Letter 184. To Mother Ana de San Alberto, Prioress of Carayaca, Toledo, July 2, 1577

Regarding the convent at Caravaca. Death of the nuncio. Father Gradan and the affairs of the Order.

Jesus be with your Reverence, my daughter.

I AM very glad to hear that your house is cool and that you are not obliged to suffer as you did this time last year. I should very much enjoy being with you for a short time if God so willed as I should not have so much business and letter writing and should be near the little ducklings and the stream, where you must feel like so many hermits. I do not deserve such pleasure but find my pleasure in your enjoyment of it. I assure you that I did not know how fond I was of you ; I long to see you. Perhaps God will grant me that favour some day. I offer you to Him fervently and I am satisfied at thinking that He is sure to help you in all things. I feel no anxiety at your having to train the souls of your daughters to a high perfection, but you must be warned that all cannot be guided in the same way. You must treat the sister whom our Father has clothed as an invalid: do not be

VOL. II. 20 troubled if she is not very perfed:. It will suffice ii she merely does what she can, as they say, and avoids ofFending God.

There is much to endure in every house, especially when it is first founded. Until the convent is established we must take those we can get who have money, in order to make a home for the others. There is a special reason for admitting her, as she was the first to bestow an alms on your convent: Train her, my daughter, as best you can. If she has a good soul, remember that she is a mansion in which God dwells. Whenever I think of her, I rejoice at the great pleasure you have given our Father. To please you in return I will tell you that he said you were one of our best prioresses. May His Majesty come to your aid, for you are quite alone.

Do not feel worried about the business at Malagon ; it will do to send the money when you can.

General, nominated by the most Reverend Father General. Although hitherto the King has not allowed him to undertake the visitation, we do not know what may happen. Our Father's powers as Apostolic Commissary have not expired on the nuncio's death, so I know that he is still Visitor. I believe that he is now at Pastrana. You should pray much, as we do here, that matters may be diredled to the greater glory of God. We have had processions as well. Do not be careless about it, for this is a critical time, though apparently all will come right.

In spite of all his work, our Father has never ceased looking after the affairs of your convent and has even spoken to the bishop twice on the subjed:. The latter was very gracious; he stated that he attained to great success. When Cardinal Pole was recalled in 1557» Ormaneto returned to Bovolone. He assisted at the Council of Trent, and was for two years Vicar General at Milan as representative of his intimate friend, St. Charles Boromeo, while the latter was in attendance on the Holy Father in Rome. Ormaneto was most successful in carrying out much needed reforms and the execution of the decrees of the Council of Trent. He was then summoned to Rome to reform its churches, and was made Bishop of Padua. In 1572 he was sent to Spain as nuncio, principally in order to induce Philip to strengthen the League against the Turks, a project which failed. The nuncio endeavoured to liberate Mary Queen of Scots and to bring Queen Elizabeth back to the Church, but before he died, he had lost all hopes of our country's reunion with the Holy See except through its conquest by a Catholic power. Ormaneto, who for his zeal in correcting abuses had been nicknamed Reformator Orbis by his enemies, at once became the devoted friend and helper of St. Teresa and the Discalced, using his power as nuncio to protect the Reform against the Mitigated. It was probably owing to his influence that she devoted herself specially to the conversion of England and Germany. Worn out by labour and austerity, Ormaneto died on June 17, 1577, in such extreme poverty on account of his almsgiving that Philip was obliged to pay the expenses of his funeral. (NicolasOrmaneto, by Rev. Cuthbert Robinson, Catholic Repository, 1920.)

would arrange the thing satisfactorily and sent to the lady to that effect. He wrote to me last week saying that he was waiting for something — I do not know what. Our Father is content and says that all will end successfully, so do not mind if there should be a slight delay, for I assure you that the business is being attended to most zealously. Be at rest about the rent; you need feel no anxiety on that score, for it will soon be settled.

As you are satisfied with the old woman's daughters, you have only to profess them even though they may be subjeól to little ailments at times; for where can a woman be found who is not?

My head is a little better, but not well enough to allow of my writing personally. I make use of a secretary for all the convents except for private matters, therefore I will end this now.

What shall I say about the commotion concerning the ill-health of our nuns, more particularly at Seville? The enclosed letter will give you an account of it. I am grieved about Ana de la Encarnación although such complaints diminish with age. Remember me to her and all the sisters, especially the Subprioress and foundresses.

Ana de la Madre de Dios is superior of Mala-gon. She is an excellent religious and fulfils her office without swerving a jot from the Constitutions. The sisters at Seville are in great trouble: the Subprioress has been anointed and the Prioress has the fever so nothing can be asked of them at present. Remember, it is the Seville nuns who are to pay the cost. They will soon be professing some novices and will then acquit themselves of their debt to you.

The suggestion of sending me a fish must have been a joke, unless you intended to deliver it by a special messenger, which would be very expensive.

As for the linen habits mentioned by our Father, you must leave off wearing them by degrees until there are none left, if you cannot afford to buy new ones for all the sisters at once. You should sell them as best you can.

Keep on good terms with Doña Catalina de Otalora and try to please her in every way; ingratitude would be very unbecoming, considering what you owe to her. If she writes to any nun, see that the letter is delivered and answered.

May our Lord make you a great saint. Mother Brianda sends you her kind regards: she is very ill.

To-day is July 2. The mother and sister of your Reverence are both well.

Your unworthy servant,

Teresa de Jesus.