of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
Discussion of Chapter 17
Chapter 17 Contents
The Foundation Of The Monasteries
Of Friars And
Of Nuns At Pastrana,
In One And The Same Year
1579, I Mean 1569
1. The Saint's joy in Toledo. —
2. And pain at parting. —
3. Directed to go to Pastrana. —
4. Arrives in Madrid. —
5. Fray Juan de la Miseria —
6. Mariano of S. Benedict. —
7. His Vocation. —
8. The Saint persuades Mariano
to become a Carmelite. —
9. He consents. —
10. A site found
for the new monastery of friars. —
11. The two provincials consent —
12. The princess of Eboli troublesome. —
13. The friars established at Pastrana. —
14. The princess of Eboli becomes a nun. —
15. The nuns depart from Pastrana. —
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Discussion of Chapter 17
▀ Overall Summary
▀ The Summons to Pastrana
▀ The Decision to leave Toledo
▀ Fate of the Monastery
of Our Lady of the Conception
▀ The Fruits of the Foundations at Pastrana
▀ Supplementary Information
regarding the events at Pastrana:
regarding the writing of the history
of the foundations
___________________________________
___________________________________
▀ Overall Summary
Two foundations were established at Pastrana.
▪ The Monastery of St. Peter
of the Discalced Carmelite Friars
was founded on June 13, 1569
when the Most Holy Sacrament was reserved.
[Foundations: Ch. 17: foot note # 19 ]
▪ The Monastery
of Our Lady of the Conception:
of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns
The duration of this foundation
begins around July 9, 1569
until April 1574
when the nuns were removed
to the foundation in Segovia
Little description was given
by St. Teresa in this chapter,
regarding this foundation at Pastrana
of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns
The book's Introductory notes indicate
the date of the foundation was
July 9, 1569
The editor's foot notes indicate:
"Sister Isabel of S. Dominic,
(was) ... the prioress of Pastrana...
The sub-prioress of Pastrana was the
Mother Isabel of S. Paul."
[Foundations: Ch. 17: foot note # 19 ]
From Paragraph #15, Footnotes, and
also from "The Life", is known
that the nuns were moved
to the foundation at Segovia
in April, 1574
because of the actions
of the princess of Eboli.
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▀ The Summons to Pastrana
Chapter 15 and 16 discusses
the Monastery of S. Joseph
which was founded in Toledo on
May 14 1569
By May 28, St. Teresa was summoned
by the Princess of Eboli
in regard to a prospective foundation
in Pastrano.
"In about a fortnight
after the foundation
of the house in Toledo,
when I had arranged the little church...
and all was at last finished,
it was the eve of Pentecost.
That very morning...
I felt a great joy in seeing
there was nothing more to do,
...they came to tell me
...that (the princess of Eboli) had sent for me:
[Foundations: Ch. 17: #1]
"Whitsunday in 1569 fell on 29th May.
[Foundations: Ch. 17: foot note #1 ]
"I left Toledo
on the morrow after Pentecost."
[Foundations: Ch. 17: #4]
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▀ The Decision to leave Toledo so soon:
St. Teresa described
■ The difficulty of leaving
the new foundation at Toledo so soon:
• "there was great danger
in leaving a monastery
- so newly founded,
and
- to which opposition had been made."
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #2 ]
"The nuns who had just arrived...
in the monastery (at Toledo),
did not see
how it was possible for me
to quit the house so soon".
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #3 ]
"I had great reasons for not going..."
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #3 ]
■ Reasons for leaving Toledo
and hastening to Pastrana
▪ Not to comply with the summons to Pastrana
"would be an affront to
(the princess and prince)...
the princess was there already,
having gone thither for no other purpose"
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #2 ]
"I wished not to offend the princess."
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #3 ]
• Because St. Teresa, and previous foundations,
and the reform in general
faced opposition,
it would be beneficial to accept help
when and where it was being offered:
"it would be well for us
to have the good graces of Ruy Gomez,
whose influence
over the king and all people
was so great. *
"for we were in a very difficult position,
because of the friars
who had then begun the reform,
* (But she says
this may have been an after-thought)
"However, I do not remember
whether I thought of this"
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #3 ]
■ Resolution of the Question
• Prayer
"I went before the Most Holy Sacrament
to beg of our Lord
that I might write in such a way
as to give no offence...
