The Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel
Discussion of Chapter 3
BY WHAT MEANS
THE FOUNDATION OF THE CONVENT
OF S. JOSEPH OF MEDINA DEL CAMPO
BEGAN TO BE PLANNED
1. The Fathers of the Society help her. —
2. Julian of Avila. —
3. Commotion in Avila. —
4. Fray Antonio de Heredia. —
5. The journey to Medina. —
6. Fray Domingo Baiiez. —
7. The Saint resolves to go on. —
8. Arrives in Medina. —
9. Prepares the altar. —
10. She desponds. —
11. Father Baltasar Alvarez sends to her. —
12. Watch kept over the Blessed Sacrament. —
13. A private house is offered her. —
14. The house is finished. —
15. The Saint begins to prepare
for a monastery of friars. —
16. S. John of the Cross. —
17. The nuns of Medina. _
.
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Discussion of Chapter 3
█ Summary
"Our Lord was arranging it all"
[ Foundations: Ch3: #4 ]
St. Teresa in fulfilling the directive
of the Carmelite Father-General
Father Rubeo
(John Baptist Rossi); (Rubeo, de Rubeis),
strove "to found more monasteries".
"He, being well pleased
that a work thus begun
should be carried on,
gave me the fullest authority
in writing
to found more monasteries..."
[ Foundations: Ch2: #2 ]
As St. Teresa encountered
each obstacle in a series of many obstacles,
a solution or temporary answer would appear
and she was able to proceed a little ways
before the next obstacle arose.
But the more obstacles she faced,
she understood
that the devil was trying to prevent
the establishment of the new monastery
because he knew
that God would be very much
served and glorified by it.
"This seemed rather to encourage me,
for I thought,
seeing that the devil was beginning
to be troublesome,
that our Lord would take pleasure
in the monastery".
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #5 ]
Initially, St. Teresa,
intending to found
a second Monastery,
wrote to the Fathers
of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
in Medina, in the province of Valladolid.
In particular, she wrote
to Father Baltasar Alvarez,
who was once her Confessor and
who was now the Provincial,
living in Medina.
These Fathers sought to help her.
But her intention,
to found a convent "in poverty",
(without any funding or financial support),
presented difficulties.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #1 ]
”I had the permission to found
(the monastery)
it is true,
but I had no house
nor money wherewith to buy one,
nor sufficient credit".
[ Foundations: Ch3: #2 ]
The Father Chaplain
of the Monastery of St. Joseph in Avila
was Julian of Avila.
He accompanied her
on nearly all her journeys;
Sometimes he would go on ahead of her
to their next destination
to see to arrangements.
A woman, who would later be known as
Sister Isabel of Jesus,
requested St. Teresa to be admitted
to the planned monastery.
She contributed money
which would afford them
the "hire of a house" and
the costs of the journey.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #2 ]
. . . . . . . . . . .
Also, Before leaving Avila,
St. Teresa also wrote of her intentions
to Fray Antonio de Heredia
He was then Prior of the Monastery of St. Anne.
This was the monastery of the Carmelite Friars
of the Mitigated Rule
in Medina del Campo,
in the province of Valladolid.
She asked him to "buy (her) a house".
He did buy a house
from Dona Maria de Herrera.
It was situated on the the Calle Santiago,
(St. James Street) in Medina del Campo.
But when Fr. Julian of Avila,
(who had gone ahead to Medina,
to see to arrangements and preparation)
saw the house,
he found it in a "most ruinous state".
He, then, hired another house
for them to stay
until their house could be repaired.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #4 & Foot Note#7 ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Meanwhile, since she was leaving Avila,
after founding the Monastery of St. Joseph there,
the people were sorry to see her go.
Also, the Bishop of Avila
Don Alvaro de Mendoza,
(who was so instrumental in helping her
found the monastery there ),
was sorry to see her departure.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #3]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
St. Teresa left Avila with six nuns and
Father Julian of Avila
who had since returned to Avila.
The nuns were:
- Maria Bautista ( Maria Ocampo),
(Maria of St. John the Baptist )
niece of the Saint, and
- Anne of the Angels (Ana Gomez),
from the convent of S. Joseph
Two nuns, from the Monastery of St. Joseph
who had originally come from the Incarnation
- Ines de Tapia,
afterwards (known as) Agnes of Jesus,
and her sister,
- Ana de Tapia,
afterwards Anne of the Incarnation,
both cousins of S. Teresa
From the Monastery of the Incarnation,
(the monastery under the mitigated rule,
in which St. Teresa lived
before the Monastery of St. Joseph's was founded.)
- Dona Isabel de Arias,
afterwards Isabel of the Cross,
- Dona Teresa de Quesada
afterwards Teresa de la Coluna
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #2 & Foot Notes ]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
On the journey from Avila
to Medina in the province of Valladolid,
they stopped at Arevalo
(still, in the province of Avila)
Soon a priest brought to them
"a letter to Julian de Avila
from Alonso Alvarez,
who had let the house in Medina..."
explaining
- that the house
which they had rented from him
was close in proximity to a Monastery
of the Augustinian Friars.
- that the Augustinian Friars made protest to him
against the residence of the nuns so close by,
and
- that "he, as a friend of the Augustinians,
could not give them the house
without the assent of those friars"
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #5 & Foot Note #9 ]
To all these obstacles, St. Teresa said:
"O my God,
how poor is all opposition
when Thou, O Lord, art pleased
to give us courage !
