Conflict

Zapatistas, Villistas and Carrancistas

Further destabilization of the area began with the Maderista uprising in 1910 and the overthrow of President Diaz the following year.  The uprising devolved into factions when Francisco Madero was assassinated two years later.  His assassin, Victoriano Huerta, was killed in retaliation soon after.  Violent confrontations continued throughout Mexico culminating in the Battle of Celaya in 1915.  The Zapatistas following Emiliano Zapata and the Villistas following Pancho Villa were defeated by the Carrancistas following Venustiano Carranza and his powerful General Álvaro Obregón. The beaterio was shut down and the women forced to return to their families.  Throughout México Catholic colleges and orphanages were confiscated as the Carrancistas infiltrated the population.[1]  In 1916 the Beaterio Santo Domingo was closed and the beatas were dispersed after discovering they did not officially belong to the Dominican Order.   Some beatas returned to their family homes and those who could not went to live with other religious communities or with neighbors.  The following year the beaterio was restored to the Alvarez family and they were allowed to return, but the younger beatas wanted a more authentic religious way of life.  The superior Madre Catalina del Sagrado Corazón was not opposed to this, but after granting permission for this endeavor she took ill and died. [2]

[1] (Hernandez 2002), p. 341
[2] (Almaguer 1936-1945), pp. 1-12

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Affiliation

Mother Maria Pia Backes

After the death of Madre Catalina, the beatas were disheartened and disoriented.  Suddenly they realized none of them had her experience of religious life or knowledge of the process for affiliation to the Order  In addition the beaterio was in a ruinous state and needed many repairs.  They first approached the Bishop of Léon, Rev. Sr. Emeterio Valverde y Téllez for advice.  He readily granted permission to leave to the cloister to make arrangements to repair the house and recommended they contact the Dominican Friars at San Luis Potosi about affiliation with another  Dominican congregation.  This they did but the encounter they were told that their Dominican habits were but a subterfuge and that the rule by which they were living was completely unlike the rule of Third Order Dominicans.  Undeterred they went to the curate of Parroquia San Miguel, Don J. Refugio Solís for another idea.  He wrote to the Archbishop of México, Don José Mora y del Rio who convinced the provincial of the Dominicans in México, Fray Domingo María Fernández, O.P., to take us their cause.  The Archbishop also recommended they contact the superior of a Dominican congregation from California who had only recently arrived in Mexico City.   They wrote immediately to Madre Teresa Meyer, the superior of the California community in Mexico.  Finally they were given some hope, she understood their dilemma and promised to write to her Major Superior, Madre Maria Pia Backes in California.  At the end of November 1919, they received a favorable reply. 

Adoration

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Sister Enriqueta Gazano pieced together what transpired next from a loose collection of notes written by Sister Dominica Ochoa.[1]  My own translation follows:

"On August 1, 1926 after Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Sisters gathered to her the reading of an urgent letter from Madre Teresa.  They learned that because of the dangerous circumstances in México several Sisters were leaving to return to the United States. Thirty-one Sisters would leave in small groups of six so that it would seem normal and not tip off  the authorities.  That evening the community received a message from the curate advising them not to open school the next day, but their neighbors assured them everything was safe, and they resolved to continue to open for classes.  On August 5 the curate came to say Mass for the Feast of Saint Dominic and then told them he would be struggling to provide daily Mass for them because the authorities had begun apprehending priests. The Sisters made the best of the situation satisfying themselves with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for the next fifteen days.   On the night of November 5 Padre Silva arrived in a frazzled state and gave them Communion.  He told them because of the danger priests would come only during the night for Confession and Communion.  On Sunday November 14 Padre José Morales arrived at 3:00 am and celebrated Mass, but afterwards there was too much daylight for him to leave safely, and he could not return home after nightfall.  Padre Silva came to say Mass in the middle of the night on Friday and Saturday and Padre José Morales returned at 3:00 the following Sunday.  Then rumors began circulating that the government was planning to close the Beaterio. One of the Oratorians came to remove the Blessed Sacrament for safe keeping and the Sisters prepared themselves for the visit from the government." 

[1] (Gazano 1926-1936)

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Woe to the House!

Priests' Cope with Hood

Affiliation to the Order improved their way of life but did not solve all their problems.  In 1926 the government returned to confiscate the property again. Soldiers broke into the convent and the Sisters were forced outside.  A guard was posted in front of the door and the neighbors were forbidden to take them in.  The chief of the guards said, “Woe to the house in which we find a nun! We will incarcerate the whole family and take away their goods.”  Nevertheless some valiant souls offered hospitality on the sly.  Later that night Sister Bernarda realizing she had left the priest's vestments in the sacristy, convinced another sisters to sneaked back into the house with her to retrieve them. It was pitch black inside and they didn’t dare to turn on a light for fear. Unbeknown to them at the same time, Sister Natalia Garcia realized she had forgotten to take the holy oils and liturgy books with her.  When she and Maria De la Cruz Vasquez Davila returned to retrieve them, they heard the sound of the other two in the house and fled in fright.  Hearing the commotion, and thinking they were discovered, Sister Bernarda and her companion hid out the whole night in one of the cells.  The next day some Sisters went to México City and others went to live with their families.  Sisters Francisca Olvera and María Almaguer were the only two who stayed in San Miguel.  They received some provisions weekly from the Sanchez family and Mother Pia sent them additional money to obtain what they needed.  In May of 1927 Sor Magdalena River and Sor Dominga Olvera joined them.  They passed the rest of that year in hiding with much privation, both spiritually and materially.

Life in Exile

Marzipan Sweets

In a letter date September 27, 1927 Mother Mary Pius Marbaise wrote, "At present by reason of the diabolical Ley Calles, all priests have to take the greatest precaution as in the state of Guanajuato several have already been killed.  The Filipenses Fathers and the zealous pastor do their utmost for the Sisters, but daily Mass is out.  Here as elsewhere, the Sisters are allowed one by one to take a consecrated host from the ciborium which the superior places on the altar.  Thus, at least they have their daily Bread. You will be interested to know that Sisters who do not teach, help make their livelihood by making candles, sewing, cooking marzipan, and the like."[1] When the persecution began to let up a little, they asked the permission to reopen the house and clean the chapel which had been abandoned and were given permission to return.  Rev. P. D. Cipriano Solia, C.O. was named chaplain.  The Sisters began to give classes to a small group of boys and girls in the school and little by little the enrollment increased to about twenty students.  A few months later Rev. P. J. Refugio Méndez, the priest associated with Catholic Action came to open an academy for girls. 

[1] (Marbaise 1922-1936), pp, 151-153

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