Simón de Rojas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Saint Simón de Rojas O.SS.T.
St. Simón de Rojas feeding the poor
Confessor and Trinitarian
Born	28 October 1552 Valladolid, Spain
Died	29 September 1624 Madrid, Spain
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	19 March 1766 by Pope Clement XIII
Canonized	3 July 1988, Vatican Basilica by Pope John Paul II
Feast	28 September
Attributes	Priestly vestments with the Blue and Red cross of the Trinitarian Order

Simón de Rojas (born October 28, 1552 – died September 29, 1624) was a Spanish priest. He belonged to the Trinitarian Order. People called him the "Apostle of the Ave Maria." This was because he deeply loved and honored the Blessed Virgin Mary. Simón de Rojas was very talented. He was a religious scholar and wrote many spiritual books. He was also a good friend and helper to people who were poor.

Early Life and Calling

Simón de Rojas was born on October 28, 1552, in Valladolid, Spain. He grew up in a very religious family. When he was a child, he had trouble speaking. But he was cured after praying to the Blessed Virgin Mary. His very first words were "Ave Maria," which means "Hail Mary." This seemed to show his strong devotion to Mary throughout his life.

When he was twelve, Simón joined the Trinitarian monastery in Valladolid. He officially became a monk on his 20th birthday, October 28, 1572. After that, he studied at the University of Salamanca from 1573 to 1579. He became a priest in 1577.

Life as a Priest

Simón de Rojas taught philosophy and theology in Toledo from 1581 to 1587. From 1588 until he died, he led different monasteries in his area. He also visited other monasteries to check on them.

His greatest joy was visiting places where people honored Mary. He loved to pray to Mary and with Mary. He tried to live like her and praise her. He understood how important Mary was in God's plan and in the Church.

Simón de Rojas studied deeply to understand Mary's role. He believed that to be fully devoted to God, like Mary, people should become "slaves of God in Mary." This means giving themselves completely to God through Mary. Because of this belief, he started a group called the Congregation of the Slaves of Mary. This group was for honoring God and Mary, and for helping the poor.

For him, being a "slave of Mary" meant belonging totally to her. This helped him feel closer to Jesus and, through Jesus, closer to God the Father.

Working with Royalty

During this time, Simón de Rojas also became a spiritual advisor to the Spanish queen, Margaret of Austria. In 1611, the queen became very sick after giving birth. She fell into a coma. Her husband, King Philip III, worried she might die without receiving important prayers.

Simón de Rojas went to her bedside. He greeted her with "Ave Maria, Señora" ("Hail Mary, my lady"). The queen immediately woke up and replied, "Gratia plena, Padre Rojas" ("Full of grace, Father Rojas"). This allowed Father Rojas to give her the anointing of the sick and Viaticum before she passed away.

On April 14, 1612, he officially started the Congregation of the Slaves of the Sweet Name of Mary.

In 1619, he became a teacher for the royal princes of Spain. On May 12, 1621, he was chosen to lead the Trinitarian order in Castilla. He accepted these important jobs only if he could continue helping the poor. He also wanted to stay true to the Trinitarian mission.

While working at the royal court, Rojas had thousands of pictures of the Virgin Mary printed. They had "Ave Maria" written on them. He sent these pictures even to other countries. He also had rosaries made with 72 blue beads on a white cord. These colors represented Mary's Assumption and Immaculate Conception. The 72 beads were a reminder that people at the time believed Mary lived to be 72 years old. He sent these rosaries everywhere, even to England, which was a Protestant country then.

Using his influence at court, he had the words "Ave Maria" carved in gold letters on the front of the royal palace in Madrid.

Later, on January 1, 1622, he became the spiritual advisor to Queen Isabel of Borbon. On June 5, 1622, he asked the Holy See (the Pope's office) to approve a special prayer text he wrote. This text honored the Sweet Name of Mary. Later, Pope Innocent XI made this prayer text available to the entire Catholic Church. Simón de Rojas died in Madrid on September 29, 1624.

After His Death

After Simón de Rojas died, his funeral was a huge event. It was almost like he was being made a saint already. For twelve days, famous preachers in Madrid spoke about his good deeds and holy life. Everyone respected him so much.

Because of this widespread respect, on October 8, 1624, the Pope's representative ordered the start of the process to make him a saint. His heroic good qualities were recognized by Pope Clement XII on March 25, 1735. Simón de Rojas was officially declared "blessed" (a step before sainthood) by Pope Clement XIII on March 19, 1766. Finally, on July 3, 1988, he was made a saint by Pope John Paul II.

His Lasting Impact

Artists often paint Simón de Rojas with the words "Ave Maria" on his lips. The group he founded, the Congregation of the Slaves of the Sweet Name of Mary, was for everyday people. People from all walks of life could join. Members, including the king and his children, promised to honor Mary. They did this by helping the poor, who Mary loved. This work still continues in Spain today.

Simón de Rojas was known as a great thinker and prayerful person. He believed that deep prayer should go hand-in-hand with helping others.

See also

In Spanish: Simón de Rojas (santo) para niños