The convent of the Discalced Carmelites of Ronda (Málaga), which guards the incorrupt hand of Saint Teresa of Jesus, needs nuns to prevent the Vatican from ordering its closure. If they do not find them soon, they will have to return the relic to Castilla y León, so they make a call to recruit two sisters “as soon as possible.”
Behind a lattice located inside this cloistered convent, Sister Jennifer tells the EFE agency that just two years ago there were nine nuns in the Ronda congregation, but after the covid-19 pandemic and some sudden deaths, they were only There are four sisters left—one of them, with Alzheimer’s.
This situation is “irregular” according to an exhortation from the pope, which establishes that there must be at least six nuns in cloistered congregations. Sister Jennifer declares that the Vatican has not given them a specific time frame to find two more sisters, but they have warned them that it is a situation that cannot “continue over time.”
This Carmelite convent has, among its treasures, the incorrupt left hand of Saint Teresa of Jesus, which the nuns care for with “the love of daughters for their mother.” Already inside the Church of La Merced, located next to the convent, Sister Jennifer proudly explains that they have been guarding this relic since 1924, the year the convent opened.
The sister points out that, in 1936, some Republican militiamen took her away. Months later, some soldiers from the national side found her in a house in the capital of Malaga and sent her to Francisco Franco. He kept her as a war treasure until her death. It was then that her widow, Carmen Polo, returned her to the Ronda convent.
With this 17th century relic in their hands, they detail that they are saddened that, if they finally close the convent, they will be forced to return it to a convent in Castilla y León, a condition imposed under notarial supervision in 1924.
“It’s a shame because every day people come to see and ask for miracles at hand. Many faithful come from Poland or Russia, but also from Korea or Iraq,” says the nun, who adds that they are also tourists who promote the economy. of the area.
According to the prioress, several young women have already called to inquire about the situation and enter the convent, but it is not what they need at this time.
She clarifies that the nuns they are looking for must have previous experience because their convent is “at risk of falling” and they cannot invest time in training them.
“Some call us saying that they believe they have a vocation, but I send them to other convents. When we have shored up the building, we embellish it with new vocations, but first we have to shore it up because, if not, we will have to close,” says Sister Jennifer. She clarifies that, if they finally closed the convent, they would distribute them to other religious communities.
As Sister Jennifer details, the lack of nuns is not a problem exclusive to her community, but is a reality that more and more convents are facing.
He remembers that several congregations in Malaga have closed in a short time and explains that, for example, priests have to be divided among several churches to officiate mass.
However, they maintain the hope that, thanks to the media coverage, some nun who resides in Spain, Latin America or any country in the world knows their story and will move to their convent to avoid its definitive closure.
