Blessed Luisa Carvajal y Mendoza

Luisa Carvajal y Mendoza (formerly known as Doña Luisa de Carvajal y Mendoza; January 2, 1566 – January 2, 1614) is best known for her mystical religious poetry as well as her fight to spread Catholicism throughout England, by preaching against Anglicanism. She was imprisoned on two occasions, once in 1608 and again in 1613 for her Catholic proselytizing activities in England. Although her cause of death makes her ineligible to be considered a martyr, she took a vow for martyrdom in 1598. Carvajal y Mendoza was born in Jaraicejo, Spain. She was born into a family of wealth and royal lineage. Her father was Francisco de Carvajal, whose father was a respected theologian and enthusiast of the Jesuit order. Carvajal's mother was Maria de Mendoza, who was a descendant of one of the most recognized families in Spain. However, at the age of six, both of her parents died of illness, and she was placed under the care of her aunt Maria Chacon, who was a governess in Madrid. She would live with her aunt until the age of ten. When her aunt died, Carvajal went to Pamplona, where she was placed under the care of her uncle Francisco Hurtado a recognized diplomat and the First Marquis of Almazán. However, under his care, she felt as though she was in a prison. In one of the letters Carvajal wrote, she vividly depicts the penitential practices she was subject to. Carvajal attended a private university where she obtained an education in literature and theology. Following the death of her uncle in 1592, Carvajal in her writings suggests that this granted her a sense of freedom in that she could now fully live for Christ as she so desired to do. In a time when women either got married or went to convents to become nuns, she opted to pursue neither of these paths. Although she was acquainted with religion, it was not something that she was willing to give her life for until later on in her life.