Monasterio de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad San Miguel de Allende Guanajuato, México

Beginnings

Father Aelred Wall OSB, the founder of Christ in the Desert Abbey, Abiqui, New Mexico, went to Mexico in 1973 to seek a place to live a monastic life. He was not thinking of a new community at that point, but only a place where he could be in solitude. He looked first near Oaxaca, but finally settled into the Hotel Colonial in San Miguel de Allende. From there he looked for property. Eventually he found the present location of La Soledad.

In 1974, it was still against the Mexican Constitution for religious communities to own property. Father Aelred was also a foreigner and unable to own the property in Mexico so he had a friend purchase the property in her own name, Teresa Llamas. She owned the property until in 1984-85 a legal, not-for-profit corporation was set up. At that point the property was transferred to the corporation.

Since, at that time, religious communities were still outlawed by the Mexican Constitution, the corporation was set up to promote the production and sale of art from local villages. The members of the Corporation were all lay persons who supported the monastic life.

Death of Father Aelred

Father Aelred lived as a hermit until his death on November 13, 1984. He was really a hermit by accident and not by choice. He had already asked the community at Christ in the Desert to make a foundation at La Soledad. It seemed impossible to even think of doing that. According to the provisions of canon law, Father Aelred became a monk of the Monastery of Christ in the Desert in March of 1984, just a few months before his death.

Taking Root

After Father Aelred's death, Sister Mary Joaquin Bitler SC, who had lived as a hermit at La Soledad for a number a years, looked after the property, while the then Prior Philip of Christ in the Desert tried to give the property away or sell it. Neither of those plans of action worked. Instead, in 1985, with the consent of the Abbot Visitor of the English Province of the Subiaco Congregation, Abbot Gilbert Jones OSB, Prior Philip sent the simply professed monk, Br. Francisco Cumberland OSB, to care for the property. Christ in the Desert tried many times to start a monastic foundation at La Soledad, but none of them worked. Finally, in 1987, Father Abbot Placido Reitmeier OSB of the Abbey of Tepeyac, sent two monks to help out, Father Ezequiel Bas Luna and Brother Fernando Hool Salazar. They arrived in October 1987. In December of 1988, there was a crisis in the small community at La Soledad. This resulted in the naming of Br. Fernando Hool Salazar as the local superior, the return of Br. Francisco Cumberland to Christ in the Desert and the sending of Br. Xavier McGough to help in La Soledad.

In March 1992 Father Ezequiel Bas Luna OSB was named the local Superior. Eventually Brother Xavier McGough also returned to Christ in the Desert. Br. Cristobal Estrada Castillo OSB from the priory of Saint Benedict in Morelia came to the community in 1994.

Today

During the time of Father Aelred there was no need for a monastery to be built. In the first years of attempting a foundation at La Soledad, the monks simply remodelled the existing buildings. The first monks of the foundation lived in Father Aelred's hermitage. Later they moved to the guesthouse. At one point, some monks lived in the guesthouse and others in the former hermitage of Sister Mary Joaquin. Construction of an adequate monastery for about 20 monks was begun in 1990 and completed in 1994. The community at La Soledad still needs an adequate Church to complete their monastic facilities, but the chapel built by Father Aelred serves them for the moment.

The community continues today as a dependent house of Christ in the Desert Abbey. In 1997 the community consisted of three monks in solemn vows, one monk in simple vows and several candidates.

Like Christ in the Desert, La Soledad has a strong guesthouse apostolate for private retreatants. The brothers are currently expanding their guesthouse facilities, but they still need funds for that purpose.

Monasterio Nuestra Señora de la Soledad
Apdo. Postal 690
3700 - San Miguel de Allende
Guanajuato, México

OSB Index | Christ in the Desert Abbey