Fr. Domingo Collantes, O.P. had this to say among other things. "King Solomon earnestly directed his finest, high-polished praises and eulogies to a mannish matron whose rare fortitude was the object of the wise monarch's admiration ("who shall find a valiant woman..." Proverbs 31:10). He now extolled her thrift and prudent rule and direction of her home and family, or commended her circumspection in the purchase of a lot and in the planting of a vineyard with her utmost efforts and her arduous labor or again he praised her liberality and mercy with the poor and needy, the agreeable blending of red and white in her flowing gamlents and finally the discretion and clemency of her speech. All these admirable assets were detected in wondrous edification in the Venerable Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo, Foundress of our Beaterio de Santa Catalina de Sena de Manila, for all her actions and toils were always the object of high regard. (Fr. Domingo Collantes, OP, Life of the Venerable Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo, Foundress of the Beaterio de Santa Catalina de Sena). Then Collantes continued to cite Mother Francisca's deeds, attitudes and virtues which proved that the qualities of the valiant woman alluded to by King Solomon could be applied to her.

Mother Francisca was born in Manila in 1647. Her parents were Dona Ana Maria del Castillo y Tamayo. At a tender age "she had already displayed a precocious modesty, an edifying composure, a sort of prudence superior to young age, a tender devotion to God and a vivid desire not to offend Him whom she loved even before she got acquainted with earthly vanities." (Gainza) Mother Francisca got married at an early age. Although as a wife she did not fail to be devoted to her husband she was not wanting in her ardent love and devotion to God. She lived a so retired, so recollected and so devout a life that she seemed to be more a religious than a married woman. She was ever amiable and being equipped with the finest and exquisite education she knew how to hide neatly under her feminine adornings the ordinary instruments of mortification.,and penance and was able to comply with the obligations imposed by our holy religion which she practiced fervently with Christian liberty. (Joaquin Fonseca, OP, Life of Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo)

Gainza had this to say: " ...although she embraced the married state while still very young, certainly it was not to respond to the call of the flesh, nor to engross her heart in the management of her household, on the contrary, though a model wife devoted to her husband, she gave due preference to the love of God and strove always to set a good example to others by living in retirement and seclusion, so that it was not without much edification that her choicest virtues were perceived though hidden beneath the appearance of secular pomp, in imitation of Blessed Joanna, Princess of Portugal who concealed the grave austerity and mortification of her life with a royal orientation. " (Gainza)

 Her marriage was short-lived and realizing that she had no children to attend to she conceived of consecrating herself to God. "She refused constantly to marry again preferring holy continence .and a widow's chastity to the more legitimate satisfaction of a home." (Fonseca) She lived in such a way that her home "did not resemble the dwelling of seculars but the house of the most collected religious because her seclusion and practice of the spiritual exercises of vocal and mental prayer gave it rather the appearance of an oratory than that of the residence of persons living in the world." ( Gainza)

It was then that her compassion for humanity revealed itself as she engaged herself in the service of the poor, the needy and the sick especially those in the San Juan de Dios Hospital. It is said that she often deprived herself of her bare needs just to be able to help the poor. She also shared a part of her rentals. Her dedication to social services was such that she inspired other ladies to follow her examples not excluding her pious exercises Her social services were carried over to her religious confinement as a beata.

Francisca 's love of neighbor increased in proportion to her desire to belong entirely to her divine Spouse: The religious state attracted her and in fact she decided to embrace it. But where would she serve the Lord? In the monastery of St. Clare which was the only formal convent in the city? On the other hand she seemed to be attracted to St. Francis after whom she was named and to St. Dominic in whose church she nourished her spiritual life. In her state of doubt she entreated our Blessed Mother through her rosary to enlighten her. Our Lady granted her prayer. Fr. Gainza relates it in this way." ..and our Lady, 'says the History of my Province', condescending to the repeated supplication of this devotee, extricated her from her people in the following manner. " One night while she was praying, the two Patriarchs, Francis and Dominic, appeared to her each one calling her to himself in the same way as it had happened to St. Rose of St. Mary. Both embraced her, both invite her sweetly, and on that occasion by an interior inspiration she prostrate herself at the feet of our Father, St. Dominic, surrendering herself to his service and offering herself to him as his child. Then the vision disappeared". (Gainza)

