of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
Discussion of Chapter 30
Chapter 30 Contents
The Foundation Of The Monastery
Of The Most Holy Trinity
In Soria,
In The Year 1581.
The First Mass Said
On the Feast of Our Father, S. Eliseus
1. Don Alonso Velasquez. —
2. The Saint consents to found in Soria. —
3. Story of the foundress of Soria. —
4. Preparations for the journey. —
5. Nicholas of Jesus-Mary. —
6. The journey. —
7. The arrival. —
8. The Saint takes possession. —
9. Infirmity of the bishop. —
10. His meritorious life.—
11. The real founder of Soria. —
12. Pedro de Ribera. —
13. Hardships on the road. —
14. The Saint's hopes of the monastery. —
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Discussion of Chapter 30
█ The account of the foundation
of the Most Holy Trinity
in Soria
▀ Envisioning a Foundation at Soria
▀ The Arrangements and Preparations
▀ The Foundation of the Most Holy Trinity
at Soria
Saturday, June 3, 1581
On the Feast of Our Father, S. Eliseus
■ The Cross on the Carmelite Shield
■ Sister Beatriz of Christ
____________________________
The Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity
at Soria near the church
(The former mansion of Dona Beatrix )
_____________________
The Church
[The above Drawing is from:
"St Teresa of Jesus of the Order
of Our Lady of Mt Carmel
embracing The Life , Relations,
Maxims, and Foundations"
Edited by John J. Burke, C.S.P.
from www.books.google.com ]
_____________________
Discussion of Chapter 30
█ The account of the foundation
of the Most Holy Trinity
in Soria
▀ Envisioning a Foundation at Soria
▪ "The foundress...
Dona Beatrix de Veamonte and Navarre
(of Soria)
...was exceedingly wealthy,
and for some time past
had resolved to found
a monastery of nuns.
She spoke of it to the Bishop,
( Don Alonso Velasquez.
Bishop of Osma )
and he told her
of the Order of our Lady,
the barefooted Carmelites.
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 3 ]
"and it was he,
(Bishop Don Alonso Velasquez)
who put it
into the heart of that lady
to make the foundation"
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 11 ]
She was so pleased
that she made great haste
to carry out her purpose."
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 3 ]
▪ Bishop of Osma,
Don Alonso Velasquez
Later , in the text, St. Teresa states
that the Bishop
was also a founder
of the Monastery at Soria
by his donation of the Church
and his advocation for the Order:
"Though he did not endow us
he gave us the church,
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 11 ]
"that people may know
who it was
that really began
the foundation of
the Most Holy Trinity
in Soria"
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 11 ]
▪ Bishop Don Alonso Velasquez
then wrote to St. Teresa:
"When I was in Palencia...
I received a letter from
Dr. Velasquez, Bishop of Osma"
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 1 ]
"The letter was written by him in Soria,
where he then was.
He told me
- that a lady...
had spoken to him about
founding a monastery of our nuns,
of which he approved;
- that he had promised her
he would persuade me to go
and make a foundation there"
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 2 ]
▪ St. Teresa's response
"I was very glad...
it would be a good work
to make a foundation there,
(and)
I wished to make known to him
certain matters
relating to the state of my soul...
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 2 ]
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▀ The Arrangements and Preparations
■ The House
Dona Beatrix "had in Soria
an excellent house,
well built and
in a very good situation,
and said
that she would give it to us,
with everything else
that might be wanted for the foundation.
She gave it,
together with a sum of money..."
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 3 ]
■ The Church
"The Bishop undertook to give
a very fine church
with a stone roof;
it was the parish church close by,
which would have been useful
with a gallery leading into it.
He might very well give it,
for
- it was poor,
and
- there were many churches in the town,
and
- he could assign the parish
to another church".
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 3 ]
"He gave me an account of all this
in his letter".
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 3 ]
"Though he did not endow us
he gave us the church,
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 11 ]
■ The Authorization
"I discussed the whole matter
with the father provincial,
who...decided that I was to
write by a special messenger
and
say they might come for me,
for the foundation of Palencia
was now made"
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 3 ]
■ Assigning Nuns for the Convent at Soria
"I began to collect the nuns ,
I was to take with me:
they were seven...
with one lay sister, my companion,
and myself".
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 4 ]
"From Salamanca
the Saint sent for
Mary of Christ and
Mary of Jesus;
from Segovia,
Juana Bautista and
Mary of S. Joseph;
from Medina,
Catherine of Christ,
who was to be prioress,
Catherine of the Holy Ghost,
and
Maria Bautista, a lay sister"
[ Foundations: Ch.30:
Foot note #4 ]
▪ St. Teresa and the Nuns were also
accompanied by two friars,
while two Chaplains came from Soria
to assist them:
"I would bring with me
two barefooted friars,
I took the Father
Fray Nicholas of Jesus Maria"
( Nicholas Doria )
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 4 ]
"He, then,
with a companion, a lay brother,
went with us."
