Thursday, November 3, 2011

The Book of the Foundations - The Foundation of S. Joseph's Convent at Granada - by the Venerable Mother Anne of Jesus

           THE FOUNDATION 
       OF  S. JOSEPH'S CONVENT 
            AT GRANADA 
By the Venerable Mother Anne of Jesus 




                     Forward 

Of the seventeen foundations 
    attributed  to S. Teresa 
 two were not made by her personally. 
Unable to absent herself from Seville,
 she sent Mother Anne of S. Albert 
    to make the foundation at Caravaca
 having herself made 
    all the preliminary arrangements. 
Towards the end of her life 
  she was requested to found a convent 
       at Granada 
but as at the same time 
    that of Burgos was projected 
 she 
   - chose the latter, 
            being the more difficult, for herself,
                   and 
  - nominated Anne of Jesus for the former. 

 This remarkable nun was born 
    at Medina del Campo, 
    25th November 1545, 

  her father being Don Diego de Lobera, 
  her mother Francisca de Torres. 
A deaf-mute from birth 
  she was cured of  her affliction 
during a pilgrimage to a shrine of our Lady. 
Bereft of  both parents at the age of nine,
   she was brought up by her grandmother 
who formed various projects 
   of marriage for her, 
personal beauty and refined manners 
   proving a powerful attraction. 
But Anne spurned indiscreet attentions,
    placed herself under the direction 
      of a saintly Jesuit, Pedro Rodriguez
   who tried her 
      by apparent harshness 
    but finally consented 
      to her seeking admission 
          into S. Teresa's convent 
       at Avila, 1st August 1570. 
The Saint 
  - took a great fancy to the new-comer, 
  - treated her 
        more as a companion and friend
        than as a novice, 
  - made her share her own cell, 
            and 
  - took her to the foundation of  Salamanca
    where she made her mistress of novices  
             even before profession
    which took place 22nd October 1571.
Anne accompanied S. Teresa 
     to Veas (1575) 
and remained there as Prioress 
   enjoying the friendship and direction 
     of  S. John of the Cross 
   during his sojourn at  Baeza. 
When her term of office drew to its end,
 S. Teresa requested the nuns 
     not to re-elect her 
  as she had chosen her 
     for the foundation at Granada 
          then in contemplation. 
S. John of the Cross went to Avila 
   to induce S. Teresa herself 
to come to Granada 
but failing this 
   he was glad to have Anne of Jesus. 
The foundation, 
        though not as difficult 
        as some others, 
   was by no means easy, 
and S. Teresa, 
       being but partially informed 
                      and 
       writing from a distance, 
  addressed some strongly worded letters 
           to Anne, 
but the good understanding 
   was soon restored. 
Anne remained at Granada 
    about four years 
after which she was commissioned 
   to carry out another project of Teresa's, 
             then deceased, 
namely a foundation at Madrid 
   where she remained eight years. 
In this period falls a great trial; 
the Superiors of the Discalced Carmelites 
  having resolved to improve 
         (as they thought) 
          on S. Teresa's work 
     changed the constitutions of the nuns, 
     a proceeding  which was 
        not only resented 
        but actively resisted 
            by Anne and 
            a considerable number of nuns 
         who appealed to Rome. 
They gained their point 
but were subjected to severe penalties 
   by the superiors in Spain, 
    the punishment meted out to Anne of Jesus
        being particularly severe. 
During these years  she procured 
   the publication  by Fray Luis de Leon, 
   of the writings of S. Teresa 
         (with the exception of the 
           Book of Foundations and 
           the Letters) 
    for which purpose she collected 
         the original manuscripts, 
    even that of the Life 
   which until then had remained 
      in the hands of  the Inquisition. 
From 1594 till 1604 
 she resided at Salamanca,
     the convent of her profession, 
where she filled for some years 
     the position of  Prioress
Meanwhile negotiations had been carried on
   with a view towards 
  establishing the order in France, 
and Anne was chosen as first prioress 
  of the convent of Paris
other foundations followed, 
   but owing to difficulties 
she withdrew to Belgium 
   where she was cordially welcomed 
by the Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia, 
   the daughter of Philip II. 
Having set on foot a number of foundations
    she died at Brussels, 
4th March 1621 
in the odor of sanctity. 
Her process of Beatification 
    has reached that stage 
where she is declared 
   a ' Venerable servant of  God,' 
and it is hoped that ere long 
   it will further advance. 
At the request of Father Gratian,
    then Provincial 
         of the Discalced Carmelites, 
 Anne of Jesus wrote the following account 
   of the Foundation of Granada



