Ignacian Formation Program

(Revised 2021)
IFP SY 2021 - Module 7: Mother Ignacia’s Virtues and Her Influence to Young People - Page 0
 Session 1
MOTHER IGNACIA’S VIRTUES

Session 2
MOTHER IGNACIA’S POSITIVE IMPACT
TO YOUNG PEOPLE

Session 3
MOTHER IGNACIA’S LIFE OF SERVICE

Session 4
MOTHER IGNACIA’S LEADERSHIP EXAMPLES

IFP SY 2021 - Module 7: Mother Ignacia’s Virtues and Her Influence to Young People - Page 1
 INTRODUCTION

The Ignacian Formation Program was originally conceived in the 16th

Ordinary General Chapter in 1996. This aims to provide a more solid
foundation on the spirituality of Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo which
is a “spirituality of Marian radical openness to the will of God that
impels us to a humble and courageous, generous and creative service to
the Church especially the poor.” It is the spirituality of the humble
servant of the Lord (CD 1996,5).

The original Ignacian Formation Program (IFP) Modules were first

implemented in 1997 for the youth and Lay Partners; and in 2008 for
Grade School, High School and College. These modules were revised as
mandated by the 20th Ordinary General Chapter. (Documents CD 2016,
p.35, 1.3). The revision was to align the modules to the current social
context of our students and personnel, to enable them to uphold their
personal integrity rooted in Christian morality and discipleship, and to
exercise their strong sense of accountability at the level of their
responsibility following the examples of Venerable Ignacia del Espiritu
Santo.

This current year 2021, the Education Ministry Commission implements

the revised IFP Modules 2021 for Grade 3 to Grade 12 and for
Personnel. The topics and contents of this revised IFP Modules 2021 are
based from the original IFP Modules of 1997 and most of its contents
were copied/lifted from the book entitled “Mother Ignacia del Espiritu
Santo, A Lamp to Our Path” by S. Ma. Anicia B. Co, RVM; and some were
taken from “Behold the Handmaid of the Lord!” by S. Ma. Rita Ferraris,
RVM; “A Valiant Woman: Thoughts and Reflections on the Legacy of
Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo”; Novena Prayer to Mother Ignacia del
Espiritu; and from other RVM Documents.

The IFP Modules 2021 for students (Grades 3 to 12) are designed as a
series of ten modules with four (4) sessions to be given by year level.
The time frame for each session is one (1) hour, however if the school
allows, the facilitator may extend the time to have more activities,
reflection and faith sharing. The modules focus on the family
background, vocation, mission, qualities, virtues and values of Mother
Ignacia and its relevance to the present reality in our society and
concerns of our students.

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This revised IFP modules 2021 follow the acronym of IGNACIAN as its
format adopted from the templates of holiness presented by M. Ma.
Coranzon D. Agda, RVM in her inspirational talk during the Christian
Formation Coordinators’ National Convention 2020 with some
modifications to harmonize with the RVM Pedagogy.

It is the preliminary part of the session. This

includes the opening activity/ prayer, focus
I Introduction
(title of the session), motivation, and
activating prior knowledge.
It identifies what the participants need to
Goals and know and what to do as indicated in the
G Objectives enabling objectives (specific), and in the
terminal objectives (goal/general).
This is to introduce new facts and concepts
grounded on the life and spirituality of
Mother Ignacia. It is divided into two parts:
N New Knowledge Concept (presentation of main concept), and
the Broadened Concept (broadening of
concept)
This is to create activities that will allow the
participants to develop not only critical,
A Activities creative, and analytical thinking but more
importantly moral and responsible choices.
This will help the participants articulate what
Ignacian Core and related Values can be
Charity-inspired
drowned from the session, and to provide
C Character- them opportunities for better and deeper
building Values
self-knowledge in relation to the current
social realities.
Invitation to
This is to give the participants opportunities
I silence… God
to reflect and share their faith experiences.
Time
This is the summary or synthesis part. The
facilitator participants may be encouraged to
express, illustrate or relate in their own words
A Aphorism or in their own creative manner, their
understanding, reflection on the life of
Mother Ignacia, and its application or
connection in their daily life.

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 It involve participants in real life situations in
the community, reach out and apply their
theories in real situations, and find out how
Noteworthy
students internalize theory and practice.
N Application of
It is a lasting impression in relation to life,
Insights Gained
leading to possible and positive change in
ways of looking at things and in their way of
life.

