Carrying On
Mother Antonia’s Mission
Following 25 years of marriage, raising seven children, and doing charitable work while surrounded by wealth in Beverly Hills, Mary Clarke Brenner made a drastic decision that changed the trajectory of her life. After sewing her own habit, she dedicated the next 34 years of her life (1979-2013) to the prisoners, the poor, and the sick by living in a 10×10 prison cell in Tijuana, Mexico. She founded a self-supporting order of sisters known as the Eudist Servants of the Eleventh Hour who minister in Mexico and throughout the United States. Each woman dedicates the remainder of her time on Earth to Jesus Christ in the eleventh hour of her life.
Words of Mother Antonia
“There are three ways to get to heaven… be kind… be kind… and be kind..”
“There is no one who is unlovable. Every creature of God was born to be loved.”
“The saddest, most tragic thing in the world is indifference. Indifference to others’ suffering.“
The Prison Angel
Mother Antonia’s Journey
The winners of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting tell the astonishing story of Mary Clarke (who later took the name Mother Antonia). At the age of fifty, Clarke left her comfortable life in suburban Los Angeles to follow a spiritual calling to care for the prisoners in one of Mexico’s most notorious jails. She actually moved into a cell to live among drug king pins and petty thieves. She has led many of them through profound spiritual transformations in which they turned away from their lives of crime, and has deeply touched the lives of all who have witnessed the depth of her compassion.
Vocation
The Eudist Servants
In 2003 the Eudist Servants of the Eleventh Hour community was formally accepted by Bishop Rafael Romo Muñoz of Tijuana, Mexico. The mission of the Association is to minister to the prisoners and also to the poor, to bring to them the love of Jesus Christ. To accomplish this, members must, in their hearts and in their lives, bear the pain of the imprisoned, the poor, the sick, the rejected, the forgotten and the abandoned children of God. This is a private association of the faithful serving the prisoners and the poor
Calling and Service
Becoming a Servant
Many women in mid-life or later find themselves longing for something more in their lives. While the heart is searching, listening for a call, the head is saying I want to do something good, something important, with the rest of my years. The Eudist Servants of the Eleventh Hour offer these women an opportunity to follow a vocation later in life.
Good Morning Dear Lord, Thank you for the precious gift You have given me this morning-my life- to live fully and joyfully one more day! Please give me the grace to be kind and patient today that I may see beyond worldly appearances, so that I may encounter your holy presence in each person I meet. Close my ears dear Father to all gossip. Seal my lips to all judgments and criticisms that my words will only bless all about me and warm the coldest heart. Let my actions be so just, my feelings be so tender, my conduct be so humble and true to your will that throughout this day I will be a reflection of your heavenly mercy and love. Amen.
Mother Antonia
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