Alloz

Location

Official Name Monasterio Santa MarÍa de San José

22

Country Spain

City Alloz-Estella (Navarra)

Postcode 31292

Contact Information

Telephone [34] (948) 54.14.67

Community Email [email protected]

Website www.monasteriodealloz.org

Superior Madre Pilar Germán, Abadesa de Tulebras 2011-2017, Comisaria Pontificia 2014

Other Information

Juridical Status Abbey

Diocese Archidioecesis Pampilonensis (Pamplona)

OCSO Region RE

Founded/Restored 1923

Origins

Founded by the bishop of Ávila (Cardinal Sancha) at Tiñosillos (Avila) in 1883; erected as an abbey in 1884; transferred to Alloz (Navarra) in 1914; incorporated in 1923. (Called Granja S. José until 1950; thereafter Santa María de San José).

History

The community originated as a foundation at Tiñosillos by a community without the concurrence of the Order, but by the will of the bishop of Avila, who desired to have in his diocese a house of Trappist nuns. He edited the constitutions and approved them (!). Conventual life began October 5, 1884.
When the founding bishop, Mgr Sancha, was transferred to Madrid, the religious of Tiñosillos asked to be affiliated, in 1886, with the Congregation ofla Trappe, but the new bishop did not concur. The religious renewed their request in 1905, without result. The community was very poor and very forlorn with regard to their spiritual life: confession every third or fourth week, not even mass every Sunday, etc…
A priest of Navarre, the parent of a religious, took upon himself to find another place and the community moved to Alloz in 1914. Meanwhile they had implemented all the Cistercian observances.
But the foundation of the community caused doubts around the validity of its erection canonically and the professions of the religious. In 1917, the bishop of Pampelune obtained an Indult de sanatio in radice.
In 1919 the community once again asked the general chapter for incorporation into the Order and finally the general chapter accepted total incorporation and asked SanIsidro to be father immediate.
Construction of a regular monastery began and was finished around 1965.

Foundations

La Paz (1977), Armenteira (1989)

Father Immediate

San Isidro / Delegate of the Father Immediate : La Oliva (since 2015).

Past Superiors

Luisa FERNANDEZ BARBOT, Founder (1884 – 1888)
M. del Corazón de J. LOPEZ, Superior (1888 – 1894)
Justa LARREA, Abbess (1894 – 1915)
María de los Angeles CALZADO, Abbess (1915 – 1918)
M. de J. Nazareno MUÑIZ, Abbess (1918 – 1921)
M. Justa Larrea, (1921 – 1930)
María Michaela GARMENDIA, Abbess (08/05/1930 – 23/09/1942)
María del Puy ECHALAR, Abbess (23/09/1945 – 06/06/1977)
Dolores BIURRUN LEZÁUN, Sup. ad (07/06/1977 – 18/12/1984); Abbess (18/12/1984 – 25/06/1989)
José GANDARA ROMERO, Sup. ad nutum (25/06/1989 – 13/05/1990)

Work and Sources of Income

Bookbinding; decorative pillows; agriculture

Guest Facilities

Monastic guesthouse of 15 rooms

Transportation

Station : Estella

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