On February 14th, the Carmelite community of the monastery of the Most Pure Blood of Christ celebrated its triennial elections. The monastery is located in Onteniente (Valencia), Spain.  

The monastery has a rich history. On September 18, 1575, some intrepid nuns from the Monastery of the Most Holy Incarnation of the Word from Valencia, Spain, traveled to Onteniente with the appropriate permissions of the King D. Felipe II, those of the Patriarch and Archbishop of Valencia, San Juan de Ribera, and with the approval of the Ontenienses Jurors. They intended to found a Carmelite Monastery, a cenacle, where, in company with Mary, the mother of Jesus, nuns would pray, imploring the action of the Holy Spirit in the permanent Pentecost of the Church.  

Sister Catalina Tejeda and the sisters were received with great enthusiasm by the people of the town. They saw them as their angels who would obtain God’s blessings for them. They settled in small buildings that had been set aside for them.  

Only a month later, one of the Carmelites died. A month later, a second Carmelite sister died. Their faith was tested but they fought to renew it. A year after arriving, the prioress, Mother Catalina Tejeda, also died. Instead of returning to Valencia, they became even more firmly rooted in the Lord and abandoned themselves to him. Soon their small monastery filled with postulants. They purchased more ground and constructed more cells to accommodate their increasing numbers. In 1914, Sr. Joachim Felius went to the city of Caudete to found a Carmelite monastery there.  

The flourishing of new members continued until the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Despairing of riots and persecution, the community had to disperse with sisters returning to live with their relatives. The monastery building was in flames for a whole month, becoming uninhabitable, just a pile of rubble. After three years of conflict, Spain returned to normality and the monastery came back to life. While there was great economic hardship and food was  scarce. It was necessary to rebuild everything that had been destroyed. But in addition to the members of the community returning, twelve young women asked to join within a year. Enthusiastic and generous, they were not afraid of the situation of the monastery. With fervor and joy, they worked hard to restore the monastery knowing that, with meager resoures, the project would take time. The monastery eventually housed a community of 42 Carmelites sisters.  

The monastery belongs to the Mater Unitatis Federation. More information can be obtained by visiting the community's webpage.

The results of the elective chapter were as follows:

Prioress | Priora | Priora:  
Sor M^a Margarita Medina Armas, O. Carm.

1st Councilor  | 1ª Consejera | 1ª Consigliera:
Sor M^a Jesús Barahona Berzal, O. Carm.

2nd Councilor | 2ª Consejera | 2ª Consigliera:
Sor M^a Gabriela Bordones Herrera, O. Carm.

Treasurer | Ecónoma | Economa
Sor M^a Gabriela Bordones Herrera, O. Carm.

Formator | Formadora | Formatrice
Sor M^a Gabriela Bordones Herrera, O. Carm.

Sacristan | Sacristana | Sacrestana
Sor M^a Lourdes Font Font, O. Carm.