The Ignacian Formation Program revised edition 2021 is a project

initiated by the RVM Education Ministry Commission, chaired by S. Ma.
Marissa Viri, RVM. It is noteworthy to acknowledge the following: S. Ma.
Rufina Guillano, RVM who facilitated the IFP workshop in March 7-8,
2020 at the RVM Regional House, Singalong, Paco, Manila and for her
generous time and effort to edit and finalize all the modules; to the
following Christian Formation Coordinators and Lay Partners for their
valuable contribution in the preparation of the preliminary drafts of the
revised modules: S. Ma. May Moran, RVM, S. Ma. Mara Saira Suelto,
RVM, S. Ma. Rhoma Regato, RVM, S. Ma. Marissa Ardeta, RVM, S. Ma.
Relyn Grace Jaspe, RVM, S. Ma. Melanie Cajandig, RVM, Ms. Regina
Padilla, Mrs. Leah Yee (Luzon Region); S. Ma. Alice Elloran, RVM, S. Ma.
Ruby Amen, RVM, S. Ma. Ilin Salvador, RVM, S. Ma. Jemimah Estorque,
RVM, Mr. Jolex Estanislao, Mrs. Loreta Guimbaolibot (Visayas Region); S.
Ma. Gretchen Besonia, RVM, S. Ma. Leonor Espallardo, RVM, S. Ma.
Gracia Agda, RVM, Mr. Clent Daril Balaba (Northern Mindanao Region);
S. Maryvic Casas, RVM, S. Ma. Christina Corre, RVM, S. Ma. Rachel
Curayag, RVM, S. April Mariae Libradilla, RVM, S. Ma. Rufel Palarca,
RVM, Ms. Cecille Lumayag, Ms. Socorro Neri (Southern Mindanao
Region).

May this revised IFP modules 2021 continue to nurture the Students and
Lay Personnel’s Ignacian Spirituality in their participation in the RVM
mission of spreading the fragrance of God’s unconditional love,
compassion and mercy amidst these challenging times.

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MODULE 7 - SESSION 1

INTRODUCTION (Preliminaries)
Opening Activity/Prayer:

Song: MIDES WAY (SAP #347)

Focus: MOTHER IGNACIA’S VIRTUES

Motivation: Song Analysis

 What did you feel while singing the song “MIDES Way?
 What is the message of the song?

APK (Prior Knowledge):

 Have you encountered or known a person living a holy
life? Describe his or her way of life.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (What to know and what to do)

Enabling Objectives: At the end of the session, the students
will be able to know and realize the different cardinal
and theological virtues of Mother Ignacia and explain
the meaning according to their own understanding.

Terminal Objectives (Goal): At the end of the session, the

students will be able to live out Mother Ignacia’s
cardinal and theological virtues in their day to day life
by striving to live a holy life.

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NEW KNOWLEDGE (facts, primary and broadened concept)
A. Concept
 “Anyone among you who aspires to greatness must
serve the rest, and whoever wants to rank first among
you must serve the needs of all. (Mt. 20:26-27).
 The poor and humble Christ was her model and
teacher in prayer and practices of penance and
mortifications. (A Lamp to our Path, page 39)
 Mother Ignacia’s simplicity was manifested by leaving
the comfort of her family and obeying the call of God
bringing with her a pair of scissors and a needle.
 Mother Ignacia was steadfast in her decision to follow
Christ in poverty and humility. (A Lamp to our Path,
page 43)
 Excerpts from the 1726 rules of M. Ignacia del Espiritu
Santo, in charity and ideal community living, II.6- the
peacemakers are called children of God; they are
those who live united among themselves with genuine
charity, mutually bear with shortcomings, and strive to
correct each other with meekness, not in order to
avenge the offense but to avoid that of God. II.18-
Conquer yourself in all things and you will quickly
attain the perfection of virtue. Do not complain of
nothing, but of the small extent that you progress and
advance and in the service of God.
 The deep humility when she step down her position as
superior of the community allowing the new member
to rule the Beaterio while remaining a simple member.