          THE FOUNDATION 

    OF  S. JOSEPH'S CONVENT 
            AT GRANADA 
By the Ven. Mother Anne of Jesus 

1
Your Reverence bids me 
   write an account of the foundation 
of the convent of Granada
Owing to the weakness of my head,
   my memory is so defective 
that I do not know 
   whether I shall recall the facts; 
I will  relate what I can remember. 
2
In October eighty-five
 it was four years since 
    Father Diego of the Blessed Trinity  [1]
             (whom God holds in glory !) 
    Vicar of that part of your province, 
   came to Veas for the canonical visitation. 
I had then ceased to be prioress 
    for three or four months, 
and was very ill. 
Although seeing me in such a state 
   he began speaking seriously 
about our coming to Granada 
     as many of the most prominent persons 
          as well as 
      some wealthy young ladies 
          of good family 
  - desired a foundation 
           and 
 -  offered substantial donations.           
3. 
It seemed to me 
  that it was only his own good faith 
that made him believe in their promised help; 
I told him that I thought 
   their offer an empty compliment, 
   - that they would do nothing, 
   nor would the archbishop                  [2]
       grant permission for a convent 
        founded in poverty
   because there were already so many others
      which could hardly maintain themselves, 
   as Granada had lately been laid waste, 
               and 
   the harvest had failed for several years. 
The father saw the force of my argument, 
  but, anxious to make the foundation, 
  - was more hopeful than ever, 
          and 
  - told me that 
       the Licentiate Laguna
       auditor at the Court of Granada,
                and 
       Father (Gaspar) Salazar 
          of the Society of Jesus,
    had promised him privately 
       to obtain the license of the archbishop. 
4
All this appeared to me very uncertain, 
as afterwards proved to be the case, 
but as the father had set his heart on it,
   I earnestly commended it to God 
    and begged the sisters to ask Him 
        for light 
   whether the foundation should be made. 
His Majesty gave us 
    to understand very clearly 
 - that we were to expect 
      neither human aid 
      nor favour, 
 - but that we ought to found the house,
     confiding in His providence 
    as we had already done elsewhere 
      under similar circumstances, 
              and 
 - that He 
      -- would take care of it and 
      -- would be greatly served in it. 
This came to me after Communion 
  when the Father Visitor had been at Veas 
for three weeks 
   urging the foundation of the convent. 
5
In spite of all my doubts and excuses 
  I made up my mind 
directly I had communicated; 
I said to Sister Beatrix of S. Michael, 
  the portress 
who had also communicated: 
  'Believe me 
   that God wishes the convent of Granada 
      to be founded; 
    go and call Father John of the Cross 
    that I may tell him as my confessor 
      what God has made known to me.' 
When I had put it before him in confession 
   Father John thought 
 we should acquaint Father Visitor 
    so that he might write to your paternity 
for the license. 
The matter was decided 
   on that very same day                       [3]
and all that was needed 
     was sent, 
to the great joy 
      of the fathers and 
      of the whole community 
    who knew that the foundation 
          had been decided upon. 
6
We wrote 
     to you, 
     also to our holy Mother Teresa of Jesus, 
  begging that four nuns might be sent 
     from Castille 
   for the new foundation 
      which we asked her 
            to come 
            and make herself 
       as we felt confident of its success. 
We also arranged 
    that Father John of the Cross 
          with another religious 
    should go and meet the nuns, 
       taking all that was required for them 
           on their journey. 
They went from Veas to Avila 
   to speak to our holy Mother Teresa of Jesus, 
and from there sent a messenger 
   to you at Salamanca.                            [4]
Seeing the letters 
  you granted all our requests, 
leaving to our holy Mother 
   the choice of the nuns 
