices under Spanish rule, she continually prayed, fasted, and offered her severe personal penances for the conversion and relief of the Indigenous population. She supported her friend, St. Martin de Porres, in performing corporal works of mercy for the Indigenous people of Peru, laying the groundwork for modern social work in Peru. Both saints dedicated their lives to providing healthcare, daily alms, and spiritual counsel to the poor, enslaved, and Indigenous populations.

Rose’s principal shrine is in Lima, Peru, near the home where she lived. This sanctuary is built upon the actual site of the Oliva family home, where she lived and performed her daily penances. Pilgrims from around the world visit the site to venerate her and ask for her intercession. The shrine features a reliquary chapel housing several of her relics, her original hermitage, and the famous well into which visitors place written prayer intentions, a tradition associated with the saint. St. Rose’s remains are venerated in the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo in Lima, where she is buried alongside two other renowned Peruvian saints, St. Martin de Porres and St. John Macias.