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" For some time I have
harbored two desires: One, to write down in black and
white the history of events which Divine Providence
has been gently interweaving in preparing and
establishing the Institute and in its
development..."
" And though there is
nothing portentous nor greatly outstanding in our
history, yet, the little ordinary things are
interesting to us. I believe that my
contemporaries will be pleased to remember them and
those who are to come would like to know them; and
both contemporaries and posterity will praise God
when they see how gently He has disposed everything..."
" The other desire is
to testify to the virtues of my predecessors,
because I think they were at the foundations of the
Institute and it is from them that the Lord began to
prepare the way..."
" Doña Ma. Eulalia,
wife of His Excellency Don Manuel de Riega and her
brother Don Manuel Maria Vicuña belonged to the "
Congregation of Christian Doctrine " from the time
of its inception.
" When the Vicuñas
began to work in this field, the Congregation was
established only in the hospital of St. John
of God. Doña Eulalia extended it later, as far
as the women's section was concerned to the prison
for women. "
" Seeing that what was
being done for fallen women in the hospital of St.
John of God was not fruitful, because when they left
the hospital, they returned to the house of ill-repute,
Doña Eulalia made up her mind to establish a home,
however small, where she could take them in."
" Some of the ladies
helped her and enough money was collected towards
the payment of a modest rent for one year."
" On the 8th of
December 1853, after having received Holy Communion
in the parish of St. Andrew, Doña Eulalia set out in
search of a room and she found it in the street
called " Luciente ". She put three beds there
and a good lady was left in charge of the girls who
were admitted in after leaving the hospital of St. John of
God ."
" At that time the
Vicountess of Jorbalan was trying to establish her
foundation for the same purpose and seeing that she
met this felt need perfectly, Doña Eulalia thought
that the " little House " ( thus, it was now
called ) would serve to receive honest servant girls
in their convalescence when they left the General
hospital and did not know where to go... Of these
girls, Doña Eulalia said " they pawned their clothes
and then their souls "... and so this was done ."
" As their number
increased, the number of beds, too, was augmented and
other more capacious apartments were successively
taken...one in the street called 'Rubio' and
then another in the street called ' Humilladero '.
At first, only those who were leaving the hospital
were admitted - then the facility was extended to
all those who had lost their jobs."
" Seeing that the work
prospered, the Vicuñas thought it was necessary that
a religious Institute took charge of the internal
management of the little establishment and they
decided upon the ' Carmelites of Charity ' who,
effectively took charge of the ' Little House ' in
the year 1855. A committee of gentle ladies
and men was formed and Don Manuel Maria
Vicuña who was
wholly involved in all his sister´s work, undertook with
other gentlefolks... presbyters..
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