Mariana de Paredes (1618–1645)

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Mariana de Paredes (1618–1645)

Ecuadoran saint . Born in Quito, Ecuador, in 1618; died in Quito in 1645.

Mariana de Paredes longed to be a Dominican nun; instead, she lived the life of a contemplative in the house of her relatives. When an earthquake hit Quito in 1645, Mariana died after she "offered herself as a victim to divine justice for the deliverance of the city." The Republic of Ecuador conferred on her the title of "national heroine." Her feast day is May 26.

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