whom we considered requisite. 
7
She sent us two from the convent of Avila
      Mother Mary of Christ 
   who had been prioress there for five years, 
                     and 
       Sister Antonia of the Holy Ghost
     one of the four first 
      who had received the habit there;          [5] 
    from Toledo she gave us 
        Sister Beatriz of Jesus 
     who had been long professed and 
       was a relative of our holy Mother. 
Her Reverence could not come herself 
   as she was just leaving 
for the foundation of Burgos 
   which took place at the same time. 
Long before she had written,
   telling me 
that when the time came 
  she would not herself 
     found the house at Granada 
  because she believed 
    (that) God wished me 
         to undertake the work.                      [6] 
8
It seemed to me impossible 
   to undertake any foundation 
without her reverence,
 so I was distressed 
   when, 
           on the feast of the Conception 
                of our Lady 
    the sisters arrived at Veas without her. 
She told me in a letter they brought,
   - that to please me 
         she wished she could have come
      but that our great God 
         had otherwise ordained; 
  - she felt quite certain
     -- that I should manage matters 
          perfectly well at Granada 
            and 
     -- that His Majesty would help me greatly, 
     and this was the beginning 
           of the troubles 
      which were to follow. 
9
While the nuns were being fetched 
    from Castille 
the Father Vicar Provincial, 
    Diego of the Trinity, 
went to Granada 
    to negotiate about the assistance 
which he felt confident of receiving, 
   and was to write to us to come 
when affairs were all in good train. 
The zealous priest must have worked hard 
   - to obtain some fulfillment 
      of  the promises made him 
        and 
  - to get the license from the archbishop. 
But he could get nothing
still he did not cease to write to Veas
    in good confidence 
(of which he possessed a large share) 
  about the many advantages 
that had been held out to him. 
10
I laughed at this 
   and wrote advising him
      - to make no account of them, 
      - but to hire any house he could, 
           so that we might enter, 
         as the nuns had now arrived 
              from Castille. 
The poor father was discouraged, 
for he could not even do this: 
No house was to be found, 
and though he 
     had been to see the archbishop 
                 and 
    was supported in his request 
           by two of the senior auditors, 
                  Don Luis de Mercado 
                         and
                  the Licentiate Laguna,
it was impossible 
    to persuade the archbishop 
           to agree to our coming. 
On the contrary 
     he was annoyed at it and 
     answered bitterly. 
11
He said 
  - that he would like to abolish 
      the convents that were already there, 
             and 
  - why should more nuns be brought
          to a place 
      where after the years of famine 
         the people could find nothing to eat ? 
He made other very unpleasant remarks. 
On hearing this,
 the gentlemen, 
       who were advocating the matter for us, 
   were annoyed, 
           as they knew how we were 
               writing from Veas and 
    hurrying the matter on, and 
   saying how little was required 
        for the ten nuns who were to come. 
They helped the father secretly 
   and managed to persuade 
         a magistrate of the city 
    to let a house to us. 
This being done 
    he wrote bidding us come, 
    and was deeply grieved 
        at having nothing more to offer us. 
We were waiting at Veas 
    firmly resolved to start 
as soon as the father let us know 
     that we could do so 
      as had been settled 
      between Father John of the Cross 
      and the sisters 
         who had been with us 
          since the thirteenth of January.        [7] 
12
During the delay 
I went to make my prayer 
    one afternoon at the accustomed hour 
and was meditating upon the Gospel 
    of the Baptism of our Lord 
where He says to Saint John 
   ' It becometh us to fulfill all justice.'        [8]

