History

The founding site was in the center of Mexico City. Years before the coming of Christianity to this area, Indians there had built the ‘Temple of Patón.’ The ritual of human sacrifice and the offering of human hearts to the gods was practiced here. With the foundation of this community of Discalced Carmelite Nuns, human hearts were again offered, but to the one true God, in the sacrifice of love lived in faith. The monastery of the Nuns became known as the Convento de San José de Teresas de Mexico.

Sister Catalina was the turn sister of the community (her duty was to greet visitors to the convent) and she was known for her prudence and quick mind. Once, when General Santa Ana was passing through the city, he stopped at the Nuns’ monastery, and without identifying himself, asked for a glass of water. Sister Catalina brought the water. As she passed it to him from behind the turn, Santa Ana asked her: “Sister, what do you think of that General Santa Ana? People say he is a very bad man.” Sister replied “Well, Sir, if he is a bad man or not I do not know, all I can say is that everyone is a child of God, redeemed by Christ and, since this man governs us, I, as a religious, am under great obligation to pray for him.” He was so impressed by her response that, when Madre Catalina arrived to found the new convent, the General and his men accompanied the Nuns from the train station in Durango to the door of their new monastery.

The Archbishop of Mexico City granted the permission for two Nuns from Mexico City, along with three from the monastery of Queretero, Mexico, to begin the foundation of Carmel of Durango. On June 16, 1853, Mother Catalina, the new Prioress, four professed nuns and two young postulants began our community. The Monastery of Discalced Carmelite Nuns of San Antonio, Texas springs directly from this simple beginning in northern Mexico.

About a mile north of the city of Durango, at the Church of Santa Ana, the Sisters were led in a solemn procession by all the religious and civil leaders of Durango, along with a large crowd of its citizens, to the Cathedral of Durango. Once they arrived at the Cathedral, the bells of all the churches began to ring. The community was ushered to the front of the Cathedral, where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed and an orchestra played. After a warm welcome and homily delivered by Archbishop Zubiria, and followed by a blessing given with the Blessed Sacrament the Sisters were led with music from a military band and candle light, to their new home. The monastery bore the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the enclosure was put into effect on June 26, 1853 and the Blessed Sacrament was placed in their chapel on the 2nd of July. During the first three years 13 new vocations entered, and the community prospered.

A few more years had passed when a young niece of José de Jesús Contreras, Dean of the Cathedral of Durango, entered the community of Carmelite Nuns in Mexico City from which the Community of Durango had originally been founded. She went there because the community of Durango had only two Nuns, and they had no noviciate. The young woman’s name was María Luisa Contreras. Upon her entrance into Carmel, she was given the name Sister Magdalena del Niño Jesús. She was asked if she would undertake the restoration of the community of Durango. Her response was that if her superiors asked this of her, she would be happy to do so. Her only request was that the Discalced Carmelite Fathers would make a foundation in that city if she were to go back. She desired this because she felt strongly the need of the spiritual guidance and care of the friars of our Order to help re-establish the community that had been so violently disrupted

Upon learning of the Archbishop’s decision, Sister Magdalena requested permission from her Prioress to ask Father Pedro de San Elias, O.C.D. to go to Durango and personally speak to the Archbishop and the officials of the city to begin the necessary arrangements. A friend of the Nuns in Durango who had long desired to see the restoration of their community, Miss Refugio Bracho, offered to help with donations, and whatever else might be needed, to bring the Nuns back, along with helping the new foundation of the Friars with Father Pedro. She was able to get all the arrangements made.

On December 29, 1901, four Nuns came to Durango to join Sister Angustias, the only surviving member of the original community. Three Discalced Carmelite Friars, who had come to make the Father’s foundation of their own new monastery, accompanied the Sisters. The Nuns went directly to a house donated to them as a convent. The Fathers went to the home of a diocesan priest who assisted the Friars in their beginnings.

Sr. Maria de los Angeles walked down a corridor, and saw a soldier sitting on a chair with his head in his hands. She walked over to him and asked if he were ill. He told her he had a terrible headache, something he had suffered with for a long time. He complained that no one had offered him so much as a glass of water. She then went and brought him some cool water, offered him her prayers, and then left. This soldier immediately felt relief and never suffered such intense headaches again. The soldier himself told this to others, and the story got back to the community.

Finally, all four were freed and were reunited with the rest of the community. The Sisters continued to hide in small groups, in houses of friends and family. The government officials looked for them to force them to hand over the money the community had to live on. For a while the community was able to stay together, and found shelter hiding in the Church of the Angels. They helped clean and care for the church. Soon, however, the Nuns were once again denounced and had to hide in homes of friends and relatives once more, unable to live in community.

In the first months of 1918 the community reunited to live in a different part of the city of Durango. They were able to purchase a nice quinta, again taking the risk of living their lives in community observance. They knew that they were in danger. If the government found them, they would be imprisoned.

In May of this same year, seven robbers came one night at 2:00 a.m., rang the doorbell, and pretended to be helping the Nun’s gardener, who, they said, had been bitten by a snake. They tricked Sister Maria del Santisimo into opening the door and, held a gun to her chest forcing their way into the enclosure. The other men, with rifles and knives in hand, went to the rooms of each of the Sisters and gathered them together, demanding that they surrender all they owned. The Nuns stood around Mother Magdalena, who begged the men not to insult or harm any Sister. She warned them to fear punishment from heaven. The men forced the community into a small shed in the back of their property, telling the Nuns they were going to kill them. The men locked the shed, and then went on to steal all they could carry. It was believed that the robbers were really government officials.

