MOTHER THERESA OF JESUS, FOUNDRESS OF JARO, MANILA AND LIPA CARMELS IN THE PHILIPPINES

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MOTHER THERESA OF JESUS

MA MÈRE FOUNDRESS, PRIORESS

Maria Victoria Pagot

August 11, 1882 – October 22, 1958 Born in Noirmoutier, Vendee, France. She entered the Carmel of Lons-le-Sauniers on Nov. 4, 1903 and made her final vows on Aug. 15, 1906. She left France for Hue, Vietnam on Aug. 22, 1911 and for the Philippines on Oct. 22, 1923. God’s holy will: the key of Ma Mère’s profound serenity of soul. She had a tender, filial love for our blessed Mother. As Prioress and Mistress of Novices she led her daughters with firmness and gentleness (a rare virtue) and installed in their young minds a solid asceticism and humility. She was herself the exemplar of the practices she enjoined on her daughters. Never did she utter a word which might reveal her intense interior life. The deep peace which radiated from her countenance was the only outward manifestation of her profound union with God. A remarkable trait is her maternal affection and solicitude for each of her daughters, her sons and Carmel’s friends. She participated in the foundation of Carmels in the northern part of the Philippines. She asked God for 30 years more of life to work for her dear Philippines and God gave her 35.

 

Note: She is fondly called Ma Mere by her daughters while Mother Mary of Christ was called Notre Mere.

Carmel of St. Therese of the Child Jesus - Gilmore, Quezon City

October 21, 2020  

Today, we remember the 62nd death anniversary of our dear Rev. Mo. Theresa of Jesus, OCD (Ma Mere), Foundress of Carmel in the Philippines.

Brief Biography

Rev. Mo. Theresa of Jesus, OCD was born Ma. Victoria Pagot on August 11, 1882 in Vandee, France, was fondly called 'Ma Mere' by her community of Discalced Carmelite Nuns. She was the youngest of eight children. Reared by deeply religious parents, she nevertheless experienced sufferings in the family due to business failures and sicknesses. One of her early trials was the death of her father which almost drove her to despair. It was by our Lady of Lourdes' intercession that her strength was restored.

At twenty one, she entered the Carmel of Bruges, Belgium due to religious persecution in France. She offered to go to Carmel of Hue, in Annam (Vietnam) in 1911 when they appealed for help. This was her springboard to the missions in the Philippines. In 1923 she was appointed to be the leader of the Nuns that brought Carmel to the Philippines through the request of Bishop J.P. Mc Closky, the then Bishop of Jaro, Iloilo. The first foundation flourished followed by another request to have a Carmelite Monastery in Manila through His Grace Most Rev. Michael O'Doherty, Archbishop of Manila.

The first Mass in the temporary convent was said on November 24, 1926 in Singalong, Manila. Together with Mother Mary Gabriel, and another French Carmelite they moved to establish the construction of the Monastery. The Secular Order of Carmel was also founded, and after the war, Manila proceeded to found Lipa, Laoag and Angeles Carmels. Two other foundations followed: Naga and Lucena Carmels. In the South, Jaro Carmel founded Bacolod, Davao, Cebu and Zamboanga.

Ma Mere had a deep devotion to St. Therese of the Child Jesus. She was in fact in correspondence with one of the sisters of St. Therese, Sr. Genevieve of the Holy Face who was still living at that time. Despite the overwhelming cares which duty imposed on her, Ma Mere seemed to have been more and more growing in absorption in God at the same time evincing more and more maternal affection and care for her daughters and sons and even Carmel's friends. The love of God seemed to be taking full possession of her. This was felt by all those who knew her and lived with her.

Ma Mere has expressed presentiments of her coming death but she continued with determination for her tasks and intense mortifications which hid the real condition of her health.

She died on October 22, 1958 at the age of 78, exactly 35 years after her departure for the missions. At the same time of her death, there were eleven Carmelite Monasteries in the Philippines. Truly she had accomplished the task God entrusted to her.

Mother Theresa of Jesus, our dear Ma Mere thank you for responding to God's invitation to bring Carmel to the Philippines. Pray for us especially for more vocations to all Carmels in the Philippines.

The Foundresses of Carmels in the Philippine were French Mothers, American Mothers, Canadian Mothers and of course, our very own Filipina Mothers.  Will post the list of Carmels and its foundresses separately.

We owe our gratitude to these valiant women who came to the Philippines as missionaries to spread the Carmelite Reform of St. Teresa of Jesus.