St. Martin de Porres

When I was in Lima to teach English in the Normal Training School to teach the graduating class, I asked the students to tell me about their country, culture, and anything they thought I should know. One of the most interesting things I did there was to visit the Dominican monastery and see where St. Martin de Porres did all the sweeping of the cloister. I also managed to get to the home of St. Rose of Lima and see the tiny place she used to use in the garden - both places have a certain spirit about them - holy and very poor. I feel the same spirit at St. Charles where St. Philippine lived. Her feast is now on November 18 and I need to begin to prepare for it. When I was in Chile, I lived with a young Spanish nun who became a great spiritual friend. We used to choose some special practice to do before the feasts and urge each other on as she was a very spiritual person. Later, she returned to Malta and I visited her there a few times before her death. She had been down to the bakery to fetch the bread for breakfast and she collapsed at the top of the steps on her return. I think her heart just gave out as she had had TB and had one lung removed when we were in Chile.
We have the custom here of reading the names of all the RSCJs who are buried in our cemetery beginning with the earliest years. I think we hear about twenty names a day. Since we founded our convent and boarding school in 1898, I guess it does take the month to get through all the names. They are read at Mass so all will pray for these and I like to think that they are watching over us with love.