When day dawned, the Chaplain came to say Mass for the Sisters, and not finding them, went with several other people to look for them. They quickly found the shed where the Nuns were, and released them. Though badly shaken by the ordeal, no one was hurt. That very same day, Father Pedro de San Elias helped them find another place to live. Through all the terrors and sufferings the Sister endured during those years, the Discalced Carmelite Fathers always helped them find a solution or a way to deal with all the difficulties.

For five years the community remained in Tucson, living in peace and security. Along with the solicitude they received from the Friars, many lay people helped them in every way possible. However, because of the death of three of the younger Nuns, largely due to the extreme climate change, and at the express wish of the Bishop of Durango, who promised the situation in Mexico had improved, the Sisters, returned to Mexico in 1930, not to Durango, but to Mexico City where things were safer.

Two years later the Government issued another decree threatening all Religious with imprisonment and possible execution, along with those who might be renting property or houses to them. The Nuns had to seek permission from the Archbishop of Durango to leave their country again. Under the guidance and leadership of Mother Maria de San José Calderón, the community was split into two groups so as not to draw attention. The elderly, the youngest and the sick were to leave first, followed afterward by the rest of the community. The Sisters had to dress in secular clothing, had almost no possessions or money, and were unsure of whether they would be allowed to cross the border. Once across the border, were unsure as to how they would be received or live their life.

Because of advice of a friend, they came to San Antonio, Texas. The first group left by train on November 7th, 1934, and arrived on November 9th. Upon their arrival in San Antonio, the Nuns sought help from our Carmelite Fathers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Therese. Surprised by their unannounced arrival the Fathers were unsure as to how to best assist the Sisters. The Prior, Fr. Bernardo Brotones, called the Provincial in Oklahoma for aid. First, lodging was sought for the Nuns, and then arrangements would be made to send the Sisters to Oklahoma where the Provincial would take care of the community’s needs. The Fathers requested assistance from the Sisters of the Holy Spirit. These Sisters graciously allowed this first group to stay with them for several weeks. The second group left Mexico on November 20th and arrived on November 22nd. Father Juan Evangelista Vega, O.C.D., from the Province of Mexico, accompanied the Nuns to Laredo, doing all in his power to keep them safe. Once in Laredo, the Nuns found lodging in several different communities of religious and were again able to dress in their habits, free from fear and threats of imprisonment.

The Nuns began doing their handwork – embroidery, painting and statue repairs to help sustain themselves and pay all the bills. Four months later, Father Bernardo Brotones, helped the Nuns acquire the property, and a large, two-story, wooden framed house, across the street from the small house they were renting. It had once been a tuberculosis hospital. Workers began making the necessary repairs and accommodations, with Fr. Bernardo coming daily to oversee the work. When the carpenters and other craftsmen left for the day, the Nuns carried on throughout the night, continuing with what hammering, painting and fixing they could do on their own.

On May 17, 1935, this large house was blessed and the Nuns moved in. At last the community was able to begin a normal life again. The effects of poverty were great, the Sisters worked into the late hours of the night, barely able to raise the funds needed for their livelihood. The people of the San Antonio area were most kind and generous. Many neighbors, along with the Fathers, brought the Nuns food. When the community’s water was cut off because they could not afford to pay the bill, a neighbor from behind the monastery would put a hose over the enclosure wall and turn on the water when needed. The Nuns, even though experiencing such extremes of poverty, were very happy. For the first time, almost since their foundation, they were able to live in freedom and security.

As the years passed, the monastery on Kentucky Avenue became too small for the needs of our community, and the busy city street of Culebra nearby too noisy for our life of prayer. In 1979 it was resolved that our best hope was for the monastery to be relocated. With the help and encouragement of our then Father Provincial, Christopher Timoney, O.C.D., and the then Pastor of the Little Flower Basilica, Fr. Ralph Reyes, and with financial assistance from Mr. Philip Sheridan, we were able to locate the hilltop property on which we now reside. Archbishop Patrick Flores offered us his support and permission, donations from the community were sought. Many, many people, from near and far and all walks of life, gave with great generosity and self-sacrifice. Because of them, we were able to purchase almost 20 acres of the old ‘Alamo Downs’. Groundbreaking was held on July 16, 1981, with our Archbishop putting the first shovel into motion for the construction.

In September 2003, as we celebrated our 150th anniversary as a community of Discalced Carmelite Nuns, we were 8 Solemnly Professed Sisters, one temporary professed and one aspirant. Two of our number (Sister Celina Camberos de la Santa Faz and Sister Maria Estela de la Cerda del Sagrado Corazón de Jesus) are of the group that came to San Antonio in 1934. We are a bilingual community, speaking both English and Spanish in daily conversation and in our liturgies. Since the entrance of our temporary professed Sister, and the presence of our aspirant, both Vietnamese, we would hope to one day be a ‘trilingual’ community. We range in age from 92 to 28 years of age. Our principle means of support are the packing and distribution of altar breads, liturgical sewing, ceramics and other handcrafts.