Isabel Flores de Oliva was born in the city of Lima on April 20, 1586.

She is the daughter of the Spanish soldier Don Gaspar Flores and Doña María de Oliva of the Lima.

She received the baptism in the Parish of San Sebastián de Lima.

On the day of her confirmation in 1597 in the town of Quives, Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo, she called her "Rosa" and with that name she was confirmed.

This surprised everyone as no one other than her family called her that.

That nickname was used by her family because of a vision that her mother had, in which the girl's face turned into a rose and also because of her beauty.

She would definitely assume that name, years later, when she understood that she was "Rose of the garden of Christ" and she would adopt the religious name of "Rose of Santa Maria".

She had already manifested her religious vocation from a very young age, she had learned music, song and poetry. She made beautiful embroidery with which she helped maintain the family budget.

Rosa was determined to give herself solely to Christ, that is why she wanted to be a nun and not get married.

It is said that every time she prayed she was presented with a black and white butterfly.

She entered a group of nuns called "The Third Order of Santo Domingo." She wears a white robe with a black cloak.

In 1615, with the help of her brother Hernando, she built a small hermitage in the garden of her house where she went every morning to pray.