Mater Ecclesiae

Exterior

The Monastery of Mater Ecclesiae (Latin for Mother of the Church ) is located in the area of ​​Vatican City. Mater Ecclesiae is one of the invocations of the Blessed Mother. Pope John Paul II consecrated the monastery on 13 May 1994.

Location and History

The monastery was built on the initiative of John Paul II It is located in a quiet part of the Vatican gardens in the immediate vicinity and is partially embedded in the wall remains the Leonine Wall. It consists of two parts: a western with the chapel as well as an eastern with the common spaces and the twelve cells of the sisters.

The day of the consecration of the monastery by Pope John Paul II was the 13th anniversary of the day on which the stop was made ​​on his life. John Paul II was moved by the thought within the Vatican to have a community of nuns who devote themselves in a special way of intercession and prayer for the Pope and the Roman Curia. The chapel was built from scratch to 1994, the monastery building with a new building from 1992 on a former administration building of the Vatican Gendarmerie.

A special feature is that the nuns be sent by an other orders every five years. After its founding in 1994 to 1999 there lived Poor Clares Convent, 1999-2004 Discalced Carmelites and Benedictines 2004-2009. 2009 based Salesianerinnenkirche the monastery, but it had temporarily in November 2012 for necessary renovations leave.

The sisters provide the Pope's household with fruits, vegetables and fresh flowers. Necessary work on the papal cassocks, embroidery and other handicrafts to be done by the nuns. In the gardens of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, cabbage, herbs and mint are grown. From the fruit of the lemon and orange trees, the nuns make jam. What is not needed for their own use or the papal household, to give the nuns at church hospitals on. The roses of the flower garden are also used for the altar decorations.

Catchment Benedict XVI.

Pope Benedict XVI. had initially withdrawn after his resignation on 28 February 2013, the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. After renovations in the Mater Ecclesiae convent Benedict XVI returned. on 2 May 2013 the Vatican back and moved into the convent building - where he was received by his successor Pope Francis - together with his four previous housekeepers ( consecrated virgins of the lay association Memores Domini ) and his private secretary, Archbishop George Gänswein.