The narrative presented here rests on the work of Fr Julen Urkiza, with the present text collated by Mother Maria Margareta from the material gathered and preserved by the sisters of the Carmel of Antwerp. This article recalls formative details of the foundation’s early years that inform how the monastery’s memory of Blessed Anne continues to shape its life today.

Introduction: Background to the Foundation

The thought of establishing a Carmel in Antwerp originally surfaced during a visit of the Teresian (Discalced Friars) to the city. Then, in 1610, during another stay in Antwerp, renewed attention was given to the possibility of establishing a Carmelite foundation in the city. It was even written that the project might already have been accomplished had Mother Anne of Jesus (Ana de Jesús) been willing: ‘May God forgive her for it.’ (Jerónimo Gracián, Letter 184, to Juliana de la Madre de Dios).

While residing in Tours, probably between May and July 1611, Anne of St Bartholomew later described an experience that shaped her understanding of the foundation:

I saw a great radiance, and within it a large house into which I entered with great joy and gladness. In that house there was a young woman who came to me bringing great consolation; and when that young woman later entered the Carmel of Antwerp, I recognised her.

As preparations continued, Father Tomás de Jesús, the superior of the Discalced Carmelites, began securing the necessary permissions for the establishment of a convent of Discalced Carmelite nuns in Antwerp. By September 1612 he needed approval from the civic Senate, the diocesan bishop, and the cathedral chapter.

He first obtained authorisation from the Senate. He then presented the document to Jean Malderus, the newly appointed bishop of Antwerp, who referred the matter to the cathedral chapter. At this point Father Tomás realised that the document contained no reference to the chapter itself; consequently, a clause had to be inserted acknowledging its authority.

The chapter readily granted its consent, though with certain conditions. These were read and signed by Father Tomás on 29 September 1612. The agreement with the chapter was formally confirmed somewhat later, after the foundation had already begun — on 16 November 1612.

With the necessary permissions secured, attention turned to the small group of sisters who would undertake the new foundation.

The Sisters Entrusted with the Foundation

Those designated for the new foundation formed a small group consisting of Anne of St Bartholomew (prioress), Leonor of St Bernard (subprioress), Mary of the Holy Spirit, Anne of the Ascension , and Florentine of the Mother of God, a lay sister who had accompanied Anne of St Bartholomew from Tours. These religious would become the first community of Discalced Carmelite nuns in Antwerp, later known as the Teresians, and eventually called the Spanish Teresians to distinguish them from the English Teresian Carmelites.

Once the sisters had been designated, Father Tomás de Jesús arranged their travel. He had journeyed to Mons with Father Hilarion of Saint Augustine from the community in Brussels. From there he first brought the sisters to the residence of the Archdukes Albert of Austria and Isabella Clara Eugenia, sovereigns of the Spanish Netherlands, who were then residing at Mariemont, about twenty kilometres from Mons. After their audience with the Archdukes, the small group continued on to Antwerp, where the practical work of the foundation would begin.

Arrival in Antwerp

Eventually the five religious found a small house near the parish of Saint James in Antwerp. The rent amounted to 600 florins per year. Some resistance arose among the city magistrates, who questioned the wisdom of founding a convent in such poverty. Nevertheless, permission was finally granted.

The inauguration took place on 6 November 1612, following the Teresian custom: the Blessed Sacrament was solemnly placed in the chapel at dawn. The foundation was undertaken in a spirit of radical poverty, deliberately recalling the model of St Joseph’s convent in Ávila, established fifty years earlier.

Anne of St Bartholomew placed complete trust in the merciful providence of God. Records mention payments made by Anne of St Bartholomew to Franco Castaño for the rent of the house and for other services. This gentleman and his wife were close friends and benefactors of the foundress.

From the very first day, the Jesuit Fathers served as chaplains to the community. The foundress herself later summarised the humble beginnings of the monastery in these words:

We came here in such poverty that we possessed only fifty borrowed florins. The Jesuit Fathers provided what was needed for the first Mass, for we had nothing at all. The magistrates did not want us and wished to send us away again. Yet God arranged everything in such a way that now this monastery is esteemed throughout the entire city.

A Foundation Guided by Divine Providence

Anne of St Bartholomew was deeply convinced — indeed she experienced it inwardly — that Saint Teresa herself continued to guide and govern the work. Only two years after the foundation she bore witness to this conviction in a remarkable passage revealing the spiritual atmosphere in which she lived:

I am certain that the Saint governs this house and takes particular care of it, and that Our Lord does so as well, as experience shows in many ways… Often I imagine that I am serving her as I did when she was alive, while she attends to everything else. At times it is not imagination at all: I have truly felt that she is with me and that she accomplishes everything.

This same sense of God’s presence in the foundation of the Carmel of Antwerp appears in another text in which she also speaks about the future of the monastery:

Upon coming to this house in Antwerp, one finds many signs that God dwells here and protects us… Though I do not see her, I feel her powerful assistance in the matters that have arisen up to now; and likewise the help of the glorious Saint Joseph — so vividly that it seems as if they were speaking to me and I could see them.

Postscript

The early years of the Carmel of Antwerp reveal a community shaped by poverty, perseverance, and a steady trust in Divine Providence. In recalling these beginnings, the sisters point to the qualities by which they hope Blessed Anne will be remembered today: her fidelity to the spirit of St Teresa, her readiness to serve without recognition, and her confidence that God provides what is needed for the life of prayer. Though few in number today, the community continues to live from what she handed on, keeping the same spirit of simplicity, trust, and quiet dedication that marked the foundation. In this way, Blessed Anne’s legacy remains present in the life they lead and in the witness they offer.