B. Broadened Concept:
In a papal decree dated July 6, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI
accepted the findings of the prefect of the Congregation
for the Causes of Saints and declared that the Servant of
God Ignacia, foundress of the Religious of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, is found to possess to a heroic degree the
theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity toward God

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 and neighbor, as well as the cardinal virtues of Prudence,
Justice, Temperance and Fortitude.
Questions:
 How can Mother Ignacia’s cardinal and theological
virtues encourage us Marians and the Filipino people
to live a life of holiness?
 Is Mother Ignacia’s virtuous life still significant in
today’s highly advanced technological society? Why
or why not?

ACTIVITIES: My Epitaph
 Imagine you have reached the end of your life.
 Write your own epitaph, the description of how you
have lived your life.
 What do you think others say about you?

CHARITY-INSPIRED CHARACTER-BUILDING VALUES

Values Integration: Prudence, Temperance, Fortitude, living
a holy life (Cardinal Virtues)
 In your observation, inorder to imitate Mother Ignacia’s
virtues, what attitude or values we should wear in this
highly commercialized society especially in determining
what we truly need than want?
Social Integration: Social Media platforms
 In today’s generation in their practices in the different
social media platforms, how do you think Mother
Ignacia’s virtues in attaining perfections influence the
Generation Z to live in holiness?

INVITATION TO SILENCE… GOD TIME

Faith Reflection/Faith Sharing
Journal writing
 How will you live a saintly life like Mother Ignacia?
 Then share afterwards.
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APHORISM (Summary /Synthesis)
Mother Ignacia’s life is deeply rooted in Christ. She lived a
virtuous life of charity, humility, zealous for the good of souls,
devout and being simple. In her 1726 rules and constitution
she encouraged the beatas to live a charitable life and be
peacemakers thus, to attain perfection of virtues. In July 6,
2007, Pope Benedict XVI declared Mother Ignacia del Espiritu
Santo, the servant of God to be Venerable, thus, she possess
to a heroic degree the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and
Charity toward God and neighbor and cardinal virtues of
Prudence, Justice, Temperance and Fortitude. Indeed she is a
model worth emulating for! We, Marians are invited to live a
holy life like that of our Mother Foundress- the Venerable
Ignacia del Espiritu Santo and to attain way of perfection.

NOTEWORHTY APPLICATION OF INSIGHTS GAINED

CHALLENGE:
 Compose a slogan, on how you can live a virtuous life in
school, at home and community.

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 MODULE 7 - SESSION 2

INTRODUCTION (Preliminaries)
Opening Activity/Prayer:

Loving God and Father, we thank you for Mother Ignacia’s

experienced during her life time that may remain clear and
beautiful as they were on the day of their occurrence. We are
blessed for her presence, compassion and love. Teach us to
follow her example and joys, and allow us to cherish our
differences and to trust our own unique gifts. Help us to live a
life with dedication and commitment that would ignite others
a new world where love is the basis of our living. We ask this
through Christ our Lord. Amen

Focus: MOTHER IGNACIA’S POSITIVE IMPACT TO

YOUNG PEOPLE

Motivation: Song Analysis: “ULIRAN”

 What line that struct you most from the lyrics of the
song? Why?

APK (Prior Knowledge):

 Have you experienced being an influence to others to do
good or great things in the community? How do you
feel about it? Why?

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (What to know and what to do)

Enabling Objectives: At the end of the session, the students
will be able to know Mother Ignacia’s life impact to
the young and show it in their daily life.

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 Terminal Objectives (Goal): At the end of the session, the
students will be able to imitate Mother Ignacia’s way
of life, its impact to the young and sustain it by living
out a virtuous life.

NEW KNOWLEDGE (facts, primary and broadened concept)

C. Concept
There are people who work not just for the benefit of
themselves but for the sake of others. Their contribution
lead to something good for the betterment of the society
and oftentimes imitated by others. Mother Ignacia’s
giftedness is revealed through the different events of her
life. She realized that God is a generous and loving Father
who shows no partiality. Mother Ignacia’s way of life and
virtues pose a great challenge to all of us especially the
young of today. The steadfastness of her faith and her
virtuous life soon bore their first fruits. Some women
were attracted to her way of life. The turning point
happened when she was visited by her niece, Christina
Gonzalez. Influenced by Mother Ignacia’s exhortations
she decided to stay with her. Mother Ignacia then learned
about the desire of other women to join her group. (Co,
1998). Because of her great love for the good of souls,
she and her beatas overcame the difficulties they met
from the very foundation of the Beaterio.

