A speaker praised as “extraordinary” and called one of the most humanitarian people alive by President Vicente Fox of Mexico and President Ronald Reagan will come to Bakersfield College on Tuesday, Nov. 22.

Known as the “Prison Angel”, Mother Antonia Brenner has lived in a Tijuana jail for 29 years. The Irish Catholic nun is twice divorced and as a teenage girl lived in Beverly Hills next to movie stars like Cary Grant and played tennis at The Beverly Hills Country Club.

On her 50th birthday on Easter Sunday in 1976, she told her family that she was moving to her new home – a cell in La Mesa Prison in Tijuana, Mexico. She would be living with nearly 7,000 inmates.

Mother Antonia left her home in 1976 wearing a hand sewn habit without the Catholic Church’s blessing at the time, as encouraged by Father Vetter, who introduced her to La Mesa Prison. She went to Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Ventura and made personal vows. From there with just a toothbrush, blanket, Spanish dictionary and Bible in hand, she went to the warden and told of her plans to call La Mesa Prison her home.

Since that time, she has started her days at 5 a.m. by receiving 100-200 prisoners and guards regardless of race or religion. They seek everything from a hug to blessings to spiritual and personal advice, including help with legal declarations and even help with money. Sometimes they need $100-$200 to get out of jail when the only other option was to stay in jail as long as two years.

In an exclusive interview Nov. 7 in Tijuana, Mother Antonia talked about her love for all and especially her love for the prisoners whom she calls her sons. “I want to let him (prisoners) to know he is beautiful!” she said. “Let him know that Christ died for him!”

It was 9:43 a.m. outside the 25-foot high prison wall when Mother Antonia appeared with Abraham Silva, a Mexican federal soldier patrolling the area. With a letter in hand, Mother Antonia greeted this reporter, then went on to tell Carlos Bustamante, our driver for the trip, about a young man needing $1,400 in pesos (about $140) to get out of jail.

Our trip took us two blocks away to Casa Campos de San Miguel, a home for treatment of woman with cancer and rehabilitation for female prisoners. We were greeted by Sister Anne Marie Maxfield, a former Bakersfield resident, and other people were greeted at the front gate with some receiving food. Others received comfort in getting information they were looking for. The house was full, friendly and peaceful as we sat in an office at Casa Campos de San Miguel.

“Rehabilitation comes with the love of God … of a loving God,” said Mother Antonia. “It is a terrible thing not to belong, every person has to belong. You are created to belong, because God loves each one of us.”

Mother Antonia also touched on her love of the prison chapel, which is the only chapel or church in the world that is named St Paul in Chains.

She also talked about the Mexico and U.S. border.

“We are not ready to take down the borders. Long after me and you are gone, they will still be there. I have one foot in the U.S. and one foot in Mexico, the ground feels the same to me,” she said.

“This world belongs to God,” she added. “Pick up the dirt and tell it you own it.” Then (referring to death) she said, “the dirt will say no, you belong to me.”

The simple fact of lying or speaking ill of someone was compared to murder by Mother Antonia, who said, “Do not speak against anybody, for you are robbing them. You cannot repay the respect you steal. Many people murder the hopes of other people without thinking.

“If God knows you stole something, he knows the reason and forgives you, but there is a victim. What did he feel? What do you feel? You can’t treat people badly. As you sow so shall you reap. If you plant onions you are not going to reap trigo (flour). You reap what you sow.”

The beginnings of bringing Mother Antonia to Bakersfield can be traced back to a conversation between Sister Anne Marie Maxfield, a former member of Christ the King Church in Oildale, and her friend Darlene Stewart.

It all started with an invitation to Sister Anne to join the Stewart family for Thanksgiving in Bakersfield. As the conversation went on between Stewart and Sister Anne, the subject of bringing Mother Antonia to the Thanksgiving dinner was brought up. At the time, that didn’t seem possible because of Mother Antonia’s health concerns and her rarity of leaving The La Mesa prison.

However, Mother Antonia heard of the conversation and was told by Sister Anne that there was an invitation for her to join Sister Anne and the Stewart family for Thanksgiving and to be a guest speaker at BC.

While Thanksgiving dinner may be in her jail cell in Tijuana, Mother Antonia responded to the invitation to speak by saying, “That is a wonderful Idea! That will be fun, let’s do it!”

For her appearance, Mother Antonia, who will celebrate her 80th birthday 10 days after speaking in Bakersfield, said that the only donations she would ask for are small, wrapped candy for the adult prisoners, who she calls her children.

The BC Eminent Speakers Committee is sponsoring Mother Antonia’s speaking engagement at BC. The event begins at 6 p.m. on Nov. 22 in the Indoor Theater. Large groups are encouraged to contact BC professor Chuck Wall at 872-9555 to ensure adequate seating.