Alloz
Location
Official Name Monasterio Santa MarÍa de San José
N° 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