The Feast of San­ta Rosa de Li­ma was cel­e­brat­ed last Sun­day at the Ari­ma RC Church, ho­n­our­ing the first saint of the Amer­i­c­as and the pa­tron saint of Ari­ma.

Born Is­abel Flo­res de Olivia in Li­ma, Pe­ru, in 1586, she was ad­mired for her ex­tra­or­di­nary beau­ty and nick­named “Rose.” From child­hood, she longed for a re­li­gious life. To dis­cour­age suit­ors, she cut her hair short and even scarred her own face. At age 20, she joined the Third Or­der of St Do­minic and de­vot­ed her­self to prayer, fast­ing, and car­ing for the poor/sick.

Known for her em­broi­dery, lace­work, and the flow­ers she cul­ti­vat­ed, she used her skills to sup­port her fam­i­ly and raise funds for those in need.Rose’s life was marked by self-de­nial, sym­bol­ised by the sil­ver crown of thorns she wore in im­i­ta­tion of Christ’s suf­fer­ing. She died in 1617 at the age of 31 and was canon­ised in 1671 by Pope Clement X, be­com­ing the first saint of the Amer­i­c­as.Her con­nec­tion to T&T and Ari­ma dates back to a re­port­ed vi­sion of the saint by three Caribs at a spring in what is now San­ta Rosa Heights. In 1757, Ca­puchin priests es­tab­lished the town of Ari­ma, and by 1786, they had built the first church ded­i­cat­ed to San­ta Rosa de Li­ma. To­day, her feast re­mains a cen­tral part of Ari­ma’s cul­tur­al and re­li­gious iden­ti­ty, blend­ing In­dige­nous, Catholic, and com­mu­ni­ty tra­di­tions.