Ursula de Jesus

Ursula de Jesus (1604–1668) was an Afro-Peruvian Catholic mystic.

Biography She was born in Lima, Peru, and was the legitimate daughter of Juan Castilla and Isabel de los Rios. Isabel de los Rios was an African slave, leaving Ursula to inherit her mother's status. She lived under her mother's owner, Gerònima de los Rios, until she was roughly eight years old. Ursula's first experience with mysticism was when she became the property of Luisa de Melgarejo Sotomayor, a mystic and beata (pious laywoman) in Lima. In 1617 she went to the Convent of Santa Clara in Lima as the donada (slave) of Ines del Pulgar, a 16-year-old novice and the niece of the woman who owned Ursula's parents. She labored as a slave for 43 of her 62 years.

In 1642 Ursula was known to have a reputation of vanity within the convent and liked to dress well. Ursula saw herself as self-centered, temperamental and vain. She lent a skirt to someone as a favor and they returned it to her soiled. Ursula was eager to wash the skirt as soon as she possibly could. She went to the well to wash it and the platform on which she stood over the well collapsed, leaving Ursula suspended by her own grip and holding on to her life. She prayed to the Virgin of Carmel to rescue her. Miraculously, she was able to regain balance and enough leverage to reach safety. This was her testimonial awakening. This near-death experience lead Ursula to change her materialistic views and habits, causing her to devote her life to spirituality and devote herself God.

Towards the end of her life, Ursula was sure she would be granted a direct and safe passage to Heaven because of her selfless efforts and her self-sacrificing ways. Ursula died on February 23, 1666. A nun by the name of doña Leonor Basques, a well-respected nun, declared her death should be seen as a "good death" and stated that Ursula indeed entered Heaven by preparing her will, disposing of worldly possessions; she also confessed her sins and received extreme unction.