Mother Mariana and the Foundresses: Suffering

Mother Mariana and some of the foundresses, although not officially yet canonized by the Church are indeed Saints whom we can invoke for their intercession. Little is written in English on the Conceptionist Franciscan Sisters in general let alone on the lives of the other sisters from the convent in Quito. As we know the apparitions of Mother Mariana are approved by the diocese of Quito and have been supported by the bishops since Mother Mariana's own time. In fact, her own bishop is the one who approved the making and blessing of the statue so that Our Lady under the title of 'Good Success' would be honored and venerated for all time. We have it by Our Lord's and Our Lady's testimony that all of the founding sisters listed below are in heaven and ready to help us reach heaven.

There are at least five of the sisters from Quito we should invoke for spiritual help. They are Mother Maria de Jesus Taboada, who was the first abbess of the convent, Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres to whom Our Lady came to under the title of 'Good Success' and three of the foundresses, Lucia of the Cross, Ana of the Conception and Francisca of the Angels. Christ Himself told Mother Mariana, "Lucia of the Cross, Ana of the Conception and Francisca of the Angels. Look at their final trials.... These sufferings are destined to purify them completely, so that they may neither know nor pass through Purgatory."

We can learn the value of suffering through these penitential, saintly sisters who await our petitions to help us in these dire times. We know of the intense sufferings of the first abbess Mother Maria de Jesus Taboada in establishing the convent. We know of the sufferings throughout Mother Mariana's life including the five years of intense suffering she endured to save the soul of the ring leader of the rebellious sisters in her convent. Few know of the suffering of the other foundresses such as the last three months of Mother Francisca of the Angels who spent these last moments of her life in intense suffering so as to merit graces on earth.

The Child Jesus when appearing to Mother Mariana spoke of the value of suffering on earth and how He valued such souls that he chose to undergo certain sufferings before their repose. The Child Jesus told Mother Mariana concerning Mother Francisca of the Angels, "...she will fill her soul with great merits. Because when I give Purgatory during the mortal life to some souls very dear to My Heart, it is so that the purification may come accompanied by merits, which would not happen in place of expiation.... where the souls atone for faults committed  but do not acquire any personal merit." So here Our Lord allowed Francisca of the Angels to suffer on earth so as to obtain merit which would not have been possible has she passed through Purgatory. This merit that she obtained in Christ could then be applied to other souls such as ours who are in dire need of help. Mother Francisca also had the wounds of Christ secretly imprinted on her which allowed her to further unite herself to Christ's suffering on the cross.

These sisters while teaching us the value of suffering in Christ, also stand waiting for us to ask for their help. We live in dire times where the enemies of the Church have infiltrated her walls and the very ones who are supposed to be leading us are instead working as traitors among us. Let us ask Our Lady of Good Success and all of these Conceptionist sisters for their help so that we and others may persevere in faith and receive eternal life in Christ.