Chapter XXI
Of the Foundation of the Carmelite Convent of the glorious St Joseph, at Segovia. It was founded on St Joseph's Day, 1574.
I have already told how, after the convents of Salamanca and Alba were founded, and before the one at Salamanca was settled in a house of its own, the Master Father Fray Pedro Fernandez, who was at that time Apostolic Commissary, ordered me to go to the Incarnation at Avila for three years, and how, seeing the extreme need of the house at Salamanca, he ordered me to go back there, that they might move to a house of their own. While I was there one day in prayer, it was said to me by our Lord that I was to go and found at Segovia. To me this seemed an impossibility, because I could not go unless I was sent, and I had understood from the Apostolic Commissary, Master Fray Pedro Fernandez, that he did not wish me to make any more foundations; and I saw too, that as the three years which I had to spend at the Incarnation were not completed, there was great reason not to wish it.
While I was thinking over this, the Lord told me to tell him, and he would do it. He was at Salamanca at the time, and I wrote to him saying that he already knew that I held instructions from our Most Reverend General not to omit making a foundation whenever I saw a suitable opening anywhere; that at Segovia the Bishop and the town council had consented to the foundation of a convent; that if his Paternity ordered me to do so, I would found it: that I informed him of this in order to satisfy my own conscience; and that I should be at rest or content with whatever he commanded. I believe these were my words, or thereabouts, and that I thought it would be to the service of God. Well did it appear that His Majesty desired it: for he at once told me to found it, and gave me the licence: which greatly surprised me, from what I had heard him say in regard to this matter. From Salamanca I arranged to have a house hired for me: because, since the foundations of Toledo and Valladolid, I had seen that it was better to seek one of our own after we had taken possession, for many reasons, the first one being that I had not a penny to buy houses; but when a convent is already founded, the Lord soon provides it. Besides, one can thus choose a situation more to our purpose.
There was a lady there named Dona Ana de Jimena, who had been the wife of a country gentleman. She had once been to see me at Avila, and she was a great servant of God, and her vocation had always been to be a nun. So, when the convent was established, she entered it, with a daughter of hers who was leading a very good life; and for the unhappiness which she had been through as a wife and a widow, the Lord rendered her double happiness when she found herself in Religion. The mother and daughter had always lived in retirement and in the service of God. This saintly woman took the house and provided all that she saw was needful for us, both for the chapel and for ourselves; so that I had little trouble about this. But in order that there might be no foundation without some, He permitted me to go there with severe fever and loathing of food, and excessive interior troubles of dryness and darkness in my soul, and bodily ills of many kinds, which continued at their worst for three months: and the half year that I was there, I was ill all the time.
On St Joseph's Day we reserved the Blessed Sacrament. I would only enter the town secretly at night on the Eve, although I had the permission of the Bishop and of the town council. The permission had been given long ago; but as I was at the Incarnation and had a Superior other than our Father the Generalissimo, I had not been able to make the foundation. And I had the permission of the Bishop — the one who was Bishop when the town council gave its consent -by word of mouth, as he gave it to a gentleman who asked it for us, by name Andres de Jimena. He did not concern himself to get it in writing: nor did I think it mattered. But I was mistaken: for when it came to the knowledge of the Vicar-general1 that the convent had been founded, he came at once, very angry, and would not consent to let mass be said any more, and wanted to send to prison the priest who had said it, a Barefoot friar2 who had gone with Father Julian of Avila, and another servant of God who went with me, by name Antonio Gaytan.
This Antonio Gaytan was a gentleman of Alba, and our Lord had called him when he was living much mixed up in the world: and a few years later he had it so under his feet that he only thought how he could do it greater service. Since in the account of subsequent foundations he will have to be mentioned, because he has helped me much and toiled much, I have said who he is: but if I had to say his virtues, I should not have done so soon. What profited us most on this journey was his being so ready to endure hardness that amongst the servants who travelled with us there was not one who did so much as he did of what had to be done. He is always much in prayer, and God has given him such grace that everything which would have put out anyone else gave him pleasure and came easy to him. So it was with all his trouble in these foundations: so that it is plain that God called him and Father Julian of Avila to this workFather Julian, however, has been in it from the foundation of the first convent. It must have been on account of such companions that it pleased our Lord all should go well with me. Their discourse on the journeys consisted in speaking of God and teaching those who went with us and those whom we met: and so in every way they kept doing service to His Majesty. It is well, my daughters, those of you who shall read the story of these foundations, that you should learn what you owe them; so that, since for no advantage to themselves they so toiled for the good which you enjoy of living in these convents, you may commend them to our Lord and they may reap some profit through your prayers. For indeed, if you knew the weary nights and days they have passed, and their hardships on the road, you would do this with a very good will.
The Vicar-general would not leave our chapel without setting a constable at the door. Why, I know not. It a little served to frighten those who were there: but as for me, nothing which happened after taking possession ever troubled me much; my fears were all beforehand. I sent for some people, relations of one of the Sisters whom I had taken with me, who were some of the chief people of the town, that they might speak to the Vicar-general, and tell him that I had the Bishop's permission. He knew that very well, as he afterwards said; but he would have wished us to inform him beforehand. I believe it would have been much worse if we had. At last they settled with him to leave us in possession of the house, but he took away the Blessed Sacrament. This we did not mind.
We lived thus for some months until we bought a house, and with it lawsuits in plenty. We had had one with the Franciscans about a house which was bought near .theirs: about this other we had one with the Ransomers, and with the town council, because they held a mortgage on the house. Oh Jesus, how troublesome it is to contend with many opinions! When at last all seemed to be settled, it began over again; because it did not suffice to give them what they asked for, but straightway some other difficulty was made. It seems nothing as I relate it, but to go through, it was a great deal.
A nephew of the Bishop's who was Prior and a Canon of the church did all he could for us, so also did a Licentiate, Herrera, a very great servant of God. At last, by paying a great sum of money, that difficulty was settled. We still had the Ransomers' suit against us: so that we had to move into the new house with the greatest secrecy. When they found we were there — we went a day or two before Michaelmas— they thought good to come to terms with us for a payment.
The chief distress which these hindrances gave me was that it wanted only seven or eight days to the end of my three years at the Incarnation, and at all costs I was bound to be there at the end of them. It pleased the Lord that all was so well settled that there remained no contentions, and in two or three days more I was off to the Incarnation. For ever blessed be His name Who has done me so many favours, and may all His creatures praise Him! Amen.
T. F. 10
Footnotes
Chapter 22 of 32