I have just returned from a trip to CA to visit with my dear friend who entered the Carmel in Quito, Equador after she went on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Good Success. For more info. on this approved apparition to Mother Marianna de Torres: www.ourladyofgoodsuccess.com. She entered in her early 50's btw, and these nuns have no issues with age. Anyway, my friend came up here with her prioress to get some medical attention as the carmel there is very poor and does not have access to good medical care. I spoke with the prioress (through an interpreter) who came here also to get support for a new foundation which she has been successful in getting. No property has been acquired yet, but is in the works. This prioress is definitely full of the spirit of St. Teresa, not that other prioresses I've met weren't, but I've never met anyone quite like her. The Quito carmel follows the 1991 constitutions, but Mother indicated she wished the new one to follow the 1990 constitutions. This is not definite, though. My point for posting this is to put this out. but also to ask that you would pray for the success of this new foundation as well. Pax Christi, Lisa

Wow! That's great news! Thanks for sharing!

I'm on the email list for the Apostolate of Our Lady of Good Success, and I remember reading a few times about these Carmelites and seeing pictures of them. Their monastery I believe is the former residence of the "Lily of Quito" St. Marianna of Jesus. And then the older Marianna of Jesus in Quito is the Venerable Mother Marianna of Jesus, the Conceptionist Nun who had the apparitions of Our Lady of Good Success, http://www.ourladyofgoodsuccess.com/

There seems to be a number of new foundations emerging in the US lately, particularly with the Spanish customs, as I'm sure this one will have, like the one in Clearwater, KS (1990 Constitutions) and this other one I just noticed the other day in Las Cruces, NM, http://www.carmelitesoflascruces.org/ (not sure which Constitutions) And also the Valparaiso, NE Carmel has a foundation in the future in mind. Then finally, there's the one Sr. Teresita has been trying to found.

The KS Carmel I know is currently struggling with their plans for the future. I almost wonder if a couple of these foundations could even merge, but of course whatever is God's plan for them. I have a feeling the foundation that's going to come out of Valparaiso will be the one the Carmelite Monks in Wyoming have mentioned they would like to have near their monastery in the future, since they have the same Carmelite Rite Liturgy and everything.

Prayers that this new foundation out of Quito will have good success!

Lisa, is it this one, Carmen Alto, in the former house of St. Marianna that's planning the foundation, or the other one in Quito? Thanks again! God bless!

Yes, Margaret Clare, it is, and that is Mother Veronica whom I just recently met! Thank you so much for posting that website with all the great pictures of the monastery. I wasn't aware of that site. Mother Veronica handed out relics of St. Marriana when she was here. Do you know where the Valparaiso Carmel is planning to make their foundation? I almost visited that Carmel, but changed my mind at the last minute since they said that I would have to enter as an extern because of my age, and I know that is not my vocation. These sisters at Carmen Alto aren't just poor in spirit, they are materially poor. Their plumbing is ancient from what I was told and they don't always have access to clean drinking water. What a grand monastery though. I know the carmels that are not getting vocations frequently merge, but I don't know if there would be a reason for the others to merge since most of them have to make foundations because they have too many sisters. For instance, the Carmen Alto has 24 now. Mother has asked me to help with the foundation, and I said yes, of course, but I'm not sure what she meant by that. I didn't seem to care at the moment! God Bless you. Lisa

Oh these Carmelites in NM sound awesome! Also, I have been watching the Wyoming monks closely, and am planning to write to Fr. Prior in response to a beautiful letter I got from them after purchasing some of their coffee. It was a letter asking for support, but it was so beautiful that it touched my heart, and I have felt a strong desire to establish a relationship with them for a long time. Yeah, ok I can see the Valparaiso nuns going there. That makes sense.

Oh yeah, that's right. I guess I was thinking of how much the Carmel of Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Kansas is struggling now with their plans for the future. They had a hard time with getting a priest to come out to their remote monastery when they were in Gallup, NM. At their location in Clearwater, KS they used to have the Bishop Emeritus of the Wichita Diocese as their chaplain, who lived in a little house out in the country right near them. But he has been sick for a long while now, so they haven't had a chaplain.

The Valparaiso Carmel is so blessed to to be able to be out in the country and have a great chaplain living there, and then the FSSP seminary nearby. And then if they have a foundation in WY near the Carmelite Monks, they'll also have no problem getting a chaplain for a monastery out in the country. But yeah, it's true though that for many of the Carmels in the US, they usually started out in a little house and were there for a number of years, before having a monastery built, and support from the people.


Wow, that's great!