Bocaue, Philippines

In the 1970's, a group of 5 Filippina sisters from the Dominican community of Saint Catherine of Siena, a Third Order community, asked their superior for permission to live according to the rule of the 2nd Order, of the Dominican nuns, with the possibility of eventually founding a Dominican Monastery in the Philippines.

Initially, the sisters were encouraged by Father Cirilo Almario, later bishop, and Father Harold, CP. Their quest to find a place where they could live eventually culminated with Monsignor Honoring's offer of his home and property, which they could use and purchase if they wished. The property was situated in the town of Bocaue in Bulacan, in the diocese of Mololos of which Father Almario had recently been made bishop.

The sisters moved into the two-story house in Bocaue and promptly began living the cloistered life according to the 1933 Constitutions; the only Constitutions they could find. After a period of time, they became convinced that they truly desired to become cloistered Dominican nuns and to establish a Dominican monastery. They then proceeded to look for a Dominican monastery which would allow them to come to be formed in the Dominican monastic way of life.

Father Harold, CP, made many trips to the US and would always stop by any Dominican monastery he knew about. One of these was ours. Sister Mary Thomas, prioress at the time, welcomed Father's proposal and arranged to go to Bocaue to meet and evaluate the situation. She found the sisters in the Philippines willing and anxious to become Cloistered Dominican nuns and to live the life as best they could. She invited the sisters to come to here to Los Angeles for their formation.

A few weeks after Sister Mary Thomas' arrival back in the States, the sisters themselves arrived. It was to be a very short year for all concerned and a bond was made that endures. The 5 sisters, now 6 with the acceptance of another sister from another congregation, returned to the Philippines and were welcomed by Bishop Almario at the airport along with many well-wishers.

Approximately one year later, three of the nuns from the Monastery of the Angels, Sister Mary of the Cross, Sister Mary Elizabeth and Sister Mary Augustine, followed them in order to help establish the foundation. In the year preceding the arrival of the American nuns, the Filippina nuns arranged to buy the property from Monsignor Honoring and built the first wing of the permanent monastery. This process continued for several years interrupted by floods and typhoons. The finished monastery was blessed in 1982. Many vocations have been forthcoming and many will surely come in the future.