I was 
   absorbed in thought 
              and 
   had forgotten all about the foundation
 when I heard a loud outcry 
        of confused shouts 
 which appeared to me
    to come from devils 
        who were very angry 
because a messenger was coming 
    with a letter telling us
        to go to Granada. 
While I was thinking this,
 the noise grew so loud
 that I became faint and feeling ill.
I drew close to the Mother prioress 
  who was near bye; 
She, thinking
    that I was suffering from weakness,
bade someone to bring me something to eat. 
13
I asked them by signs 
    not to do so 
    but to see who was calling at the turn: 
they went and found the messenger 
   with the letter 
   bidding us to start. 
14
There arose such a terrible storm 
  that it seemed the whole world 
      would be drowned 
   with rain and hail-stones; 
it made me so ill 
   that I thought I was dying. 
The doctors and all who saw me 
    considered it impossible for me 
           to begin the journey 
for the pains and discomfort I suffered 
    were agonizing. 
But as they appeared to me 
    to be supernatural,
 I took courage and urged the others 
    to get ready the carriages and whatever else
         was necessary 
    so that we might start next day. 
It was Saturday evening 
  when the messenger arrived 
and all Sunday I was so ill 
  that I could not even hear mass 
though my cell was near the choir. 
15
We left at three o'clock 
    on Monday morning,
        to the great joy of the whole party, 
    for it seemed to them 
that they would render our Lord 
    great service 
by this expedition. 
The weather was fine 
  but the state of the road, 
      owing to the previous storm, 
  such that the mules could hardly get along.
                                                                 [9]
When we reached Dayfuentes 
 the fathers who accompanied us, 
        John of the Cross and 
        Peter of the Angels, and myself
 discussed the means 
   of obtaining the license of the archbishop
              and 
   of overcoming his refusal 
       to allow the foundation. 
16
On the night 
    on which we reached Dayfuentes,
we heard a terrible thunder clap; 
   a bolt fell in Granada 
        on the Archbishop's own house, 
   near the room where he slept,
       burning part of his library 
                   and 
       killing some of his mules. 
It alarmed him so that he fell ill, 
and they say 
  that the fright made him feel 
        more kindly towards us, 
for no one remembers a thunderbolt 
   ever having fallen at Granada 
   at this time of the year.                     [10] 
17
On the same day
the person 
     who had let the house to Father Vicar
        which we were to enter, 
  retracted 
     his promise 
            and
     the agreement made with 
             Don Luis de Mercado and 
             the Licentiate Laguna, 
   alleging that he had not known 
      it was to be rented for a convent; 
   Now he would not quit the place 
    nor would any of the people 
         who lived there. 
He kept to his word 
    and refused to be influenced 
         by our two friends 
    though they offered him 
         fifty thousand ducats security. 
We were due to arrive in two days 
  and our friends did not know 
what to do. 
Don Luis de Mercado said to his sister, 
  Dona Ana de Peilalosa                       [11]
         to whom the Father Vicar 
          had not mentioned the matter: 
   ' Sister, as these nuns are already 
               on their way,
     it would be a good thing 
        if we 
           - could offer them hospitality 
                in our own house 
                      and 
           - were to give them a room 
                until they can find some corner
              in which to shelter themselves.' 
18
This excellent lady 
    who for the last two years 
         had not left her oratory 
     where she wept over the death 
       of her husband and her only daughter, 
  at once felt her spirits revive 
     as she told us afterwards. 
She immediately set to work to 
      prepare her house and 
      get everything ready 
            for the chapel and 
            for our lodging. 
She gave us very good accommodation
   although the space was limited, 
the house being small. 
We arrived there                                   [12]
  on the feast of Saints Fabian and Sebastian 
 at three o'clock in the morning, 
this being the most suitable hour 
  as we wished to keep the matter secret. 
We found the pious lady 
   at the door of her house 
where she received us 
   with tears and great affection. 
19
We also wept 
  as we sang Laudate Dominum         
 overjoyed at seeing the chapel 
   which she had prepared for us 
        in the porch, 
    although as we had no license 
          from the archbishop 
    I begged them to close it; 