Mother Francisca considered her problem solved and she decided to take the habit of the Third Order of St. Dominic. In 1682 Francisca was admitted as a Dominican tertiary. As such she "dedicated herself with renewed zeal to the serious exercises of her religion, observing the Rules am Constitutions and by-laws to the letter. She increased her acts of mortification her vocal and mental prayer and practising obedience so blindly rendered tha she seemed to have lost her own will even on the most innocent and simple things". (Gainza)

"In the City of Manila" writes Fr. Juan de Sto. Domingo, "there were always some pious women, who while living in their houses set good example: to others." (Fr. Juan de Sto. Domingo, The Cradle Years of Dominican Sisters in the Philippines) Among them were Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo, Maria Antonia de Jesus Maria Fuentes, Mother Sebastiana de Jesus and Mothe Maria Ana de la Vega. Their frequent reception of the sacraments in Sto. Domingo set a good example of humility and devotion.

Mother Francisca and the three beatas wanted to live together in community so that they could live a recollected and virtuous life. "Mother Francisca desired with sheer longing to turn away from all contact with other: and thus imitated Blessed Margaret of Savoy preferring a life of recollection and retirement of the blessed to the common trends of the laity" . ( Collantes) So they expressed their desire to Fr. Prior, Fr. Juan de Sta. Maria and to the ex-Prior, Fr. Bartolome Marron who were their confessors. The fact is that a petition for a permit to live together in community was sent to Very Rev.General of the Order and the request was granted "on January 11, 1688..." with the confirmation of the Acts of the Province with Very Rev. Fr. Bartolome Barrol as Provincial". (Sto. Domingo)

Relying on this permit, Fr. Juan de Sta. Maria managed to have Mother Francisca and Mother Antonia live together in a house in front of the belfry of St. Dominic. But their stay was short-lived for some inevitable reason. On this occasion Mother Sebastiana prophetically told Mother Antonia that the Beaterio would be established near Sto. Domingo Convent and that neither of them would see it realized.

In the meantime Fr. Sta. Maria was assigned to the province and as Prior of Sto. Domingo, Fr. Juan de Sto Domingo replaced him as the beatas' confessor. After confession the beatas started to urge Fr. Sto. Domingo about the Beaterio. Fr. Sto. Domingo was very much opposed to the idea having in mind the problem of financing such an endeavor. But Mother Francisca was as insistent in her request as Fr. Juan de Sto. Domingo was stubborn in his opposition. "Mother Francisca wanted "the foundation of the Beaterio wherein she could profess a totally austere and religious existence." (Collantes) 

In spite of Fr. Sto. Domingo's determined refusal Mother Francisca was so obsessed with the establishment of the Beaterio that she broached her wish again to Fr. Sto.Domingo after her confession. The latter reprimanded her for being impertinent but instead of being silenced she retorted bravely and convincingly; "Father Prior, the Beaterio will be constructed and Your Reverence will see it." Fr. Sto. Domingo was somewhat puzzled by this retort and so he asked Mother Francisca if she was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Sensing Mother Francisca's embarrassment he did not pursue further."

Meanwhile, Fr. Juan de Sto. Domingo was elected Provincial in 1694. Mother Sebastiana had already died and Mother Antonia was very ill. She told Fr. Sto. Domingo that she was leaving her house to the Beatas. "Mother Antonia foresaw the Beaterio as originating from her house". (Fr. Juan Sto. Domingo, OP) After her death Mother Francisca together with 2 other beatas, Lorenza and Juana de la Santisima Trinidad moved to Mother Antonia's house and lived in it as in a convent. Not long afterwards Jacinta and Rosa joined Mother Francisca after receiving the habit from Fr. Sto. Domingo. In the meantime M. Antonia 's house became too small for the beatas so Fr. Sto. Domingo bought an old house, renovated it and furnished it with an oratory for the beatas. All the expenses were shouldered by him. Since he helped them also in their sustenance he became too short of finances to maintain more candidates who applied for admission. It was at this point that Don Juan Escafio of Cordova, an eminent generous and concerned Dominican tertiary offered to help in the expenses of the Beaterio. In 1704 he appropriated for the Beaterio an annual subsidy of two thousand pesos through the Dominican Province of the Holy Rosary. Upon his death he left all his goods to the Beaterio.