Mother Ignacia led the community by her example of

prayer and a life of virtue. Her decision to live by the
sweat of her face had its impact on their community life
(Co, 1998). They blazed a trail for religious women by
serving the Lord not just through contemplation inside
the convent but by engaging in apostolic activities. They
taught home arts and religion to women and basic
Christian Education and Catechism to children. They
opened the beaterio to women who would want to stay
in seclusion and recollection for some time. They helped
in the giving of Spiritual Exercises. The beaterio became a
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 place where women could grow in their closeness to God.
Mother Ignacia’s community became a symbol of unity
and reconciliation for they included in their ministry not
only yndias but also mestiza and Spanish girls and women
(Co, 1998). They also took care of women whose
husbands were away or widows who wanted to lead a
quiet life. They went to the barrios and conducted
“mission” to the poor, they also took care of orphans like
those from Tamontaca.

Mother Ignacia is a symbol of how to become fervent as

she awakened generosity and initiative. She jolted the
lukewarm and lazy by her spirit of industry and she
disturbed the conscience of others to return to God by
her life of contemplation in action. To the Filipino people
she gave hope and inspiration. She set an example of how
to integrate faith and culture in life. To the Spaniards, she
became a sign of reconciliation where the aspirations and
needs of both races were attended to in her apostolates
without making either party guilty of neglect or failure in
the process. (Alvino, 1981)

Murillo Vellarde, a Jesuit historian wrote his appreciation

of the community of Mother Ignacia and the Beatas he
said that “what has always been a source of wonder to
me is that in spite of their large number and of being all
Indias and mestizas, governed by themselves, in more
than sixty years they have not given reason for talk in the
commonwealth. Rather they have given much edification
to all by their devotion, humility, application to work and
to the Spiritual Exercises”.

D. Broadened Concept:
There are two great women in ninetieth Mother Theresa
and Princess Diana. Mother Teresa saw the suffering
around her and sought to reach out to the poorest of the
poor making them feel a sense of dignity in their most
abject condition. Princess Diana experienced suffering
IFP SY 2021 - Module 7: Mother Ignacia’s Virtues and Her Influence to Young People - Page 11
 herself and opened her heart to the pains and afflictions
of other people, especially the handicapped. Unlike
Mother Teresa and Princess Diana, Mother Ignacia was a
hidden figure, an elusive personality, whose story we
want to recover from the dustbin of history. Yet, like
these two women of our times, Mother Ignacia worked
for the uplifment of woman’s dignity. Like their deaths,
hers brought about meeting of peoples of different
classes, statuses, races. Murillo Vellarde tells us that
Mother Ignacia was “honored at her burial… by some
ecclesiastics and Spaniards who carried her coffin”. The
throng of people at her burial were composed of natives,
Chinese, mestizas, Spaniards of whatever rank or status
in society. The recognition that was denied Mother
Ignacia while she was alive was given her at her death.
The effect of her death can be compared to that of
Princess Diana’s-the coming together of different kinds of
people, the breaking of age-old traditions that put
barriers between people in terms of social status,
privilege and rank. Mother Ignacia poses a challenge in
much the same way as Mother Teresa and Princess
Diana.

What is our challenge today? Not only to raise the

consciousness of women to their own worth and dignity
as women created in God’s image and likeness. We need
likewise to raise the consciousness of people around her,
men and women, so that the truth that women know and
feel about themselves and their dignity may be affirmed
by all those around her. This was what Mother Ignacia did
in her own way in her time. We are called to do likewise,
in our own way, wherever we are, to raise the
consciousness of people to the dignity of woman as a
person created by God and called together with men to
authentic humanity and fullness of life. (Co, 1998, pp. 106
& 108)

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 Questions:
 How can you as digital natives relate your life to
Mother Ignacia’s life?
 What is the possible effect in your life if you imitate
the examples of Mother Ignacia?

ACTIVITIES:
List down at least two issues to which you can respond
concretely.

Issues Response

CHARITY-INSPIRED CHARACTER-BUILDING VALUES

Values Integration: generosity, fear of God, responsive to
others need, living a holy life
 In a society we are in now what should be our
disposition or attitude in order to influence other
young people the way Mother Ignacia leave a positive
mark in her time?