I also asked the friars and the Father Vicar  
   who were present 
not even to think 
    of ringing a bell 
              or 
    of saying Mass 
             either publicly or privately 
until we had the consent of the archbishop
  which I trusted to Providence
 he would soon grant.                             [13] 
20
I wrote to him 
    announcing our arrival and 
    begging him to 
         come and 
         give us his blessing and 
         place the Blessed Sacrament 
            in our chapel, 
   for although it was a feast day 
      we should not hear Mass 
   without his permission. 
He answered very kindly 
   telling us 
     - we were welcome, 
    - that he was exceedingly glad
            that we had come, 
               and 
    - would have liked to get up 
         and say our first Mass for us, 
       but as he was ill 
          he sent his provisor                     [14] 
               to say it and 
               to do whatever else I might require. 
21
The latter arrived soon afterwards, 
  at seven o'clock in the morning. 
I begged him 
     to say Mass, 
     to give us all Holy Communion and 
     to place the Blessed Sacrament 
          on the altar. 
He did so 
    with great solemnity 
in the presence of 
     the auditors and 
     so great a concourse of people 
that it was wonderful 
   how they could have heard 
      of the matter thus quickly. 
By eight o'clock in the morning 
    of the day we came,
  - the Blessed Sacrament had been placed
         in the chapel 
              and 
  - more Masses were being said. 
22
All Granada came to the place 
  as if they had come to gain a Jubilee;
they cried unanimously 
  that we were saints, and 
  that God had visited their town 
      by bringing us. 
On the same day Don Luis de Mercado 
    and the Licentiate Laguna 
called on the Archbishop 
   who was ill from the effects 
         of the thunderbolt 
   which had fallen two days before. 
They found him in a violent passion 
   at our arrival.                                        [15] 
They asked him
     if he was so annoyed 
why had he given us permission 
     to found our convent ? 
He answered: 
   ' I could not help it, 
    I was forced to act as I did, 
    though very repugnant 
    because I do not wish to see nuns 
          in my diocese. 
    But I do not intend to give them anything 
     for I cannot maintain
          the communities I have already.' 
Thus we began to be really poor, 
   both in name and in fact. 
23
The alms bestowed on us by Dona Ana 
   were very small 
and other people gave us nothing 
   as we were living in her house 
      to which all the poor had resort and 
      from which large sums were given
         to nearly all 
             the religious houses and hospitals
         in the town. 
Thus, no one supposed 
   that we were in want 
and on several days 
   we should not have been able 
       to feed ourselves 
   on what this lady gave us 
       if our Discalced Fathers 
           of the Convent  of Los Martires    [16]
   had not sent us some bread and fish. 
They, themselves, were very badly off 
   on account of the great 
      dearth and scarcity 
   from which Andalusia suffered that year. 
24
We had no other bedding 
   except what we had brought with us, 
which was so little 
   that only two or three could sleep on it, 
   and most of us were obliged 
       to rest during the night 
   on some rush mats 
       that were in the choir. 
We were so delighted at this 
  that, in case it might be stopped, 
we let nobody know of our need; 
above all,
   we hid it from our devout hostess 
lest we might be troublesome to her. 
As she saw 
 that we always looked 
       satisfied and contented, 
and believing that we were 
       good and mortified nuns, 
 she did not notice 
       that we required anything more 
          than she had  given us. 
It was thus 
   that we passed the greater part 
         of the seven months 
   we lived in her house. 
25
During that time 
we received many visitors 
    belonging to the best society 
           of the town, 
    besides religious of all the Orders, 
       who spoke of nothing else 
           but our rashness in founding houses
                 in such poverty, 
           destitute of  all human aid. 
We answered 
  - that it was this 
       which guaranteed Divine support 
            and 
  - that our confidence in God, 
       after the many proofs 
     He had given to our convents 
       of His care and providence, 
     removed all our anxiety 
        about their foundation. 
Indeed, we preferred it 
     to any other way, 
for we thought it was the safest course. 
Our visitors laughed very much 
    at our words 
           and 
    at how contented we were 
        in our tiny enclosure 
          which we were so strict in keeping 
        
