Queen of Angels Monastery - 1974
Mac Arthur Highway, Binang,
Bocaue, Bulacan
Tel. No. 692-12-94


       The vision of this community is to accomplish in their little way the prayer of Christ: "Father, that they may be one."
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       Queen of Angels Monastery is the home of the nuns whose ancestry reaches back over seven hundred years when Dominic de Guzman, a young Canon in Osma, lived a contemplative life until God called him to be a mendicant preacher. In the early 13th century, a heresy was devastating in southern France through well- trained leaders whose austere lives impressed the populace. Bishop Diego, Dominic and two other priests, inspired to meet the heretics on their level, started out in bare feet and begging their bread. Among the first to be influenced by the preaching of Brother Dominic were nine women who made an unconditional renunciation of the heresy, however they were unable to return to their homes. Bishop Diego obtained a small house for them in the village of Prouille and placed Dominic as their spiritual guide. Thus began the first monastery of Dominican Nuns, it was the year 1206, ten years before Dominic organized his community of friars.

       












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HISTORY
VISION
MISSION

       The mission of the nuns is to strive to fulfill their vision through their hidden life of sacrifice and prayer, the prayer of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours and intimate Private Prayer.

       The monastery in Prouille sent out its shoots to other monasteries, likewise others in different parts of Europe and United States. In the latter, most came from Ouillins where Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was first inaugurated into our monasteries. The monastery in Los Angeles accepted that privilege, subsequently it will have close relationship with Queen of Angels in Bocaue.

       While the Dominican Friars had been in the Philippines for over 400 years, there were no monasteries of Dominican Nun, but God was planning one when He inspired Sisters Teresita, Eriberta and Paulina to be convinced that it was time to have a contemplative community of Filipina Nuns without bringing someone from another country to form them. They submitted their plan to Rev. Gomez, OP, assistant to the Master of the Order. He approved their plan and gave them the initial requirements they would have to fulfill. Ten sisters from Siena Convent signed to join the planned community, but as time went on, fear for the future and opposition from various sources caused some to drop-out until only Sisters Teresita, Eriberta, Paulina, Lolita and Goretti remained faithful to their commitment.

       It was May 31,1974 at that time the Feats of Mary the Queen, when the five pioneer sisters settled in their small house obtained for them through Most Rev. Cirilo Almario, Jr., Bishop of Malolos who took them under his protection. The bishop asked them to pray for the priests of his diocese during their periods of adoration, and later gave them a prayer for priests to be offered after daily Mass. The community was happy, but uppermost in their minds was the need for formation in the contemplative life. Their prayer was answered when the Master of the Order, Fr. De Couesnogle visited them. He was truly interested and promised to get immediate contact with the prioress of the monastery in Los Angeles.

       Following that momentous visit, events moved quickly. Within a couple of months, the five sisters from Bocaue were living with their sisters of the Monastery of the Angels in Los Angeles as though they had always been there, where they found that the contemplative life was far beyond their highest expectations. They would return to the Philippines strengthened with the assurance that three of the American Sisters will follow them and also that the community will continue to help them in any need. A promise that has certainly been kept.

       On returning to Bocaue, the sisters began to plan for a permanent monastery, a slow and painful experience. However, God granted them a joyful day, when unexpectedly, Father de Couesnogle, his assistant and Fr. Thomas Lopez, OP, Provincial  visited them. Father Master had, in his pocket, papers from the Holy See relative to the Canonical Erection of the community. It  was February 22, 1981. Now, the Nuns of the Friars Preachers (their official title) in Bocaue were "for real".

       Construction on the monastery continued slowly with many obstacles cropping up, but by July 17, 1982, all was in order for the ceremony of Blessing the Monastery and the official locking of the enclosure door.

       From the five pioneer sisters, God has called two home, Sister Mary of the Immaculate Conception (Sr. Goretti) died on October 15, 1993, and Sister Mary of the Trinity (Sr. Paulina) died on October 3,1999. May their intercession help their sisters still striving to fulfill their noble vocation!

Cloistered Dominican Nuns of Perpetual Adoration (OP)
Basilica Minore, Diocese of Malolos
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