On July 16, we had attended a solemn profession ceremony at the Discalced Carmelite monastery at Tenancingo, in the State of Mexico. The monastery -- pictured below -- dated back to the early 1800s.
It sits in the middle of what is called the Holy Desert of Carmen of Tenancingo. It is a beautiful location overlooking the Valley of Mexico, and it was quite an experience to be there. Today the area is a national park, though not as well known or as accessible as the famous Desert of the Lions.
A short hour's drive from downtown Mexico City you find the fresh air and dense pine and oak forests of Desierto de los Leones, Mexico's first national park.
Located in the high mountains on the southwestern side of the valley, almost 10,000 feet above sea level, the abundant springs here were the major water source for Mexico City and the dense forests attracted pilgrims and loggers alike.[Denver, by comparison, sits at a bit over 5,000 feet.]
The name of the park, which translates to 'Desert of the Lions' might appear misleading. If you're looking for Lawrence of Arabia-type sands, you will be disappointed.The joke is that it's not a desert and there are no lions.
It is an area named for its (one-time) inaccessibility. The Desierto is a pleasant retreat, made even sweeter by occasional Sunday concerts at the Discalced Carmelite monastery (completed in 1611) in the center of the park.
The Carmelites believed that they should worship in a house in
the wilderness to honor their spiritual founder, the Prophet Elijah, as
well as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. They built their monastery -- Desierto de los Leones,
named after the Leones family who were friars' lawyers and who probably donated the land -- and spent
almost 200 years living and praying in the wilderness -- which they called a desert. The Mexican friars told me that the aristocrats and especially the members of the Viceroy's court in Mexico City liked to come to the Desierto de los Leones ostensibly for pilgrimage; but mostly they came for an outing in the country and expected the friars to entertain and feast them.
The Spanish friars were much honored by the attention in the beginning, but after almost two centuries the charm had worn off. They moved to the town of Tenancingo, and the Desierto de Los Leones monastery was abandoned in 1801. Eventually in 1917 the land became Mexico's first national park, 35 years after Yellowstone was declared the first national park in the United States.
John of the Cross, incidentally, was supposed to be sent to the Carmelites in Mexico in 1591, but he took ill and died before he could go. He was only 49, and had he lived and sailed to Mexico as planned, he might easily have once walked the silent halls and grounds of this monastery which was built only 20 years after his death.
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