    that even Don Luis de Mercado, 
      who lived in the same house, 
    had never seen us without our veils down
       and 
    no one knew 
       what our faces looked like. 
26
In this we were not doing more 
   than our Rule obliges us, 
but that is thought very highly of in Granada.

Many persons of all classes 
   came to ask for the habit 
but although they numbered
     more than two hundred 
we did not see one 
   whom we could receive conformably
        to our Constitutions. 
We therefore 
    avoided speaking to some of them 
              and 
    put the others off, 
      telling them
        - that they must learn to know 
               our mode of life first and 
        - that we were bound 
               to test their vocation. 
Besides which, 
   we could not take fresh members 
        until we had another house, 
   as we had room for no more. 
We made great efforts, 
    to find another dwelling, 
but no place could be had, 
    either for hire or for sale. 
27
I felt rather troubled at times
    by lack of aid 
from the inhabitants of the town, 
but whenever I thought about it, 
   I seemed to hear the words 
Christ our Lord said to His apostles: 
     'When I sent you 
         without purse and scrip and shoes, 
      did you want anything .'                      [17] 
and my soul replied: 
     ' No indeed, Lord ! ' 
in full confidence                                
that both in spiritual and temporal matters,
  His Majesty would provide for us 
        abundantly. 
28
All this did not happen 
     without a special purpose, 
for the most distinguished priests 
        and preachers of the city 
     came and 
     said Masses and 
     gave us their sermons, 
almost without our asking them. 
They liked
     to hear our confessions and 
     to learn about our life. 
This increased the trust I felt in my heart 
   that we should want for nothing, 
  which trust was given me by God 
      as it arose from an incident 
  which occurred directly I came to the place.
 I heard interiorly the words, 
    uttered with great stress and emphasis:
     'Scapulis suis obumbrabit tibi          [18]
      et sub pennis ejus sperabis.'             
I related this 
    to my confessor, 
        Father John of the Cross, 
                and
    to Father Master John Baptist de Ribera 
         of the Society of Jesus 
       to whom I told all that happened to me
               both in and out of confession. 
It appeared to both of them 
    to be a sort of pledge, 
        given me by our Lord, 
   that this foundation would be prosperous, 
         as up to this time,
      that is during four years, it has been, 
       Blessed be His name ! 
The sisters 
          who came with me 
 assure me 
      that during all this time
 they have experienced a deeper sense 
      of the presence of His Majesty and 
      of His communications 
  than ever before in their lives. 
29
This became evident 
  both 
    in their own advancement 
          and 
    in that which everyone said 
      was caused by their example 
    in the convents in the city. 
I learnt from the President, 
    Don Pedro de Castro
that a great change for the better 
   had taken place in these nuns 
since we came, 
  and there are large numbers of them 
 in Granada. 
To the favours granted by God 
   which I have already mentioned 
He added another signal grace    —
 - that of so realizing that 
   our Lord Jesus Christ kept us company 
     in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar,
 - that we seemed to perceive 
        His bodily Presence visibly. 
This was so usual and so universal,
   that we often spoke to one another 
         about it, 
  saying that the Blessed Sacrament 
    never had produced the same effect 
         upon us in any other place. 
This consolation 
     which we felt 
  directly it was placed in the chapel, 
still remains with some of us, 
  although not so perceptibly 
as during the first seven months. 

30
At the end of this period                      [19]
   we found a house to rent 
which we entered in perfect secrecy,
 without the knowledge of the landlord, 
  the former tenant having left it empty. 
You had then come from Baeza 
  to look after our interests. 
Nothing more could be done 
  until ten months afterwards 
when our Lord began to inspire 
  some young ladies 
        of the first families of the city 
  with a serious desire of joining us. 
Encouraged by their confessors 
   without asking leave 
         of their parents and relations 
   who would never have consented 
      to their entering so austere an Order,
 they came, unknown to anyone, 
      to take our  habit. 
31
After a few days,
    six of them were clothed 
 with great solemnity. 
Their relatives were very indignant 
         and
the whole city was disturbed, 
for people thought
  it was a terrible thing 
      to enter our community. 
Many persons, 
       we were told, 
   took great care 
      to prevent their daughters visiting us, 
   for the mother and father 
      of  Sister Marianne of Jesus, 
           the first whom we received, 
   died soon afterwards, 
      and report said 
    that their death was caused by grief. 
As for her, 
    she has never repented having come,
on the contrary, 
   she is very happy and grateful 
         to our Lord 
   for having called her to this Order. 
She has turned out very well, 
   as have all those 
who entered with her at that time, 
   also those whom we have received since.
                                                                 [20] 
32
When they were professed 
 we tried to purchase a house 
      with their dowries 
 but although we negotiated for several 
 and the agreements were actually written out,
   yet the purchase was never made 
  until we decided upon one belonging 
    to the Duke de Sesa, 
  Yet there were such great obstacles 
      to this purchase 
   that it seemed madness to fix upon it, 
         as everyone said, 
   although it was the most suitable for us 
    and the most favourably situated 
         in Granada. 
However, I resolved to try to obtain it, 
for two years ago the sister 
    who acts as my secretary
          (whom I do not name 
            for you know well who she is)
  told me 
    that our Lord had three times given her 
  to understand 
    that the convent was to be 
         in the Duke's house, 
    and she knew this with such certainty 
    that nothing would be able to prevent it. 
Now it has come to pass, 
    as your Reverence is aware, 
and we are living there at present           [21]
               Anne of Jesus
            _________________


