The Location of the Shrine: How it was born
When the Eixample Barcelonès’s gentle slope ceased to become a mountainous area until it reached the outskirts of the Coll and Carmel, this hill was called the Montaña Pelada (Bald Mountain) in the mid-19th century.
A large part of this hill was located above the district of Gracia, to whose municipal it belonged when the now populous district formed an independent village.
La Salut neighbourhood
The city was rising and fruit trees began to be cultivated in the gardens that sprang up. As the capital was transformed, the name of Montaña Pelada faded away to make way for the name of La Salud (The Health). The hermitage of Our Lady of the Health was the basis of the modern urbanization of those places.
This is how it was born: the Shrine gives its name to the place.
The owners in 1874 demanded improvements for the area, and the Gracia Town Council had a clear vision of the neighborhood. In 1880 the tram line was inaugurated. A third name was to come and leave the others behind, and this was Saint Joseph of the Mountain.
The buildings, which reached the foot of that mountain, could not extend to it because they lacked all the conditions to make them habitable.
Blessed Petra: Responsible person required
In 1845, in the Andalusian village of Abdalajís Valley, in the Antequera region, Ana Josefa Pérez Florido, who was to become Mother Petra of Saint Joseph, was born in 1845.
She was one of those religious who left their mark on life, and with all the high admiration that the Saint of Avila deserves, her image comes to mind when one thinks of Mother Petra. Cheerful, optimistic and devout, she trusted in Providence, in the intercession of St. Joseph and the Providence did not abandon her as it does not abandon those who possess the faith of their elders.
Blessed Petra arrives in Barcelona.
Mother Petra‘s life was surrounded by a lot of portentous events for her and those around her, and her fame grew everywhere.
On 22 November 1886, accompanied by another nun, she set out for Barcelona, as she felt a great desire to found a foundation in Barcelona, and in prayer, it seemed to her that St. Joseph wished it.
They arrived in the city on the 25th. They settled temporarily in Ataulfo Street, until they found another house more suitable for their apostolate with the poor girls.
Thus, on 17 January 1887, they moved to a tower house called ‘El Putxet’ in Sant Gervasi, from where the nuns and the girls moved to San Salvador street, in Gracia, due to the need to find cheaper rent than the first one.
The momentous event that led to the founding of the renowned Barcelona Shrine took place at that time. Mother Petra was absent from Barcelona. The owner of the property came to the house and told them that he was selling the tower for 55,000 pesetas.
The nuns, who lived on alms, had no other resources for themselves and their orphans than what charity provided, wrote to Mother Petra telling her what had happened. She immediately left for Barcelona and ordered all the houses to begin the Seven Sundays at St. Joseph’s, as this woman knew well who should arrange it.
As soon as she arrived, she went to the chapel where an image of St. Joseph was being venerated, and when she left, she was asked:
‘What has St. Joseph told her? -That everything is settled,’ she answered. I don't know how, but it seems to me that the blessed Saint is going to fix everything.
So great was her faith and confidence. She arranged to make ten days of spiritual exercises, because it was clear to her that she had to seek first the Kingdom of God and the rest would be given to her as well. That was how great his faith and trust was. She decided to do ten days of spiritual exercises.
Saint Joseph intercedes:
On the sixth day of the retreat, 24th February, a young lady, Carmen Masferrer, came to the house asking for the Mother Superior. Having heard of the need the mothers had, she was going to offer them a property of her own: the ‘Torre de Masferrer’, situated in the Villa de Gracia, 44 Minas street. It was known as ‘Montaña Pelada’. The estate had an extension of 320,000 palms of land and a tower house. On St. Joseph’s Day, the deed of the deed was signed before a notary.
“Bald Mountain will soon be growing hair”
Thus was born, with this phrase, the incredible task of building a home for underprivileged children on this new land.
Mother Petra commissioned the project to a renowned architect: Francesc Berenguer i Mestres, Gaudí’s assistant in many of his works. Berenguer was not optimistic about the commission, as the Congregation of the Mothers of the Forsaken did not have the financial resources to carry out the project.
The mothers entrusted themselves to Providence, and benefactors in Barcelona they explained the need to build a home for abandoned children. The result was that in 2 months they raised 20,000 pesetas of the time, almost all anonymous donations handed in sealed envelopes in the name of Mother Petra. Providence made itself present through the generosity of the Catalans. Faced with the effusive response of the people of Barcelona, Mother Petra included a church for St. Joseph in the project.
When the foundations were being laid, a rich quarry was discovered which supplied the stone for the building.
Against the advice, Mother Petra spent 25 pesetas to fetch water. The neighbors told her there would be none, but in her devotion to the Patriarch, Mother Petra trusted and received.
The first stone. This is how it was born:
It was laid on 14 August 1895.
When the plans for the church were presented to Mother Petra, she found it too small. She had it enlarged twice. Everyone thought it was madness because of Mother Petra‘s great love for her saint. Who would come to such an uninhabited place? But she, with her trust in God alone, prophesied: ‘People will come here from all over the world’, and so it has been ever since.
The plans were approved by the City Council of Gracia, which wanted to contribute to the charitable work by exempting it from paying municipal fees.
The 20,000 pesetas collected for the work were finished when only one wing of the building had been partially constructed. The builder Antonio Barba was formally committed to continue the work and Mother Petra had great faith in God and her ‘loving father’ St. Joseph, as she affectionately called him. However, it seemed imprudent to her to continue the work without having any money to pay for it in due course. The wages of the workers were sacred to her.
Father Ignacio Verdós
Given the situation that arose, Mother Petra asked Father Ignacio Verdós, a collaborator of Mother Petra’s apostolate, for direct help.
It was not difficult for her to find someone to lend him the money. All the documents were in order and on the very day that they were going to collect the fixed amount, the person regretted it. Father Verdós returned to the asylum very discouraged. Mother Petra could see on his face that the interview had not gone well. Before he spoke to her she asked, ‘What, have you repented? Have you brought nothing?’ When she heard that the person she was going to trust was afraid of losing the money her face lit up with joy and with great faith she exclaimed:
"¡Blessed be God, this is when I am happy! I see that St. Joseph doesn't want to pay any return to anyone. Now my faith increases".
"Arrange for the work to continue and, if possible, to increase the number of workers. I am now counting on St. Joseph's purse. He will not regret it, nor will he give any such disappointment as this.".
Work continued with such momentum that in less than half a year the first wing of the building was completed and the building was occupied on 18 March 1896.
The Inauguration
It was held on the Feast of the Patronage of Saint Joseph, on 20 March 1902. When the construction of the Shirne had not yet been completed, back in 1900, the image of Saint Joseph had already been moved from its original residence in Barcelona, in San Salvador Street, to the new building.
In January 1901, the Church and the chapel of the Holy Patriarch were already finished, as well as the house-home for the girls and the residence for the nuns who looked after the Work.
Thus the name San José de la Montaña was born.
During the time that the work on the church and chapel lasted, Saint Joseph was placed in a provisional but dignified altar, where he could be visited by the faithful who wished to see him. Due to the favors so lavishly granted by the Saint, his devotion grew and soon after his image was taken to the Sanctuary for veneration, many of the faithful went up to the ‘Montaña Pelada’, to see, as they called ‘Saint Joseph of the mountain’, and from then on he was called by everyone Saint Joseph of the mountain, a nickname that the Church not only accepted but also blessed and indulged.
