Biography of Mother Antonia Brenner

Biography of Mother Antonia Brenner: First married at a young age, Mary eventually raised seven children in two marriages. Not content with just raising a family, she was also heavily involved in charitable activities, all the while running her deceased father's business. After twenty-five years of marriage, and after most of her children were out of the house, she drastically changed her life. In a period of just a few years, she divorced, sold her home and possessions and began to serve full time the prisoners at La Mesa penitentiary in Tijuana, Mexico, and with permission to take private vows, she put on a religious habit. After a year, her service to prisoners came to the attention of Bishop Juan Jesus Posadas of Tijuana and Bishop Leo Maher of neighboring San Diego. She was officially welcomed and blessed by both Bishops: Bishop Maher made her an auxiliary to him while Bishop Posadas made her an auxiliary Mercedarian, an order which has a special devotion to prisoners. At age fifty, she had become a sister.