Ursula de Jesus facts for kids

Ursula de Jesus (1604–1668) was a special woman from Peru in the 1600s. She was a Catholic mystic, which means she had deep spiritual experiences and felt very close to God. Ursula was born in Lima, Peru. Her mother was a slave, so Ursula was also born into slavery. She was an African Peruvian who later became a donada, a religious servant, in the Roman Catholic Church. Ursula lived most of her life serving others, first as a slave and then as a devoted spiritual person.

Ursula de Jesus: A Life of Faith

Early Life and Slavery

Ursula de Jesus was born in 1604 in Lima, Peru. Her parents, Juan Castilla and Isabel de los Rios, were both slaves. This meant Ursula also became a slave from birth. She lived with her mother's owner, Gerònima de los Rios, until she was about eight years old. Later, she became the property of Luisa de Melgarejo Sotomayor, a religious woman who also had spiritual experiences. In 1617, Ursula went to the Convent of Santa Clara in Lima. She worked there as a servant for Ines del Pulgar, a young woman who was training to become a nun. Ursula worked as a slave for 43 years of her 62-year life.

A Life-Changing Moment

By 1642, Ursula was known in the convent for being a bit vain. She liked to dress nicely and thought a lot about herself. One day, she lent a skirt to someone, and it came back dirty. Ursula was eager to wash it right away. She went to a well to clean the skirt. As she stood on the platform over the well, it suddenly broke! Ursula found herself hanging on for her life, about to fall into the deep well.

In that scary moment, she prayed to the Virgin of Carmel for help. Miraculously, she managed to get her balance back and pull herself to safety. This near-death experience changed Ursula's life completely. She realized that her focus on material things was not important. From that day on, she decided to dedicate her life to God and spiritual matters.

Freedom and Spiritual Journey

After her life-changing experience, Ursula de Jesus wanted to live a very religious life. In 1645, one of the nuns at the convent bought her freedom. Even though she was now free, Ursula was not allowed to become a nun because of her race. However, she stayed at the convent as a donada. This meant she was a religious servant who helped with spiritual duties.

Ursula began to have special experiences. She said she saw divine visions, especially with the souls in purgatory. Purgatory, in Catholic belief, is a place where souls go to be purified before entering Heaven. Ursula believed these souls contacted her, asking for her prayers to help them move on. She felt she could do this because of her own near-death experience.

Visions and Messages

Between 1650 and 1661, Ursula kept a diary of her visions and life experiences. This diary was first published in English in 2004. In her diary, Ursula wrote about nuns who she believed were stuck in Purgatory. She said they would contact her. Some of these souls told her they were suffering because of how they behaved when they were alive. They supposedly answered many of Ursula's questions. They told her that they should have paid more attention during church services instead of gossiping or thinking about business. These souls hoped that Ursula's prayers could help ease their suffering in Purgatory.

Facing Challenges

In her personal journal, Ursula also wrote about the difficulties she faced. She complained about some demanding nuns who would spit on her and make fun of her. She often had to do a lot more work and chores compared to the nuns who were treated better. Even after she was freed from slavery and devoted her life to God, Ursula still faced discrimination. She was treated differently because of her African background and darker skin.

Sometimes, she felt very sad and asked God why she had to suffer so much. She wrote that God reminded her of the great suffering He went through. She felt that without God's help, she could not keep going. God, she wrote, replied that even though He was powerful in Heaven, He chose to suffer for everyone.

Her Final Years

Towards the end of her life, Ursula was sure she would go straight to Heaven. She believed her selfless actions and sacrifices would lead her there. Ursula de Jesus passed away on February 23, 1666. A respected nun named doña Leonor Basques said that Ursula's death was a "good death." She believed Ursula truly entered Heaven because she had prepared herself. Ursula had made her will, given away her belongings, confessed her sins, and received her last rites.

See also

In Spanish: Úrsula de Jesús para niños

• Catholic Church in Peru
• Religious experience