South America
Argentina
Contemplative community of Saint Teresa of Jesus of the Andes
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for peace in the world; for peace between Argentina and Chile, and to ask for forgiveness and reparation for the sins of those who act against it, begging for their conversion.
The Monastery of Saint Teresa of Jesus of the Andes, the first Monastery of our Institute, was founded on March 25, 1991 in San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina. From there came the first foundations of contemplative communities for the United States, Italy, Brazil, and Peru.
Our Father Founder wrote in the foundational act:
"The Monastery will have as its titular and patroness the one who flourished in holiness on the other side of the mountain range: Blessed Teresa of the Andes. It must be a sign of the brotherhood that should unite both peoples: Chilean and Argentinean.
These sisters of ours, in the heart of the Church must be love, in such a way that it can be said that their biographies are already written as their lives are identified with the hymn of charity of the apostle (1 Cor 13), always giving testimony that "God is infinite joy" (St. Teresa of the Andes). If they are the heart of the Church, all the more reason why they should be considered by all the members of our Congregation as the heart of the same, being a source of joy for all".
St. Teresa of the Andes (1900-1920), is a Chilean Discalced Carmelite virgin who led a very short life of great holiness, which shone already in her early years in the acts of everyday life and in the most everyday areas: family, school, friends, tenants with whom she shared her vacations and whom, with apostolic zeal, she catechized and helped. She entered the monastic life on May 7, 1919 and persevered in it until her death in 1920. This vocation was the last step in his ascent to the summit of sanctity. Only eleven months were enough to consummate her totally Christocentric life.
She is for humanity an indisputable proof that the call of Christ to be saints is actual, possible and true, and it rises before our eyes to demonstrate that the radical nature of the following of Christ is the only thing that is worthwhile and the only thing that makes man happy.
Teresa de Los Andes, with the language of her intense life, confirms to us that God exists, that God is love and joy, that He is our fullness.
Like every monastery of our Religious Family, the day passes between prayer, Holy Mass, chanting of the Divine Office, recitation of the Holy Rosary, Lectio Divina, study and work..
Some of the manual works done: making liturgical vestments, candles for the liturgy, Easter candles, painting and restoration of images, rosaries, scapulars, handcrafted wooden boxes, paintings, etc.
Novitiate of Contemplative Life St. Mary Magdalene
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for all those who suffer in body or spirit so that they may unite their sufferings to those of Christ.
Along with the community, there is the Monastic Novitiate, under the patronage of St. Mary Magdalene.
The intention of the novitiate is to pray for those who suffer in body or spirit so that they may unite their sufferings to those of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We base our intention on the encyclical Salvifici Doloris of St. John Paul II, and we celebrate our intention on February 11, Our Lady of Lourdes, the World Day of Prayer for the Sick.
Brazil
Contemplative Community
St. Gianna Beretta Molla
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for the life of man as a person; and for the conversion of those who act against it.
The Contemplative Community of St. Gianna Beretta Molla was founded in 1997, in the town of Parque America, Rio Grande da Serra, diocese of Santo André. After a year it was transferred to the diocese of Santo Amaro. After some time, for institutional reasons, the sisters were assigned to other communities, thus temporarily closing in Brazil.
On April 30, 2010, the reopening of this convent took place in the new building constructed in Barragem, diocese of Santo Amaro. Fernando Figueiredo and all the Religious Family present in Brazil. It was a great celebration, awaited for a long time to finally have the presence of the feminine contemplative branch of our Religious Family in these lands.
The patroness of this Monastery, chosen by our father founder, is Saint Gianna Beretta Molla. The reason for this choice was that the Monastery prays particularly for life and this saint has been a testimony of love and respect for life, to the point of sacrificing her own life to save that of her daughter: she was at serious risk because of a tumor in the uterus that was discovered in the first months of pregnancy, but she did not want to abort, but gave her life so that the child could be born. Thus, the intention of this Monastery is to pray for the life of man as a person, both supernatural and natural, and to pray for those who attempt against life, especially for those who promote abortion, asking for their conversion.
Novitiate of Contemplative Life of
St. Therese of the Child Jesus
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for the missions and missionaries, especially of our religious family.
Along with the community of St. Gianna, there is the Contemplative Novitiate, founded on March 10, 2019. The novices do part of their formation along with the Apostolic Novitiate, which is located on the same grounds. They devote themselves mainly to prayer life, study and work. During manual labor they make candles and other handcrafted objects, they also make linen sets for the liturgy.
Peru
Contemplative Community of
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
They offer their prayers and sacrifices for all consecrated persons; and for the conversion of those who threaten consecrated life.
The experience of contemplative life in Peru began on December 3, 1995, when, at the wish of our Father Founder, Rev. Father Carlos Miguel Buela IVE, four sisters of our Institute arrived to found a monastery in Arequipa, the southern city of the country. Many sisters since then have passed through this monastery and are now in other places; they were part of its history and we could say that they built it with their daily sacrifices, in prayer and silence.
Fr. Buela proposed St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, a French Carmelite saint (1880-1906), as patroness of the community, for her example and model of consecrated life. Called by her Carmelite vocation to live far from the world, dedicating her life to contemplation and prayer, she followed her Trinitarian spirituality to the point of total and unreserved surrender of her life to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. Her feast is celebrated on November 8th.
The primary and fundamental apostolate consists in the contemplative life itself, because this is, according to the designs of God, her typical way of being a Church, of living in the Church, of realizing communion with the Church, of fulfilling her mission within the Church "for this reason it is necessary to establish her in all the new Churches", giving "clear witness among non-Christians of the majesty and charity of God, as well as of union in Christ".
Besides the moments of liturgical and personal prayer that predominate in the day of any contemplative house, there are also activities of study and manual labor, such as making rosaries, adornments for statues, and liturgical vestments such as chasubles, altar cloths, processional palliums, and everything else used for the Holy Mass.
Ecuador
Contemplative Community of St. Mariana of Jesus
They offer their prayers and sacrifices to console the sorrowful Heart of Jesus and to make reparation for offenses against Him.
On March 25, 1874, Ecuador was the first nation officially consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by President Gabriel Garcia Moreno. Our nuns want to consecrate their lives to console the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to make reparation for the offenses committed against Him.
The monastery has a guest house to accommodate pilgrims and one of its main apostolates is the preaching of Spiritual Exercises and day retreats.
Another intention for which the sisters also offer their prayers is for governors and the conversion of the Ecuadorian people.