                       Foot Notes:
[1]
  Fray Diego de la Trinidad
      originally a Jeronymite, 
      afterwards Carmelite, 
      a zealous, prudent and amiable man, and 
      a great servant of God. 
   He had accompanied 
       Father John of Jesus (Roca) to Rome 
   to obtain the separation 
         from the Calced friars. 
     At this time he was Prior of Seville and
        Vicar-Provincial of Andalusia. 
     He died of the plague in May 1582. 
__________________
 [2]
  Don Juan Mendez de Salvatierra, 
       Archbishop of Granada since 1576. 
___________________
 [3]
   13th November 1581. 
_______________
  [4]
   Father Gratian had just founded 
      a convent of friars 
      and college at Salamanca
          (1st June 1581) 
      named San Lazaro 
     from the church given it 
        by Don Andres de Cordoba, 
     which had belonged to the lepers 
       [ Peregrinación de Anastasiodial, xiii.) 
__________ 
 [5] 
   See Life, ch. xxxvi. 5. 
____________________
 [6]
  On the 28th of November 
     S. Teresa wrote to 
         Mother Mary of  S. Joseph
          Prioress of Seville: 
     ' I have asked you 
           (in another letter of the same date, 
              now lost) 
       to send two sisters of your convent
           to Granada; 
   I trust you will not choose the least fit; 
   I beg it of you in charity 
          as you know 
    how important it is 
    they should be truly perfect and capable.' 
   On the next day 
    she told the Provincial, Father Gratian
     that she had chosen
        three nuns from Avila, 
        three from Veas,
                including Anne of  Jesus 
                     as prioress
        two from Seville and 
        two lay sisters 
           from Villanueva de la Jara 
       where there were five.
     'Anne of Jesus will be displeased 
      for she would have liked 
      to make all the arrangements herself.' 
     In fact she did not receive 
         the two lay sisters
     but sent them back to their own convent
       much to the annoyance of S. Teresa 
     who remonstrated with her 
           in a letter of 30th May. 
    The reason was 
      that  there were 
         neither sufficient means 
         nor the necessary accommodation 
      for so many nuns, 
         and 
     Anne acted on the advice 
         of the Vicar-provincial and 
         of S. John of the  Cross; 
    Matters were explained afterwards. 
_____________________
 [7]
   Besides the three sisters from Castille
       already mentioned 
    four were chosen from Veas
       namely, 
          in addition to 
             Anne of Jesus 
             as the future prioress 
       Beatrice of S. Michael, 
       Eleanor Bautista of Jesus and 
       Lucy of S. Joseph
       and two from Seville
       Mary of Jesus and 
       Mary of S. Paul
________________
 [8]
    S. Matthew iii. 15. 
     Sic enim decet nos Implere 
          omnem justttlam. 
     The octave of Epiphany 
           (13th January) 
      is set apart for the consideration 
         of  the Baptism of Christ. 
__________________
[9]
  Two incidents of this journey 
     are recorded in the depositions of
         Mother John-Evangelist and 
         Mother Mary of S. John. 
 At one point the travelers came dangerously
    near the edge of a precipice
    down which they must inevitably 
        have fallen 
    had not a man suddenly appeared 
       and ordered them to alter their course;
 Anne of Jesus afterwards declared him 
   to have been S. Joseph. 
  Later on they met a man 
   who had been so badly thrown 
  that he appeared lifeless. 
  Anne bade the nuns join her in prayer, 
    and after a short time 
  he revived and found himself so well 