With the building ready, Fr. Sto. Domingo drafted the Rule for the Beatas and on July 26, 1696 feast of St. Anne the beatas made their profession before the Fr. Provincial, Fr. Juan de Sto. Domingo. He appointed Mother Francisca as first prioress, nay, "for a lifetime because her exemplary life, her zeal for the regular observance, her mortification and her other virtues shown in her guaranteed prudence of her government and established immense hope for abundant fruits in that new vineyard of which she was the custodian". (Gainza) The members of the first community were Mother Francisca, Mother Maria del Espiritu Santo, Mother Juana de la Santisirna Trinidad, Mother Lorenza de Jesus Maria and Mother Rosa de Sta. Maria. Because of his devotion to St. Catherine, Fr. Juan de Sto. Domingo named the new foundation Beaterio de Sta. Catalina. It was accepted in the Provincial Chapter of 1698.

Fr. Gainza described M. Francisca as a professed Sister in the following manner, "In religious observance she was excellent. She was austere with herself, kind to others, and charitable to all. She was an indefatigable worker and an inexorable promoter of religious observance"16 " and in the words of Collantes,". ..she was first in the accomplishment of the religious functions to which she added many others on her owrn initiative. All her free time she devoted to prayer in the choir, dayand night" and quoting further Father Sto. Domingo, he added: "charity and love of God reigned supreme in Mother Francisca. Fr. Sto. Domingo observed that her greater zeal in dealing with the poor grows deeper in spite of her success at the founding of the beaterio."(Collantes) She practised greater abstinence so as to save some more food for her poor. Any affliction that others suffered aggrieved her especially those that affected her sisters in the community. For all her privations she still preserved her affability and clemency which she tempered with prudence.

 In her convent projects, Mother Francisca seemed to have been inspired from above for she was able to attain them in spite of seemingly insurmountable opposition. After their exile from Sta. Potenciana, Mother Francisca's fervent and deep wish was to have the Blessed Sacrament in their chapel (for she made "the Eucharist the sublime center of the community's spiritual life"). (Hornedo, Florentino, Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo) Failing to realize this, she thought of having a passage to the church of San I Juan de Letran. This was also vehemently opposed by Fr. Sto. Domingo but through her repeated requests and due to some "revelation, " her request was granted by Fr. Sto. Domingo's successor.

Mother Francisca's life was not without its crosses. Her own carnal sister was not treated well when she got sick. Her zeal in observing the rules did not fare well with some beatas who became indifferent in the fulfillment of their religious duties. Her reprimand was considered by these beatas as harsh and rigorous". One of them went to the extent of complaining to thc Archbishop of Manila, Don Camacho of her extreme sternness." This and other calumniating untruths were laid before the archbishop. Mother Francisca"s reaction to all of these were patience, tolerance and forgiveness. "She showed herself patient and tolerant and incessantly reoquested the other Sisters to pray to the Lord for the good of all, forgetting the offense that was directed against her. " (Collantes) Capping all of these trials was the desire of Don Diego Camacho, Manila Archbishop, to place the Beaterio under his jurisdiction in 1703. Although the problem was a sort of misunderstanding and conflict petween Camacho and the Dominican Fathers and other ecclesiastical authorities, Mother Francisca and the Beaterio were caught in the cross-fire so to say, resulting to the Archbishop's edicts against the Beatas and the excommunication of Mother Francisca. To avoid scandal, the Dominican Fathel: dispensed the beatas from their Vows, had their habits removed and with the help of the governor and the Dominican authorities, "exiled" to Sta. Potenciana College. This exile is called the Beatas' "Babylonian Exile." (Hornedo) During the exile in Sta. Potenciana, in spite of having been deprived of the habit, Mother Francisca insisted on the obedience of the rules. "

