Until 1867, the Mercedarian Sisters of Berriz were able to evade the decrees ordering the religious communities to sell their possessions. But in this year, the Spanish government gave direct orders to sell everything, and there was nothing that could be done to avoid it. Poorer than ever, the sisters continued to serve God. The immense suffering also continued, but God protected them, and in the midst of it all, they increased in number. By 1867, there were now 14 in the community. Twelve years later they had grown to 24 sisters.
God first showed them that the apostolic work He desired was a school for girls. In 1720, this work had already been started, when the sisters were allowed to receive small girls to be educated by them. The first little girl to come to Berriz was only five years old, and God looked lovingly on her, as the sisters gave her a beautiful spiritual foundation. She later became a Carmelite nun.
When the first Civil War in Spain was over in 1839, many of the convents closed their schools, but the sisters of Berriz continued their teaching apostolate. In 1840, they had only five pupils, but this would soon change. In 1869, the Bishop ordered all the convents in his diocese to open schools for girls in order to avoid government closure of the convents. In the beginning they received no money, only for special classes such as piano lessons.
1873 was a significant year because the sisters of Berriz asked the Bishop if they could open a boarding school for girls. They felt that the quality of education they wanted to give could best be achieved by the girls boarding there. In the beginning, because there were few students, the girls actually lived in the convent with the sisters. Eventually, a special dorm was built to accommodate the girls with eight students and two sisters going to live there.
From the beginning the sisters created a “family spirit” for the girls. Their main concern was of course, a strong spiritual foundation. How beautifully the sisters achieved this. Of the first eight girls, four entered the Mercedarian Convent, and three others went to join other diverse religious orders in Spain. During this time, the Bishop, in one of his visits to the sisters, told them: “Be saints, but be happy saints, just the way you are now.” And this is what came to be called “the spirit of Berriz.”
On January 10, 1901, a young girl named Maria Pilar Lopez de Maturana, began studying at the boarding school of Berriz. God had very special plans for her. On July 25, 1903 (her 19th Birthday) she entered the Mercedarian Monastery of Vera Cruz (Berriz) to a new life along with a new name, Margarita Maria.
In August 1904, she made her first vows, and in August 1907, she made her solemn vows.
As she peacefully gazed out over the green pastures of Berriz in total gratitude for her new life, little did Mother Margarita know that Berriz was really a spiritual window looking out upon the world … a world that she would circle twice to share the love of God with others.
“. . .total surrender to Jesus through Mary.” (1924)
“. . .She is the sure way to go to Christ.” (1925)
“Jesus wants me to find in Mary everything
I am looking for.” (1925)
Margarita Maria Maturana
In her diary Mother Margarita records, “I have decided to love the order with all my heart and to have a fondness for its saints and spirit. The order is full of apostolic zeal, has great love of the Cross, is heroic in nature, and exudes a special filial love for the Virgin.”
September 24th is the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mercy. On this Feast Day in 1929, Mother Margarita gave a tribute to Mary’s love for the Order. She said, ”We celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy by showing gratitude to our Mother for the many favors that she has always wanted to bestow upon us, and especially for the favor of having chosen us to make Jesus known to others. I asked her to look out for the Order that she founded, and to make it a redeeming Order for the many captives that there are in the world.”
The present day Constitutions [rule of life] of the Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz also echoes the great love of Our Lady of Mercy in helping to guide Berriz on its path to becoming a Missionary Institute. It states, “As members of a Missionary Institute whose monastic and Mercedarian origin was renewed and made fruitful by Mother Margarita when she responded to the inspiration of Christ, his Mother, and the Church, we welcome the gifts that the Lord has been giving Berriz all throughout its history such as a redemptive spirit, a missionary call, an openness to the signs of the times, a sensitivity to new forms of slavery among people and in society, a deep communion with the Church and among ourselves, and a sense of Mary’s presence and love which has always been present in Berriz down through its history.”
Happy Feast of Our Lady of Mercy–to all Mercedarian religious and lay worldwide and especially to our MMB Sisters here in Saipan at Maturana.
