On May 19, 1925, a beautiful and holy young Carmelite from Lisieux, France, named Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, was canonized in Rome by Pope Pius XI. Bishop Bernard MacGinley had just been appointed to a new diocese, Monterey-Fresno, in Central California. He was in Rome for the canonization and was so inspired that he petitioned the Holy Father for permission to found a Carmelite Monastery in Carmel in honor of the newly canonized saint.

Armed with this permission, the bishop contacted Mother Augustine of the Santa Clara Carmelite Monastery to ask her if she would make a new foundation in Carmel. She was delighted with the idea! She inquired among her nuns to see if any of them would like to go. Five of them volunteered, and in that same year, they made preparations to enter the small temporary frame house which Mother Augustine arranged to be built for them. Thus on the feast of the Archangel Raphael, October 24, 1925 (which was Mother’s birthday) the five nuns began the new foundation. The new monastery was founded under the title of Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces and Saint Therese.