Because she was a living saint during her time, Like Sor Martha de San Bernardo before her, Maddalena de la Concepcion was a noblewoman from Pampanga but unlike Sor Martha, she was admitted to the monastery of the Poor Clares without a hitch. She received their habit on February 9, 1636 and professed the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience the following year. Sor Maddalena's biographer wrote that as a nun, she persevered for 49 years in such an exemplary way and in the strict observance of the Rule; in all those years, no deficiency whatsoever was noted in her compliance with the policies of the convent, ever excelling with diligence in the performance of the most humble and difficult tasks in the community and always abhorring positions of honor. With this example of humility and regular observance, she persevered until her death on April 5, 1685. Soon after her death, the Poor Clares in the Philippines began venerating her alongside with Martha de San Bernardo and Mother Jerónima de la Asunción. [2]
Pampanga is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, the Manila Bay to the central-south, Bataan to the southwest and Zambales to the west. Its capital is the City of San Fernando. Angeles City, while geographically within Pampanga, is classified as a first-class, highly urbanized city and is governed independently of the province.
The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare – originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and later the Clarisses, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis – are members of a contemplative Order of nuns in the Catholic Church. The Poor Clares were the second Franciscan Order to be established. Founded by Saints Clare of Assisi and Francis of Assisi on Palm Sunday in the year 1212, they were organized after the Order of Friars Minor, and before the Third Order of Saint Francis. As of 2011 there were over 20,000 Poor Clare nuns in over 75 countries throughout the world. They follow several different observances and are organized into federations.
Poverty is the scarcity or the lack of a certain (variant) amount of material possessions or money. Poverty is a multifaceted concept, which may include social, economic, and political elements. Absolute poverty, extreme poverty, or destitution refers to the complete lack of the means necessary to meet basic personal needs such as food, clothing and shelter.
