Catherine herrera
(22.08.1717-29.09.1795)
 

A brief biography.

Catalina de Jesús Herrera, O.P. was born in Guayaquil on Sunday 22 August 1717 and baptized in the church of Matriz. She was born to Capitán Juan Delfín Herrera-Campusano y de la Bárcena y de María Navarro-Navarrete y Castro, guayaquileños.
Carlos García de Bustamante, O.P., her spiritual director, invited her to join the Dominican Tertiary Order of the priory San Pablo Apostol of Guayaquil.

She entered the monastery Santa Catalina de Sena of Quito on 23 April 1741, and received the name: Catalina Luisa de Jesús, Maria y José.
She was appointed as Maestra of the Novices in 1745, and started in 1747 with the redaction of her autobiography ‘Secretos entre el alma y Dios’ in prose and verses. Elected prioress in 1755, her new confessor Tomás Corrales, O.P. ordered her to continue her autobiography. So she described her spiritual life from 8 February 1758 till 27 August 1760.

She died in the monastery Santa Catalina in Quito on 29 September 1795.

Her autobiography: 'Floregio doctrinal de la Vble Madre Herrera'. In this book: part one, pp.7-73, part 2, pp.79-105, her mystic poems. Appendix includes her baptism, pp.106-107; documents of her entering the convent (23 April 1741), pp.108-109; her obituary by Dr. Pablo Herrera, 1895, pp.110-113; comments of P. Jerves, pp.114-118, and an oration to Sor Catalina Herrera, p.119.

Philately

Honoured the 200th founding-day of the monastery Santa Catalina in Quito the portrait of Catalina de Jesus Herrera, O.P. (22.081717-29.09.1795), writer of mystical works. Her autobiography is preserved in the monastery in Quito.

Ecuador 1977, Mi 1790, Sc C 696.

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