While I was in this perplexity
our Lord said to me
- that I was to go without fail,
- that I was going
for something more
than for that foundation,
and
- that I was to take with me
the rule and constitutions."
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #3 ]
• Consultation with her Confessor
"When I heard this...
I durst not act
but according to my custom
in like circumstances,
which is to be guided
by the advice of my confessor...
I implored our Lord
to give my confessors light
and
His Majesty puts it into their hearts
whenever He will have anything done"
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #3 ]
"my confessor,
having considered the whole matter,
was of the opinion
that I ought to go,
and thereupon I determined to go.
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #4 ]
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▀ Fate of the Monastery
of Our Lady of the Conception
Ruy Gomez died
in Madrid, 29 July, 1573,
[Foundations: Ch. 17: foot note #20 ]
The Princess became a widow
in July, 1573,
and insisted on becoming a Carmelite nun
in the house she and her husband,
Ruy Gomez,
had founded in Pastrana.
[ The Life: Preface (edited by Lewis) ]
"1574...In Holy Week,
because of the strange conduct
of the princess of Eboli,
she (S Teresa)
dissolved her monastery in Pastrana,
and
removed her nuns to Segovia.
Having established her monastery there..."
[Foundations: Introduction ]
"The poor nuns were living
in such disquiet
that I strove with all my might,
imploring the superiors
to remove them,
that they might come to Segovia,
where I was then
founding a monastery,
[Foundations: Ch. 17: #15 ]
"The nuns were withdrawn from Pastrana
in April, 1574
[ The Life: Preface (edited by Lewis) ]
"our Lord...must have seen
that the monastery was
not rightly placed there;
His judgments are high, and
surpass the understanding of us all.
I could not have been so bold as to do
what I did
relying on my own understanding,
but I was guided by the advice
of saintly and learned men.
[Foundations: Ch. 17: #15 ]
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▀ The Fruits of the Foundations at Pastrana:
■ The foundation of The Monastery
of Our Lady of the Conception
was established.
Although of short duration,
July 1569 - April 1574
the Discalced Carmelite nuns did increase
and continued on in the convent in Segovia.
■ Many new Friars and Brothers also joined
the Discalced Carmelites:
On the journey to Toledo
St. Teresa lodged in Madrid
"in the monastery of the Franciscans,
with..Dona Leonor de Mascarenas..
who had founded it, and who was living in it".
[ Foundations: Ch. 17 #4 ]
Through her, St. Teresa met two hermits
who eventually joined the discalced Carmelites
Fray Juan de la Miseria and
Fray Mariano of S. Benedict.
( Mariano de Acaro)
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #5 ]
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #13
and Foot note #18, 8 ]
Regarding Fray Mariano of S. Benedict
St. Teresa wrote:
"When he had recounted to me
his way of life
I showed him the primitive rule
of the order,
and told him
he might...keep his observances,
for they were the same as ours..."
"...our Lord would be greatly served
by his entering the order"
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #8 ]
■ The foundation,
The Monastery of St. Peter
of the Discalced Carmeite Friars,
was established.
Fray Mariano of S. Benedict
"told me
- that in Pastrana
— the very place I was going to —
Ruy Gomez had given him
a good hermitage,
and
a place for making there
a settlement for hermits, and
- that he would give it to the order
and
- (that he would) take the habit himself."
"...for as yet,
of the two monasteries
for the founding of which
two licences had been given me **
by the most reverend our father-general,
only one had been established."
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #10 ]
The Carmelite Provincial Fathers gave
their consent to the foundation.
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #11 ]
"I...understood the meaning
of what I had heard in prayer,
that I "was going for something
more than for a monastery of nuns."
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #8 ]
** "the Saint had authority
from the general
to found two houses in Castille,
which (became)
Duruelo and Pastrana."
[ Foundations: Introduction ]
■ The writings and teachings of St. Teresa
From this account of Pastrana,
St. Teresa teaches regarding:
▪ The Providence of God
"His Majesty puts it into their hearts
whenever He will have anything done."