Social Integration:
 In the midst of example hunger, difficulties and pain
and struggling economy, how can you be an
instrument of being a good role model to other
people especially to your fellow youth?

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INVITATION TO SILENCE… GOD TIME
Faith Reflection/Faith Sharing
 Using your journal notebook, write an essay of your
appreciation and a prayer of gratitude on how you
have been influenced and challenged by the life of
Mother Ignacia.

APHORISM (Summary /Synthesis)

Mother Ignacia continues to be a light for us today. Her life
story teaches us to recognize our own giftedness and
acknowledge God. Through her gifts, Mother Ignacia
influenced her companions by showing good examples. She
served because she loved God. Our gifts are messages of love
from God. They bring an invitation to come closer to God
through gratitude and generosity – gratitude to God, the
giver of gifts, and generosity to put our gifts at the service of
others.

Mother Ignacia also continues to inspire us to be aware of

and responsive to the issues confronting our society today.
Her life teaches us that we can effectively respond to
challenges if we are open to God. We need to constantly seek
God’s will and purpose, and cooperate in the fulfillment of His
loving design and dream for His people and all of creation.
Carrying out our mission necessarily entails a lot of sacrifice
and self-giving.

God made Mother Ignacia a source of blessing to others. She

continues to bear witness to this gracious and loving God who
fulfilled her dream beyond all her expectations.

NOTEWORHTY APPLICATION OF INSIGHTS GAINED

 How can you be a good influence to other people
especially to your family, friends and the people in your
community?

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 MODULE 7 - SESSION 3

INTRODUCTION (Preliminaries)
Opening Activity/Prayer:

Video Presentation on the Joy of Serving:

Happiness is helping others - https://youtu.be/zcruIov45bI

Focus: MOTHER IGNACIA’S LIFE OF SERVICE

Motivation:
Song Analysis: Mother Ignacia and the Beatas (SAP #361)
 What struck you from the song?
 What is the message of the song?

APK (Prior Knowledge):

 Did you experience being served? How did you feel
about it?
 Did you experience serving others? How did you feel
about it?

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (What to know and what to do)

Enabling Objectives: At the end of the session, the students
will be able to know Mother Ignacia’s life of service
and expound it on their own.

Terminal Objectives (Goal): At the end of the session, the

students will be able to emulate Mother Ignacia’s life
of service by their generous giving of self to the poor
especially those who are most in need.

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NEW KNOWLEDGE (facts, primary and broadened concept)
A. Concept
Mother Ignacia’s goal of living in the service of God is not
an easy task. But because she has a great love for the
good of souls, she and her beatas overcame the
difficulties they met from the very foundation of the
Beaterio. They blazed the trail for religious women by
serving the Lord not just through contemplation inside
the convent but by engaging in apostolic activities. They
taught home arts and religion to women and basic
Christina Education (Cartilla) and Catechism to children.
They helped the Jesuits in giving retreats to women
including Spanish ladies. They also took care of women
whose husbands were away or widows who wanted to
lead a quiet life (recogidas). They went to the barrios and
conducted “mission” to the poor, they also took care of
orphans like those from Tamontacca. Mother Ignacia’s
pioneering works/ service continued to flourish despite
the challenges of the new millennium. Her works became
organized ministries that provided significant
contributions not only in the Philippine society but also in
other parts of the world.

The RVM ministries are the following: Education Ministry-

this means that the giving of Christian education initiated
by Mother Ignacia blossomed into many schools that
provide not just quality instruction but also strong
spiritual formation; Social Ministry - this means that they
continue helping the poor, the needy and the
underprivileged; Dormitory Ministry - the RVM Sisters
continue to care for women by providing dormitories;
Special Ministry- the RVM Congregation has 21 special
ministries that range from healing the sick, caring for the
elderly, pastoral ministry, ecumenical centers, giving
consultancy to certain fields, networking with some
agencies and other ministries that respond to the call of
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 the Church in the present time; Retreat Ministry- these
ministries prove that Mother Ignacia’s service still present
in the Filipino of today, particularly in the RVM Sisters.

B. Broadened Concept:
 How do Mother Ignacia’s selfless giving of life
encourage us to share our self in the service of our
fellow humans?
 What are the noble contributions of Mother Ignacia’s
life of service to our society today?
 How can Mother Ignacia’s love for service be an
example to all Filipinos in taking care of God’s
creation?