[ Foundations: Ch.30: # 6 ]
"Fray Eliseus of the Mother of God"
[ Foundations: Ch.30:
Foot note #8]
Dona Beatriz sent her chaplain;
the Bishop of Osma sent his also,
with a man to provide for them
on the road;
while the bishop of Palencia sent
a minor canon of his church,
afterwards the canon, Pedro de Ribera"
[ Foundations: Ch.30:
Foot note #4 ]
■ The Journey to and arrival at Soria
▪ Wednesday May 31, 1581
"We arrived at Burgo (Burgo de Osma)
the day before the octave
of Corpus Christi"
[ Foundations: Ch.30: #7 ]
"since Corpus Christi in 1581
fell on 25th May,
( the day before the octave woud be)
on Wednesday 31st May."
[ Foundations: Ch.30:
Foot note #14 ]
▪ Thursday June 1, 1581
"and went to Communion on Thursday,
which was the day of the octave...
[ Foundations: Ch.30: #7 ]
"They spent the Thursday at that place
[ Foundations: Ch.30:
Foot note #14 ]
▪ Friday, June 2, 1581
"The next morning we heard mass there,
and reached Soria
about five in the afternoon."
[ Foundations: Ch.30: #7 ]
"and continued the journey on Friday,
arriving at Soria towards evening.
[ Foundations: Ch.30:
Foot note #14 ]
■ "The Saint takes possession"
"The lady the foundress was waiting for us
at the door of her own house,
for it was there the monastery
was to be founded :
[ Foundations: Ch.30: #8 ]
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▀ The Foundation of the Most Holy Trinity
at Soria
▪ Saturday, June 3, 1581
"and forthwith the next day,
the feast of our Father S. Eliseus
Mass was said.
[ Foundations: Ch.30: #8 ]
"On that day
the first mass was said
with great solemnity,
a large congregation being present
in the church.
A Father of the Society preached,
the Bishop having gone to Burgo"
[ Foundations: Ch.30: #9 ]
"The preacher was Father Francis Carrera"
[ Foundations: Ch.30:
Foot note #15 ]
"The monasteries of the nuns
were these...
"15. Soria
3 June, 1581
( Foundations:. ch. xxx. 8. )"
[ Foundations: Introduction]
" 'and on the very next day
which was that of our father S. Eliseus
the first Mass was said.'
That would lead us to
Saturday 3rd June..."
[ Foundations: Ch.30:
Foot note #14 ]
(Foot note #14of Chapter 30's also
discusses possible alternate dates
and explanations of the dates.)
"The lady had a very large
and very fine room made ready,
wherein mass was to be said
for the present,
because a passage had to be made
in the church
which the bishop was to give us,
[ Foundations: Ch.30: #8 ]
The lady most abundantly
furnished everything
that we had need of,
and
left us in that room,
wherein we kept ourselves enclosed
until the passage was made,
remaining there till the Transfiguration.
[ Foundations: Ch.30: #8 ]
"...the passage leading into the church
was made,
and
everything necessary for our enclosure
arranged..."
[ Foundations: Ch.30: #12 ]
"Pedro de Ribera...
a minor canon of Palencia,
had been a very great help
in the making of the passage
into the church"
[ Foundations: Ch.30: #12 ]
■ Two nuns receive the Carmeite habit:
"August 6th.
On the feast of the Assumption following,
the Saint gave the habit to two novices"
[ Foundations: Ch.30:
Foot note # 14 ]
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■ The Cross on the Carmelite Emblem
"Impression of the seal
of Fr Jerome Gratian,
first Provincial of the Reformed Rule
placed upon the Act of Foundation
of the Convent of Soria"
"Probably the first time
that the cross appeared emblazoned
on the Order of Carmel
was on the Act of Foundation at Soria".
["St Teresa of Jesus of the Order
of Our Lady of Mt Carmel
Embracing The Life, Relations,
Maxims, and Foundations":
Note 24
Edited by John J. Burke, C.S.P.
1911
from www.books.google.com]
|
■ Sister Beatriz of Christ,
"Dona Beatriz, some years later
helped to found another monastery
in Pamplona.
In that house
she took the habit herself
as Beatriz of Christ,
and died there,
full of years and good deeds,
in 1602"
[ Foundations: Ch.30:
Foot note #3]
End of the Discussion
of Chapter 30
of the
Book of the Foundations
of S. Teresa of Jesus
of the Order of our Lady of Carmel
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