This seemed rather to encourage me,
for I thought,
seeing that the devil was beginning
to be troublesome,
that our Lord would take pleasure
in the monastery".
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #5 ]
Fray Domingo Banez,
"a Dominican friar
who used to be my confessor
when I was in S. Joseph's (Monastery)"
was also in Arevalo at that time.
When she discussed this problem with him,
he offerred to mediate for her
with the Augustinian Friars.
But she felt this would entail a great delay.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #6]
So, with the encouragement
of Fr Antonio de Heredia
Prior of the Monastery of St. Anne,
she decided
to journey to and
to move into the "ruinous" house
on the Calle Santiago in Medina
which he had been instrumental
in buying for them.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
They "arrived in Medina del Campo
at midnight on the eve
of our Lady's feast ( The Assumption)
in August, 15" 1567.
They "alighted at the Monastery of S. Anne,
( where Fr Antonio de Heredia was prior)
and went on foot to the house"
in order not to attract attention
with their cart and luggage.
"Our Lord,
ever mindful of those
who seek His service,
delivered us".
Since it was after midnight,
she did see the very bad state of their house,
but she didn't recognize the extent
of the ruins until daylight.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #8]
Amidst the broken roof and walls,
they prepare the altar
"It was our Lord's pleasure
to have it done at once"
The lady, Dona Maria de Herrera,
from whom they bought the house
offered them
the service of her stewart and also
various tapestries and materials
to make ready the monastery.
"When I saw
how well provided we were,
I gave our Lord thanks,
as did the others".
"we made such haste
that the altar was ready,
and the little bell hung, by daybreak,
when mass was said at once. "
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #9]
"It was Fray Antonio dc Hcredia
who said the first mass"
[ See Foundations: Ch3:FootNote # 14]
"This was enough to take possession,
but we did not stop there,
for we had
the Most Holy Sacrament reserved"
St. Teresa's second foundation,
The Monastery of St. Joseph
was now established
in Medina del Campo
of the province of Valladolid.
But the walls were missing
in many areas of the building
"and it would take many days
to repair them"
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #9]
. . . . . . . . . .
She began to worry
"about finding a hired house at any cost,
into which we might go
while this underwent repairs"
Yet if they left
and removed the Blessed Sacrament
from their chapel
"everything would have been undone"
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #11]
"Notwithstanding
all the search we made,
a house to let
was not to be found in the place"
Although there were men
who kept "watch
over the Most Holy Sacrament,
(she) was afraid they might fall asleep"
So, she kept watch herself .
The people
"were even filled with devotion
at the sight of our Lord
once more in the porch;
and
His Majesty...
did not seem
as if He wished to depart.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #12]
After eight days
a merchant, Bias de Medina,
seeing their necessity,
offerred the use
of the upper story of his house.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #13]
(This seems to be where they stayed
while repairs could be made - blogger's note).
Meanwhile,
Dona Elena de Quiroga
- A niece of Cardinal Quiroga,
archbishop of Toledo, and
- widow of Don Diego de Villarroel.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: Footnote # 18]
offered assistance in building the chapel
of the Monastery of St. Joseph
(Medina del Campo)
and the structural repairs.
The people of the community brought them food.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #13]
"It took, however, two months
to finish it"
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #14]
"The nuns ...of Medina...
were growing in reputation
with the people, who conceived
a great affection for them...
for they had no other aim
but that of serving our Lord
more and more,
each to the utmost of her power,
in everything
after the manner observed
in S. Joseph's of Avila,
for the rule and constitutions
in both places
were the same...
Our Lord began to call some
to take the habit,
and so many were the graces
He bestowed on them
that I was amazed.
May He be blessed for ever, Amen.
For, in order to love,
He seems only
to wait to be loved Himself.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #17]
. . . . . . . . . . .
While at the the Monastery of St. Joseph
(Medina del Campo)
she then began "thinking
of monasteries of friars".
She spoke of this
to Fray Antonio de Heredia
Prior of the Monastery of St. Anne.
of the Carmelite Friars
of the Mitigated Rule in Medina del Campo,
"He... promised me
to be himself the first."
She asked him to wait and
to live under the observance of the primitive rule
"try himself in the observances
of those things"
"He accordingly did so for a year"
and "it seemed our Lord meant to prove him."
" it seemed to me
that His Majesty was preparing him
for the change"
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #15]
In Medina, she also came to know
Fr. John of St. Matthias
( later known as John of the Cross )
of the Carmelite order
of the convent of S. Anne,
Medina del Campo,
of which Fray Antonio was now prior.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: Foot Note #20]
At that time, "he...wished
to become a Carthusian,
I spoke to him
- of my purpose,
and
pressed him to wait
till our Lord gave us a monastery,
and
- of the great good it would do,
if he led a higher life,
-- to continue in the same order,
and
-- how much greater the service
he would render to our Lord".
When I saw
that I had two friars to begin with
I looked on the work as done.
[ See Foundations: Ch3: #16 ]
End of the Discussion
of Chapter 3 of the Book of the Foundations of S. Teresa of Jesus of the Order of Our Lady of Carmel |
