Saint María Encarnación Rosal

María Vicenta Rosal Vásquez, Beth. (in religion, María de la Encarnación del Corazón de Jesús; 26 October 1815 - 24 August 1886) was a Guatemalan Catholic member of the Bethlemite Sisters. Rosal was an advocate of women's education and protection, which proved to be significant in view of the machismo culture that was pervasive in the region at the time. Her beatification was celebrated in Rome in mid-1997; she is the first female Guatemalan to be beatified. María Vicenta Rosal Vásquez was born on 26 October 1820 in Quetzaltenango to Manuel Encarnación Rosal (25 March 1791 - 30 May 1851) and Leocadia Gertrudis Benitez Vásquez (December 9 1782 - 13 March 1846). Her mother was married with three children before being widowed in 1816 and later becoming a wife once more this time to Rosal on 18 November 1822. Her elder sister was Ana de la Soledad and an older brother was Isidro. Rosal was baptized on 27 October 1820 in her local parish of Espíritu Santo and she later received her confirmation on 23 January 1840 in that same church. Youth saw her attending galas and she did demonstrate vain tendencies on occasion which would cause her to receive reprimands from her elder sister Ana de la Soledad. Rosal was reminded that she had to fulfil her baptismal promises and Rosal accepted this and clarified she would change upon turning 20. Rosal soon befriended the Honduran girl Manuela Arbizú and the two spoke of the religious life as well as the Bethlemite Sisters whom her new friend had mentioned. The mentioning of this religious order piqued her interest and she soon dove into learning about them; she consulted with her parents and her confessor and soon decided to go to the convent to become a member of that order.