ACTIVITIES:
Make a PLAN OF ACTION of how you can be of help in the
household chores, to each member of the family and in the
community.

CHARITY-INSPIRED CHARACTER-BUILDING VALUES

Values Integration: Preferential Option for the poor and
service
 In your observation in the world today, what should be
our attitude in this time of crisis/pandemic to the poor
around us and in the promotion of social justice and
peace?
Social Integration: Global Crisis- preservation of Mother
Earth
 How do you think can we follow the life of service as
exemplified by Mother Ignacia in responding to the
urgent call of the global crisis in preserving Mother Earth?

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INVITATION TO SILENCE… GOD TIME
Faith Reflection/Faith Sharing
 Compose a short prayer asking God’s grace to emulate
Mother Ignacia’s life of service. Then share afterwards.
(with instrumental background music).

APHORISM (Summary /Synthesis)

Mother Ignacia’s great love for God and for the good of souls
allowed her and her beatas to surpass life’s challenges by
sacrificing and serving God. They trod the road in serving the
Lord not only in prayer but also engaging in apostolic
ministry. They went to the barrios and conducted “mission”
to the poor, they also took care of orphans like those from
Tamontacca.

Mother Ignacia’s great love for God and his people is

manifested by her service. And like any other kind of services,
it bears much fruit. Mother Ignacia’s pioneering services
continued to flourish despite many challenges through the
different ministries of the RVM Congregation. These
ministries are Education, Social, Dormiotry, Special, Retreat
Ministry and the Overseas Mission. We as Ignacian Marians,
are challenged, too, to be of service to others by being
faithful stewards of God’s creation and Christian disciples.

NOTEWORHTY APPLICATION OF INSIGHTS GAINED

Challenge:
The students will formulate their own plan of action on how
they can live out a life of service to others in school, at home
and in community.

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MODULE 7 - SESSION 4

INTRODUCTION (Preliminaries)
Opening Activity/Prayer:
Reflection on an inspiring video on leadership:
https://youtu.be/CBi5E5OMKic

Prayer:
Loving God and Father, in every age You call leaders to
serve Your people by drawing them to true knowledge of
You and Your plan for the human community and the
whole world. Enable each one of us to serve You through
leadership. Help us to lead with a servant’s heart. May
Mother Ignacia be our example and guide. Amen.

Focus: MOTHER IGNACIA’S LEADERSHIP EXAMPLES

Motivation: Picture Analysis- picture of Pope John Paul II,

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Jose Rizal, President Corazon
Aquino and Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo.
Describe each picture. What kind of leaders are they?

APK (Prior Knowledge):

Have you been a leader? How was it?

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (What to know and what to do)

Enabling Objectives: At the end of the session, the students
will be able to know the deeper meaning of
leadership as shown by Mother Ignacia and identify
their own giftedness of being a leader in service to
others.

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 Terminal Objectives (Goal): At the end of the session, the
students will be able to emulate Mother Ignacia’s
example of leadership by voluntarily sharing their
time, talents/gifts, and treasures in the service of
others especially those in need.

NEW KNOWLEDGE (facts, primary and broadened concept)

A. Concept
Called to a vocation outside of married life, Mother
Ignacia in the process of discernment to follow Christ by
serving God our Lord was empowered by the Holy Spirit
to respond to the needs of the times. Mother Ignacia
followed the indicators of an empowered woman for
leadership. These are the confidence to face life, the
ability to make decision, the ability to change the process
in society and the ability to effect change.

