Hey guys, I just returned from a visit to the PCCs in Lemont, IL (actually Palos Park, IL & Lemont, IL - I believe their property is in both).

It was really a beautiful little place. I spoke with the sister who greets people there for a while. I definitely like the spirit of this community. They go barefoot almost all the time. Their monastery is very newly built, but has a lovely monastic feel. It has a very simple beauty to it, and it's definitely on quiet grounds. :j

Here is their site: www.chicagopoorclares.com

It feels a lot different aftering visiting there than from just looking on the site, as for anywhere, I'm sure. I really liked the chapel actually. The part that is open to the enclosure, with the swirling grill/screen is up really high, as the altar is up on a few stairs where the tabernacle is, so you definitely can't see the nuns. I definitely like the traditional monastic interior of old monasteries, like in Europe much better, but there was a great spirit of poverty and simplicity about this place.

There are 7 nuns there, with one entering in February. They have the English Divine Office but with a lot of Latin hymns.

I'm not sure of anything yet, but I'm definitely going to go back there again and possibly stay for a while to discern more and pray.

looks quite lovely! You really have to visit these places and get a 'feel' for the way they lead their lives. Internet photos are nice, but are truly one dimensional. I urge you to go back and explore some more. And make sure you fill us in on them.
Alicemary

The site definitely is lovely. How much room do they have for themselves behind the enclosure? Or is it small, being in Chicago?

It's looks very big actually, with a lake I believe - as I could see many trees in the distance, but then a big open area, and there are many lakes in this area.

They aren't in the city of Chicago, but in the Archdiocese of Chicago. They're in an area surrounded by forest preserves in Palos Park/Lemont. The road just outside the monastery is very small, like a camp road. Then there is a bigger road, but it is some distance away. You can't hear it when you're there, though it may be possible to hear this road, Will Cook Rd., if you were on the outside grounds of the monastery. But generally, I found everything was pretty silent there. More silent than the Carmel in Des Plaines, as they are pretty close to a busy road, though they also have a lot of land in the back.

These PCCs are in the Federation of Mary Immaculate. Their founding Mother was Rev. Mother Mary Veronica von Elmendorff from Germany. The first foundation was in Cleveland. Of course they do not go out for meetings, as they take the vow of enclosure.

I see the same swirling grill in the chapel on a couple other monasteries in this federation. Here is Mother Mary Francis, who wrote A Right to be Merry, in Roswell, NM - with the grill in the chapel in the background. She started out in the monastery in Chicago, until it closed some time ago, and transferred to NM. In 2003 she came back to Chicago, to this new foundation requested by Cardinal Francis George. She went to her eternal home February, 2006.

This looks exactly like the grill and crucifix in the Lemont Poor Clares' chapel.

any Franciscan Hermitage Brothers near by??
java script:emoticon(':D:', 'smid_5')

the Colettine 'reforms', when i was in France, always impressed me the most for there evangelical poverty and joy...

Looking at different sites of the PCCs in this federation, I see slight variations in their horariums - as the Cleveland PCCs have perpetual adoration, and some have breakfast before Mass, and some after.

The Poor Clare breakfast is generally 2 pieces of bread and a cup of Coffee, eaten while standing. I love how they can have Coffee!! Carmelites can too. But actually the Srs of Bethlehem do not have any caffeinated drink - just herbal tea. I would find that very difficult in a life of silence and solitude. I would be afriad of falling asleep in prayer! But I guess your body would adjust, or rather, get off the addiction of caffeine. I don't drink that much, one cup in the morning, but it makes such a difference to help get me started for a day of prayer. Also the Community of St. John does not allow coffee.

Here is the Los Altos horarium. Lemont follows this one too. I like how they have breakfast before Mass, as I think I would find myself, without this, getting very tired by the time Mass begins, and this is supposed to be the peek moment of the day. I'm so glad they changed the rules of fasting 24 hours before Mass. My mom even said she used to pass out many times at Sunday Mass as a child. Having it this way, I would personally feel like I would pay less attention at Mass, and would be looking forward to breakfast after Mass, rather than centering the whole day on the Mass - that's just me. I usually eat the most in the morning, less in the middle of the day, and less at night. Just a few weeks before I entered Carmel at Buffalo, they had changed the schedule to have breakfast before Mass too.

Gemma has a beautiful article on her site - A Poor Clare Colettines Path, about a Poor Clare in the monastery in Los Altos, CA. I see on the last page they also have the swirling grill in the chapel. I also see that instead of having the grill in the parlor they have a screen instead. I'm pretty sure this is how Lemont is too. Actually I like the grill, but the screen isn't too bad either.

Hmm .. I don't know of any Franciscan hermitage nearby ... The closest Franciscan priests & brothers are St. Peter's in the Loop. It's very silent inside actually, as I believe they have soundproofing, and there's a white noise thing they have on. They have Confession all the time M-F 6am-6pm, Sat. 10 am - 6pm, but not Sundays.

The Franciscans at St. Peter's have been there for a long time. Unfortunatly like many orders, they have become more liberal recently, but it really depends a lot on the particular priest. They have adoration M-F 1:15 - 4:45, and 7 daily Masses. A lot of traditional people still go there, as they have so much to offer. Having the Sacrament of Confession available so much is common in several churches in downtown NYC, but for Chicago, this is the one - at least that most people know of. And they of course always wear the Franciscan habit. The Poor Clares in Lemont have a priest come from St. Peter's once a week.

MC, you might find this site interesting. It's the architect who designed the monastery.

HERE

At one time I would have agreed that I'd rather an old monastery but now that I live in one I think I like new ones better! Less upkeep and no worry about how much longer the plumbing will hold out!



You CAN get used to no caffeine but it's not easy! After that it's not a problem even in the morning! I had to get used to it and now I stay away from caffeine and when I do have it I don't like how I feel.

When I entered we could have a cup of coffee before meditation (lO coffee reboiled ) and we had breakfast after Mass. Now, SRs have a choice of before Lauds, after Lauds or after Mass. Mostly we have just bread and coffee or tea or cocoa. We eat eggs for breakfast on Easter Monday. It's an old Italian custom, I'm told.

PCC... I am quite familiar with the Sisters in Rockford... beautiful place although you can continually hear traffic coming by...

Yeah, the PCCs in Rockford are supposed to be great! I've never been there, but have lot of their vocation material. Yeah, I did hear that when they built the monastery it was in a very quiet area, but now the area is pretty built up around them. It's still a beautiful monastery though, and old. :j

We have so many PCCs in IL! The Rockford Poor Clares have a new foundation in Minooka, too. So that makes 4. Rockford and Minooka have a different Mother foundress, but they seem pretty similar to Belleville & Lemont.

What's good about the area in Lemont is that it's forest preserves, so no one can build there. I believe Minooka is also in a very quiet area. But again, there is a busy road that you would probably be able to hear somewhat, if you were outside the monastery building in Lemont. I'll have to take better note of that next time I go. Whatever is God's will in the end though, of course.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the Lemont Poor Clares!!! (check out the photo in my signature - you might find it familiar) I lived about 15 minutes from there for a year and would regularly do holy hours there. I think their chapel is one of my favorite places ever - I often think of it and it's peacefullness in difficult times.

Hey, thanks for sharing! Yes, I recognized the Poor Clare's chapel in your signature right away, with the swirling grill! That's so great you found so much peace there. Yes, it is in a beautiful quiet place, but especially with Our Lord there. Yeah, the chapel is beautiful really. It's pretty small, which is nice really, and they did manage to fit in a cry room too, which is great! Thanks again for sharing

But the chapel is not at all crowded or anything. And the cry room is a pretty good size, too.

Here's a nice article on Mother Mary Francis of Our Lady, PCC by Archbishop Burke. Ah, okay, so Mother MF left Chicago before it was closed ..

Thanks for the great link and the great insight! Yeah the Holy Family Village is a plot of land the Archdiocese owns and the Poor Clare Monastery is there. The Bishop Lyne Residence, is not far from the monastery. It's a place for retired priests. They have priests from there come several times a week.
Ahh, okay .. But yes, it would be so hard .. but even in the morning, not a problem - that's good. Yeah, I never had caffeine much at all until I was in HS with the homework all-nighters and everything .. Yeah, the sister at Lemont told me on some feast days they'll have a special bread for breakfast. :j

I didn't read through the whole thread, but were these Poor Clares from the same Cleveland monastery as the Poor Clares in Aptos, CA?

Yep .. in the Federation of Mary Immaculate . This one in Lemont came specifically from the Roswell, NM one, but they all have the same Mother foundress from Germany.

What A Beautiful community, I will be keeping them in my prayers!

I just visited here again today! A postulant just entered this month, and then another that my brother knows is entering March 6, historical feast of St. Colette.

That's wonderful, I"ll be praying for the new postulants!! how many members do they have now?

On March 6, there will be 9. Isn't a lovely place. Their singing is beautiful - very very high, like angels, and in harmony. I spoke with the Mother for a while there today. But actually, I don't believe it's where God is calling me .. It's very nice though. I definitely felt a good joyful spirit in the couple sisters I met. Within months or even weeks I believe, after Cardinal George was made Archbishop of Chicago, he was calling the Poor Clares immediately to get them to come back!! :D (as the former PCC monastery in the diocese was closed a few years back .. )

Just thought I'd post, there are pictures up now from Sr. Mary Colette's Solemn Profession last year, http://www.chicagopoorclares.org/

God bless!

Because of a recent illness I have had to forego caffeine, and I'm so glad I did. I feel more relaxed and I actually feel more energetic than I did before. I don't think that would be something to worry about!

I used to think that I would just die without caffeine and meat....surprise, it can be done!! As long as they eat a healthy balance,most people will survive. Personally I am not much for fasting, and being a diabetic, forget it, cant if I wanted to. Most convents/monasteries I have visited, they eat very well, though frugally. The biggest sacrifice is not always eating what you want to eat or when you want to eat it.

Just thought I'd correct this tiny detail really quick This was just after Easter. Normally they (Buffalo Carmel) have breakfast in community after Mass and the daily renewal of vows and thanksgiving, etc (also the old fast was from midnight on, not 24 hours )

Thanks for the encouragement! For me it's caffeine .. especially getting through a morning of prayer, especially the hour of silent prayer, without anything like coffee to help me wake up. I tend to take a while to fall alseep at night. (But usually I will never have more than one cup of coffee a day. I know some people who have 3 or 4 cups every morning )

But yeah, a friend of mine used to be the same, but then during a long trip out of town where there was no caffeine available, he went through a withdrawal, which he said involved a pretty bad headache. But now he's off it, and never has anything with caffeine anymore.

Most cloistered communities do allow coffee though, and one great Carmel I know, even right in the morning before Mass if you can get ready fast enough!

One of my favorite monasteries, the Poor Clares in Greenville, SC, have a flexible rising schedule which can include coffee, breakfast and exercise! They have a beautiful new monastery and have had recent postulants, novices and a solemn profession.

here...

http://www.poorclaresc.com/daily_life.html

Interesting, thanks! I just received a newsletter from the Chicago Poor Clares the other day. They are preparing for the feast of their Holy Mother, August 11th. And they said they celebrated the birth of St. Clare on July 16th. I didn't know she was born that day, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel - interesting - so it's like a double celebration for them.

http://chicagopoorclares.org/

http://www.nhdkmp.com/religious05.htm