Benedictine Nuns Of The Eucharistic King

[graciandelamadrededios]

 

 

 

 

 

 On May 13, 1888, in Chieming am Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany,

 

Anna Josefa Danner was born and was baptized on the same day. 

 

Her parents did their Christian duty to implant the faith to young Anna,

 

who found delight and interest in listening about God. 

 

The seed of vocation was planted in the heart of Anna at an early age. 

 

After her studies in the college of Ursuline Sisters,

 

Anna entered the Benedictine Convent at Tutzing, Germany. 

 

On the day of her investiture, she received the name of Sr. Edeltraud. 

 

At Tutzing, she proved to be an exemplary religious and won the

 

confidence of her superiors who recognized not only her gifts of nature

 

and grace but also her able leadership.  She was assigned to responsible

 

positions in the administration of the Congregation which she fulfilled

 

with utmost precision. 

 

Ever since childhood and ever more during her formation at the novitiate,

 

she cherished the secret dream of founding her own community. 

 

When she manifested this to her superiors,

 

they were reluctant to lose a talented sister, and by all means, they tried to dissuade her.

   

 

       In 1924, Sr. Edeltraud was one of the Sisters sent to Manila and

 

she taught at St. Scholastica's College.  Before leaving Germany,

 

she presented her plan to found a religious community to Cardinal Eugene Pacelli,

 

Papal Nuncio to Germany, who later became Pope Pius XI.

   

 

        After some years of teaching at St. Scholastica's College,

 

it was clear for her to leave the Missionary Benedictines of Tutzing and

 

to start her own community.  On March 2, 1929, Bishop Santiago Sancho

 

of Nueva Segovia granted Mother Edeltraud permission for a foundation

 

in his diocese.  Trusting in God's providence, Mo. Edeltraud left for Rome

 

on April 14, 1929 to present her plan for the new foundation. 

 

The planned foundation has a unique structure, that is,

 

the blending of the apostolic life with the cloistered in one community. 

 

The purpose is to complement each other in the life of Ora et Labora.

      

          With the approval of the Holy See for her foundation in the Philippines,

 

Mother Edeltraud was more convinced that it is God's plan that she should proceed. 

 

Her unshakable faith in God never wavered.  Through the kind mediation of

 

Cardinal Andreas Fürthwirth, the Holy Congregation of Religious granted

 

her permission to go to the United States of America to collect funds for the

 

foundation and to accept postulants.

   

       In the U.S.A., a Spanish lady and a German lady joined Mother Edeltraud

 

on March 1930.  They finally settled in Valley Cottage, Queens County,

 

New York where Sr. Gertrude Vaca and Sr. Benedict Diehl were invested as novices. 

 

The three stayed in the continent till September 25, 1931.

   

    Before going to the Philippines to start the foundation, Mo. Edeltraud,

 

Sr. Gertrude and Sr. Benedict went to Rome.  On October 7, 1931,

 

the Secretary of the Congregation for Religious presented

 

Mother Edeltraud the letter of approval for her foundation dated October 5, 1931. 

 

The Church recognized the Benedictines of the Eucharistic King or BEK. 

 

This unexpected approval was a cause of great rejoicing and thanksgiving. 

 

On October 9, 1931, in an audience with Pius XI, Mo. Edeltraud received

 

the blessing of her foundation.  His Holiness blessed also her two companions

 

and all future members of her foundation.

   

  

      December 18, 1931, marked the Canonical Erection of the Novitiate in Pacdal, Baguio.

 

The Community that Great Mother Edeltraud is now a well established

 

through the blessing and goodness of Our King! The One Eucharistic King.

[TIWW]

Oh how wonderful I know 2 of these Sisters very well, who came to Minnesota to do graduate studies. They are wonderful I used to take them out shopping to get essentials and food to cook some more familiar Philippino dishes.

I am 5'2" and I looked down on them when we walked. They looked like little girls walking around the campus in their lovely Benedictine Habits. In case anyone can help, they are in desperate need of books on Prayer and Spirituality. if anyone knows of convent/ seminary libraries with extras.One of them was in charge of formation and they didn't even have the real basics.