Faced with a problem regarding the desire of her parents

for her to get married, Ignacia resolved it, through
consultation and following the advice to make a retreat
that led to her decision to serve God by living by the
sweat of her brow. Hence, she left parents and
everything except needle and pair of scissors from home
and adopted a lifestyle of prayer, penance and sacrifice.
This act of Mother Ignacia changed the process of society
when Spanish and Chinese mestizas (sangleyes) and
yndias (native Filipino women) joined her to follow her
path of service through retreat for women, education and
dormitory work as a boarding school. Through her
spiritual and transformative leadership, that leadership is
service and service is leadership, she made a difference in
the Church and society. Discriminated women had a place
in society not only in the home. Her house
accommodated those interested to become Beatas, those
who wanted to stay in Beaterio as recogidas and
children coming from the underprivileged were offered
education and trained in household chores in the
IFP SY 2021 - Module 7: Mother Ignacia’s Virtues and Her Influence to Young People - Page 20
 dormitory. Thorough her leadership by example, her
Beatas were seen as blossoming flowers of virtues and
virginity, their work being supported by people around
them and women of all walks of life were being led to the
Lord through the retreat following the Spiritual Exercises
of St. Ignatius of Loyola of the Jesuits. Her bold initiative
was seen as laudable to the City and her response to the
needs of the Church as relevant, responsive and effective
to men and women and children alike. Her call and
response addressed the needs of the family effecting
change; namely, for women to collaborate with men in
the growth and development of society and children
especially the poor be given opportunities to study and
be educated in reading, writing and arithmetic and be
taught household chores.

Under the leadership of Mother Ignacia the community

lived in what the Spanish biographer called “total
poverty,” scrounging the streets for bits of wood for fuel,
and begging for some salt from the Jesuit community to
season their rice (Ferraris). Unlike other leaders Mother
Ignacia sold no idea or pressured no one to follow her
principles in life. In her humility and simplicity, she
responded to God’s call in faith, courage and generosity
without any intention of attracting followers. The fact
that she initially intended to join in existing community
showed that it was farthest from her mind to lead and
open a path that others had not attempted. Her hidden
service and humility manifested that it was not her desire
to be in the limelight. The apex of this was when she gave
up the “superiorship” when she saw that others could
take it. Hence, she voluntarily relinquished a right and
privilege that could have been hers. Her main pre-
occupation was to give herself to God as contemplative in
action according to the needs of the Church by living in a
chaste, poor and obedient life.

IFP SY 2021 - Module 7: Mother Ignacia’s Virtues and Her Influence to Young People - Page 21
 B. Broadened Concept:

Mother Ignacia was an energetic woman of rare qualities

of leadership; hers was an inspiring personality with a
generous dose of common sense in dealing with people;
her example was her main asset in attracting other
women to follow her way of life which was one of
abnegation and sacrifice. (Bello, 1958)

Guide questions:
 What could have happened if Mother Ignacia did
not respond to the call of her time especially by
being a leader?
 How can Mother Ignacia’s style of leadership
transform our society today?
 Like Mother Ignacia, how will you lead in order to
bring transformation in your family, school and
community?

ACTIVITIES:
Essay writing: Make an essay on how you can be an effective
leader in your own way.

CHARITY-INSPIRED CHARACTER-BUILDING VALUES

Values Integration: Service
He or she who leads also serves.
 As a leader, what kind of attitude you should wear in
order to address the many concern in our society
particularly the problem on climate change?

Social Integration:
 How can the leadership example of Mother Ignacia
influence other leaders in order to uplift the dignity of
women, children, the poor and the underprivileged?
IFP SY 2021 - Module 7: Mother Ignacia’s Virtues and Her Influence to Young People - Page 22
INVITATION TO SILENCE… GOD TIME
Faith Reflection/Faith Sharing
 Journal writing: “I lead. I serve. I inspire.”

APHORISM (Summary /Synthesis)

These are Mother Ignacia’s leadership examples that can
change others: similar to Christ’s leadership, transformative,
prophetic, welcoming, not discriminating, empowering,
setting examples, being accessible, leading by serving, serving
by leading, feeling the pains of others, listening to and
understanding their problems, and sympathizing with them.
These are the characteristics of Jesus and Mother Ignacia,
too. Let us reflect and pray that we will develop these
characteristics in our lives.

NOTEWORHTY APPLICATION OF INSIGHTS GAINED

How can I be a humble and empowering leader like Mother
Ignacia?
At home____________________
In school ___________________
In church ___________________
In community _______________

References:
 Co, S. Ma. Anicia, RVM. Mother Ignacia del Espiritu
Santo, A Lamp to Our Path, 1998
 Ignacian Formation Program Module for High School,
2008
 Ignacian Formation Program Module for the Youth, 2008

IFP SY 2021 - Module 7: Mother Ignacia’s Virtues and Her Influence to Young People - Page 23
 RVM EDUCATION MINISTRY COMMISSION
2021
IFP SY 2021 - Module 7: Mother Ignacia’s Virtues and Her Influence to Young People - Page 24