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.
Early life
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.
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.
Penitential practices
During Carvajal's time with her uncle Francisco Hurtado, penitential exercises became a habitual practice for Carvajal. Although in modern times, these penitential practices can appear to be a form of physical abuse and torture, it is important to realize that this mode of devotion was prominent during the 16th century in Spain. This form of penitence demonstrated one's devotion to God and the more one practiced this, the more the individual became empowered because they felt they were commemorating the death of Christ with their own bodies. Although women would punish themselves to mimic Christ's passion, in her adolescence her uncle ordered her punishment. These penitential practices influenced Carvajal in that later on in her life she would mortify her flesh as a symbol of meditating on Christ's Passion. Here is vivid description by Carvajal remembering her time in her uncle's household: