On August 15, Mother Mary Elias’ birthday, the doors of the cloister close once again, and were not reopened until eighteen months later. On February 28, 1943 Mother Mary Elias of the Blessed Sacrament passed away at the age of 62. A small portion of the monastery was opened to allow the public to view her body before her funeral Mass, which was presided by Bishop Joseph C. Plagens. Mother Mary Elias had founded and directed the Carmelite community for twenty-five years, and the monastery had grown to house twenty nuns, at the time of her death. In his homily, Bishop Plagens referred to Mother Mary Elias as, “the valiant woman who brought the community out of Mexico amid so many trials and persecutions.”