Jump to content
An Old School Catholic Message Board

Sheffield Carmel - One Week To Go!


AccountDeleted

Recommended Posts

AccountDeleted

Actually - I did read all these posts :rolleyes:

I spent a marvelous afternoon and morning with the WV sisters, and this evening they are all coming to the parlor together for recreation so we can all laugh together! I do love them so much, and their singing of the Office made me very nostalgic (they sing beautifull!), At Sheffield we will only recite the Office except on special occasions, and then it will be plainchant. But that's ok - it will make me appreciate any music even more!

I am not getting to Oulton after all (time and money) but I spoke with Mother Abbess on the phone and she was delightful. Maybe some of you Benedictines should check them out! They seem very nice (ah yes, but I have a Carmelite heart).

I am at the library again for a final email check. I am spending one more night at WV, then leaving for Sheffield in the morning - so this definitely is my last time online. Thank you all so much, and yes to all your prayer requests!! Today Mass was offered for vocations, and I prayed for all of you here on phatmass, especially those discerning religious life.

May God bless you all! :pray:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

good to hear from you Annie. A pleasant surprise at the end of a long week.

Edited by kafka
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Laudem Gloriae' post='1858806' date='May 5 2009, 07:27 PM']I have In email from Mother Mary there today, she states that Annie will enter as a postulant with them this Sunday.

Let's keep her in our prayers.[/quote]


YIPPPPPIIIEEEEEEE

Edited by cmariadiaz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Laudem Gloriae

Well, I was delighted to get a long 4 page letter from my good friend Sr. Maria Michael of God (our Annie aka "nunsense") today! She is praying for all of us here on PM and she asks for continual prayers for her too.

She is crazy about Sheffield Carmel - or Kirk Edge as the nuns call it - and wrote that "This Carmel is as it was meant to be lived by Our Holy Mother St. Teresa! Are there austeries? Yes! of course, but the greatest austerity of all is also our greatest gift to God - the total surrender of our self-will, done in love, and for love and through love - I have never experienced a greater happiness or peace or joy!"

And she wrote she believes this is her home and she finally understood what Mother Teresa of Calcutta meant when asked how a woman would know if she had found the right community - "She knows. She knows."

She had to write these 4 pages/8 sides in sections as she would often end sections with, "must go, running out of light"! Makes me think of St. Therese and her writing! She writes at the window of her cell - for anyone who has seen the 8 hr movie "St. Teresa of Avila" (or also called Teresa of Jesus), you might remember St. Teresa writing her books near her window for the light!

She truly is in "heaven on earth" as St. Teresa of Avila called Carmel. As she is the only one in the novitiate now, she has sole use of the novitiate's hermitage all to herself! Which she loves! Although there is hardship and suffering in the life, it should - and does - bring a feeling of great joy and peace - which the nuns have in abundance!

They sleep on straw mattresses, no cupboards or chairs in the cells. The sisters wear hemp sandals and make these themselves.

[b]HYGIENE THREAD ALERT![/b]: there they shower once a week and a bath once a week and if REALLY needed, they could have another one with permission.

They are having the relics of St. Therese of Lisieux in October! The sisters can venerate her relics for 10-15 mins before she is taken on to the Liverpool or Nottingham Carmel. Maybe I should change my visit to Sheffield from July to October! - but I am dying to go!

Mother Mary and all the sisters love her and want her to stay and she loves them and wants to stay so I pray she will!...forever! As St. Therese said, "I am here for ever and ever". She said Mother Mary makes her laugh - Mother is 84 or so!

She told me "I want to surrender my self-will to God - there is no better place. There is love and peace and joy - but God asks for ALL of you. This is what all the sisters try and do everyday - surrender all to God - it makes them very sweet!" One sister meets with her every day to mark the breviary or discuss hymns. Another sister gives her work for recreation - and they all help out with the dishes after meals - one week it was the Mother as 1st dishes. She was drying for her - they are all a family and love each other.

Each sister gave her a tour of the monastery that pertained to her duty and they told her what they did, showed her, etc. There are still so many rooms she hadn't been too yet - she says it is like a rabbit's warren! The gardens are extensive and beautiful (see the website for an idea [url="http://www.kirkedge.org.uk/index.html"]http://www.kirkedge.org.uk/index.html[/url] ).

Well there is more but I won't write it all and then she gives me the best way to get to Sheffield/Kirk Edge Carmel when I go in July.

Let's keep Sr. Maria Michael in our prayers and intentions!

Edited by Laudem Gloriae
Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks for sharing that Laudem. Glad to know she is happy. I will offer some decades of the DM chaplet this week, and I have remembered to pray for her.

by the way, I think I've seen that 8 hour production of Theresa of Jesus. Its the Spanish production with English subtitles right? ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Laudem Gloriae

Kafka - yes that is the movie I was referring to. I have that one and the 6 hr St. Teresa of the Andes movie and I am surprised they don't have holes in the DVDs from watching so often! lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

InHisLove726

Oh, I am so thrilled for her!!!! I'm so glad to hear that she's doing so well and that she is very happy (God bless her). :D Thank you for sharing excerpts of her letter. I do miss her presence here on Phatmass, but when I remember how happy she sounded, I smile at the thought.

Sr. Maria Michael, you are in my daily prayers! :saint:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

tnavarro61

i just want to cry out of happiness for Sr. Maria Michael of God! i wish i could be as happy as her!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In The Arms of The Lord

Thank you so much for sharing! Just by the few words from her, I can imagine so much how happy she is. I'm glad that she has found her home, the place that the Lord has called her. :) Truly her joy is that of the Holy Spirit, and may her heart and soul and Spirit sing praises to the Lord forever!

God bless her. :sign:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Laudem Gloriae

I guess I should have first stated that Annie...oops Sr. Maria Michael! did give me the ok to post about her!

There is another PMer (a mutual friend of ours) who is going by her Carmel to see her so maybe - or not? - this PMer may post more but that is up to her.

I will post more on her and myself after my visit. Tomorrow I fly off to Philly to stay with the Carmelites of Philly, PA in their extern quarters for 4 days! So I hope to see which Carmel is for me Philly or Sheffield.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In The Arms of The Lord

[quote name='Laudem Gloriae' post='1877205' date='May 28 2009, 12:34 PM']I guess I should have first stated that Annie...oops Sr. Maria Michael! did give me the ok to post about her!

There is another PMer (a mutual friend of ours) who is going by her Carmel to see her so maybe - or not? - this PMer may post more but that is up to her.

I will post more on her and myself after my visit. Tomorrow I fly off to Philly to stay with the Carmelites of Philly, PA in their extern quarters for 4 days! So I hope to see which Carmel is for me Philly or Sheffield.[/quote]


You'll have to tell us all about it! I'm excited for you. :)

I have my first Monastery visit in 7 days (June 4th) at the Buffalo Carmel. I'll be there for 5 days. Is this also your first visit to a Monastery?

The public Chapel at the Carmelite Monastery in Philly is beautiful.

[url="http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1802/carmelchapel1.jpg"]http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/1802/carmelchapel1.jpg[/url]
[url="http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9698/carmelchapel2.jpg"]http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9698/carmelchapel2.jpg[/url]
[url="http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9399/carmelchapel3.jpg"]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9399/carmelchapel3.jpg[/url]
[url="http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2351/carmelchapel4.jpg"]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2351/carmelchapel4.jpg[/url]

I have also seen pictures of the stained glass in the Chapel, and they are great works of art!

Edited by In The Arms of The Lord
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...