The seeming destruction of the Beaterio which was formed at the cost of so many trials and tribulations did not dishearten Mother Francisca in any manner. Gainza painted her reaction in this manner: "Nevertheless, she did not weaken in such a difficult situation neither did she lose tranquility of soul nor presence of mind, nor did she slacken in the regular observance of her duties. The two long years ofher stay in Sta. Potenciana presented the most potent proof of the great virtues and eminent gifts of Francisca". (Gainza)

Finally in 1706, after more than two years in exile Mother Francisca and the beatas were allowed to return to the Beaterio after some negotiations between the Archbishop and Fr. Juan de Sto. Domingo with the help of Don Juan Escaño. Fr. Sto. Domingo and the Governor General brought back Mother Francisca and the Sisters to the Beaterio. Those who returned with Mother Francisca were nine choir Sisters, 6 lay Sisters and an aspirant who was admitted later as a choir Sister. They wore the habit again and lived under the rule set for them as beatas \\ith a few added features of their religious life as prescribed by the Archbishop. (Hornedo) The permit from the Archbishop was dated March 26, 1706. It was also in 1706 that "the beaterio became a Beaterio-Colegio which admitted Spanish girls, mestizas and natives, instructing them on the 4 R's-Religion Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic with Music, Embroidery and Flower Making, etc. (Hornedo)

Having been established in the Beaterio "Venerable Francisca devoted herself immediately to all the wishes of her fervent heart the practice of the most sublime virtue-humility, silence and the most ardent charity; mortification were practiced jointly with her virtues and prayer and the presence of God seasoned all the actions of her laborious life." Collantes) "She then offered ample proof of her humility. ..once she would have renounced her capacity as prioress and would have preferred to be a subordinate, but her high sense of duty and obedience led her to carry' the burden of responsibility until death. She was modest and chaste in her actions in which not the slightest blot or blemish could be detected. She was a lover of silence that she was heard to talk only about what was necessary. Often her conversation was about God as was the case of the holy Patriarch, St. Dominic who helped her greatly in her devotion to the Holy Rosary which she prayed at every hour of the day. "Her gift of prophecy" made her sure of the foundation of the Beaterio" (Collantes)

Gainza finishes his biography of Mother Francisca with the following words "Finally, weighed down by so much work as the soul of the new Beaterio after having triumphed over all the oppositions of Satan and with expressible joy of leaving this nursery of virtue solidly secure, she died at the age of sixty three years on August 24, 1711 after a tormenting illness during which she gave the most excellent signs of patience, resignation and abnegation. Great were the eulogies made by the Chapter of the intermediate congregation celebrated on April 16,1712 in its Acts on the Venerable Mother Francisca. Moreover, since it would not be possible to translate them completely because of their excessive length, for the sake of this book I am going to translate some parts." Having been brought to the Beaterio so that she might yield abundant fruits of virtue and serve as an example to others, she realized her hopes abundantly by constant practice and works of mercy. Indeed, complying with her duties with exactitude and diligence, by dint of constant toil in the practice of virtues, she succeeded in establishing a form of religious life and proved herself to be a model of good deeds. Observing the Rule of the Third Order to the letter, not only did she subdue her body by fast, prayers, mortifications and abnegation of her own will, but she also raised her indefatigable soul to the pinnacle of perfection.

"Finally, on August 24, 1711, the fame ofher sanctity being great, in age well advanced in years as well as in grace and virtue (according to the words of the Holy Spirit) and already mature for heaven and strengthened by the Holy Sacraments, her soul now freed from its vessel of clay, passed on to its eternal reward unto the blessed company ofher departed Sisters."26 "leaving behind her the living witness to her love of God and neighbor the Beaterio de Santa Catalina de Sena which lives vigorously as ever up to this day as the Congregation of Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena. " (Hornedo)