Quote of the day, 28 February: St. Teresa of Avila

It is the duty of the Mother Prioress to take great care in everything about the observance of the rule and constitutions, to look after the integrity and enclosure of the house, to observe how the offices are carried out, and to see that both spiritual and temporal needs are provided for; and these things should be done with a mother’s love. She should strive to be loved so that she may be obeyed.

The prioress should appoint as portress and sacristan persons whom she can trust. So as not to allow for any attachment to an office, she may remove them as she sees fit. She should appoint nuns to all the other offices as well with the exception of those of subprioress and key-bearer, which are elected offices. At least two of the key-bearers should know how to write and keep accounts.

Saint Teresa of Avila

The Constitutions, 34

Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: On 19 November 2014, St. Teresa’s fourth foundation, the Carmel of the Conception of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valladolid, was opened to the media. The 11 cloistered nuns living in the convent, led by the prioress, Mother María Capilla de Jesús, received the visit of the Vicar General of the Discalced Carmelite Order, Emilio Martínez González. Father Emilio was accompanied by the Vicar General of the diocese of Valladolid, Luis J. Argüello; the Minister of Culture of the Junta de Castilla y Leon, Alicia Garcia; the President of the Provincial Council, Jesus Julio Carnero; the Councillor for Culture and Commerce of the City of Valladolid, Mercedes Cantalapiedra; and, other members of the National Commission that was organized for the celebration of the jubilee year marking the V Centenary of St. Teresa’s birth. During the visit, they reviewed the restoration work in the monastery chapel and accessed the cell in which St. Teresa lived. The original manuscript of her work The Way of Perfection and a collection of autograph letters are preserved in this cell. In the featured image, the prioress Mother María Capilla de Jesús is seen walking down a hallway on the main floor of the monastery. Image credit: Angel Cantero, Iglesia en Valladolid / Flickr (Some rights reserved)