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #3 ]
St. Teresa, speaking of the Carmelite vocation
of a young man said:
"how God change(es) the hearts of men."
"His judgments are deep ! "
"His Majesty,
who willed it,
so moved his heart"
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #9 ]
▪ Attachment and acquisitiveness
have widespread detrimental effects
and opposes that which shuns temporal objects
"the world was ruined by greed,
and
that this it was
that brought religion into contempt."
[ Foundations: Ch. 17: #8 ]
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▀ Supplementary Information regarding
the events at Pastrana:
From The book's Introductory section entitled,
"ANNALS OF THE SAINT'S LIFE"
"1569
28th May,
She receives a message
from the prince and princess of Eboli
concerning the foundation
to be made in Pastrana.
She leaves Toledo on Monday
in Whitsun week,
30th May,
and in Madrid is lodged
in the monastery of the Franciscan nuns.
Makes the acquaintance there
of Mariano of S. Benedict, the hermit,
who enters the order of Carmel
with his companion, Juan de la Miseria.
9th July,
She takes possession,
after much discussion
with the princess of Eboli,
of the monastery in Pastrana.
13th July,
is founded
the second monastery of the friars
in the same place
by permission of the General.
...
1570
l0th July.
She is in Pastrana,
present at the profession
of Ambrosio Mariano
and Juan de la Miseria.
. ..
1573
At the end of the month (July),
the princess of Eboli goes to Pastrana,
and establishes herself as a nun
in the Carmelite monastery there"
...
1574
on the feast of S. Joseph,
the foundation is made. (Segovia)
She dissolves the monastery of Pastrana
and receives the nuns in Segovia
[Foundations: Introduction - "Annals of the Saint's Life" ]
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▀ Regarding the writing of the history
of the foundations:
According to the Foot note #13:
"The Saint wrote this in 1573 or 1574,
and before the persecution began"
The book's Prologue states that
St. Teresa began writing the account of the
second (Medina del campo) to the
seventh (Salamanca) foundations for nuns
and also those of the friars
in August 1573.
"In the year 1562...
this house of S. Joseph in Avila was founded
I was ordered... by my confessor,
the Dominican friar,
Father Garcia of Toledo,
to write the history of the foundation
of the monastery...
I am now in Salamanca, in the year 1573
— eleven years have passed
since then —
and my confessor, the Master Ripalda,
Father Rector of the Society,
has ordered me to write...
- the story of the other seven" monasteries
which, by the goodness of our Lord,
have since that time been founded,
and...
- how the monasteries of the barefooted
fathers of the primitive rule began. "
[ Foundations: Prologue: #2 ]
In the year mclxxiii,
the twenty-fourth day of August...
( August 24, 1573 )
Here beginneth the Foundation
of S. Joseph of the Carmel
of Medina del Campo
[ Foundations: Prologue: #2 ]
The book's Introduction specifies
that Salamanca, the 7th foundation
for Discalced Carmeite nuns,
was established on November 1, 1570.
[ Foundations: Introduction ]
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The Carmelite Discacled Friars remained
at the the Monastery of St Peter in Pastrana
until it was confiscated by the state around 1835.
Later, in 1885, the Franciscans moved to that area.
Today, much of the Pastrana foundations sites
have been reserved for pilgrimage and tourism,
including an Inn and a Teresian Museum
to commemorate the work of St. Teresa,
St John of the Cross, and the other Carmelites,
as well as, its historical and artistic aspects.
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Blog note:
From Foot Note # 1
"The princess (of Eboli)
Dona Ana de Mendoza y la Cerda"
From Foot Note # 20
"the princess (of Eboli)
(who took the name
Anne of the Mother of God)"
. . . . . . . . . . . .
She is not to be confused with:
Anne of the Mother of God
of the Convent in Toledo
who was mentioned in Chapter 16:
Ana de la Palma
was a wealthy widow,
and had been so for twenty years,
living a most holy life in her own house.
She was forty years old
when she entered the order,
and made her profession in Toledo,
15th November 1570,
[ Foundations: Ch16: Foot note #1]
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End of the Discussion
of Chapter 17
of the
Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
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