Letter 391. To Mother Mary of St. Joseph, Prioress of Seville, Avila, November 28, 1581

Begs her to choose some good nuns for the foundation at Granada. Asks for payment of the debt for the chapel, The Saint’s approaching departure for Burgos.

May Jesus have your Reverence in His care for me!

| WROTE your Reverence a very long letter today,soI will not say much now as I am very busy because we had a profession this morning, so that I am extremely tired.

I asked you to give me two nuns from your community for the foundation at Granada, and I trust to you not to choose the worst.” I beg this of your

TO MOTHER MARY OF S. JOSEPH 253 charity, for you know how important it is that they should be very perfect and capable. That will leave you a vacancy to take more postulants and to pay your debt to mesooner, for I feel keenly disappointed at leaving Avila for Burgos without the building of my brother’s chapel having been started; yet I have been told that I am in conscience bound to undertake it. I tell you this to show you that I cannot postpone the matter much longer. Therefore do all you can to forward the sum to me, and pray for me, as, after Christmas, I am going to make the foundation at Burgos. The climate there is excessively cold at this time of year, but I should not mind that if the road led past Seville so that I might see you. However, our Lord will bring about our meeting some day. My health is fairly good, (glory be to God!) but you and all the sisters must help me by your prayers to carry my burdens. Teresa’ asks you and all the nuns to pray for her. May His Majesty have your Reverence in His care for me and make you a saint, as He can do. Amen.

From the convent of Avila, November 28. Kindest remembrances to all the sisters,

Teresa de Jesus.

“I saw the greatness and glory of God within the soul of this angel in so striking a manner that my own was carried away by it.’ She performed miracles and prophesied at Granada, and the whole city was present at her funeral. Lucia de San José (Martinez y Lopez) and Leonor Bautista de Jesus (Perez de Castillejoy y Bermudez) completed the party from Veas. An account of the foundation at Granada by Venerable Anne of Jesus is given at the end of the Book of Foundations, > Teresita.

CCCCXI