    as to be able to remount his horse 
   and continue the journey. 
__________________
 [10]
  Nevertheless the Archbishop 
   received S. John of the Cross, 
      who had hastened on 
      and called on him the following morning,  
  very coldly and persisted in his refusal. 
________________
[11]
  Dona Ana de Penalosa 
    was the widow 
   of Don Juan de Guevara
     who died in 1579. 
   She was a penitent 
        of S. John of the Cross, 
   who wrote at her request 
       the Explanation of his poem,
    The Living Flame of Love. 
   The last letter preserved of him 
      is addressed to her;
   it bears the date 
      Penuela, 21st September 1591,
   that is less than three months 
      before his death. 
_______________
[12]
    20th January 1582. 
___________________________
[13]
  Anne of Jesus spent the rest of the night 
     in finishing the decoration 
          of the chapel and 
     preparing it for Mass. 
   Father Vicar who had given up all hope 
     of obtaining the archbishop's consent 
   was of opinion 
     - that the bell might be rung, 
           Mass celebrated 
         and the Blessed Sacrament reserved
       in token of the inauguration
             of the convent; 
  - (that)  the archbishop would yield 
       before an accomplished fact, 
      and would not dare to disband 
         a convent founded in the house 
             of Don Luis de Mercado 
      and favoured by the members 
           of the court of Granada. 
 This opinion was shared by everyone 
    except Mother Anne of Jesus. 
_________________
 [14]
    Don Antonio Barba 
_____________________
[15]
  The Spanish wording,
     'echando chispas',  
     'throwing out sparks', 
   is even more expressive. 
_______________
 [16]
 The convent 
       of the Discalced Carmelite friars 
    called Los Martires  (martyrs)
    had been founded 
      by Father Jerome Gratian 
      on 19th May 1573.
  It was situated close to the Alhambra, 
    but separated from it by a ravine. 
  There had been a hermitage erected 
     over the ruins of the prisons 
   in which the  M.  oo rs  used to keep 
      their Christian captives.
  While digging near it for water 
     among the bones of the M .  oo rs,
  was found the skeleton 
of the holy Archbishop Gonzalo of Jaen 
   who died in prison having bestowed 
   his ransom brought by his flock 
        to redeem other prisoners 
    who were in danger of losing their faith.
         [ Peregrinación de Anastasiodial,  
              XIII, p. 209.  ]
____________
[17]
  St Luke xxii. 35. 
_________________
 [18]
  "Ps. xc. 4. 
    'He will overshadow thee 
          with his shoulders: 
    and under his wings,  thou shalt trust.' 
   (Psalm  91:4)
________________
 [19]
  August 1582. 
  The house they subsequently entered 
    was situated in the Calk Ehira 
   and belonged to 
         Don Alonso de Granada y Alarcon. 
_______________
 [20]
  They were: 
      Marianne of Jesus (de los Cameros),  
  afterwards Prioress of Granada and   
  foundress of Almodovar and Cabra; 
   Isabel of the Incarnation (de Puebla), 
     foundress of Baeza and Prioress of Jaen;

   Mary of S. John (de Velasco); 
   Catherine of the Holy Ghost (de Leyva), 
    three times prioress of Granada
   Catherine of Jesus 
      who afterwards went to Malaga, and
    Mary of S. Paul
      [ oeuvres, iv. 242, note 2. ]
______________________
[21]
   Situated Calle San Matias; 
   it still serves as convent 
      of the Teresian nuns. 


                     End of  
   The Foundation of S. Joseph's Convent 
                at Granada
  
      by the Ven. Mother Anne of Jesus 
                      
         [ Book of the Foundations ]