Carmelite Nuns Move Into New Monastery Home

[vee]

From their newsletter

[b][color="#30312c"]If all goes well, our permanent monastery will be blessed on August 5th, 2010, anniversary of the Dedication of the Church of St. Mary Major.[/color][/b]



I am beyond happy to read that! They truly deserve their new home and am so excited to hear they might actually get to move in very soon!

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='vee8' date='29 June 2010 - 09:03 PM' timestamp='1277863423' post='2136009']
Thank you Detective Crucis! Hmmm that actually sounds kinda cool and I can think of a whole book I should write to go with it too...
[/quote]

Good idea! Mystery stories with nuns in them are very popular, not only with "my" Sisters across the street, but in general, and not just with Catholics. Since it's a mystery, someone has to die, but keep discussion of the specifics to a minimum. Ideally, no sex at all, but a romance between two wonderful Catholic young people doesn't hurt. People are fascinated by monastic life, so include a few details about that. Detective Crucis can be as religious as you want, but should also be quirky and definitely human. (Not an active mystic, though, because if the Holy Sprit solves the mystery that's like cheating.) You can have side characters who are mystics, but they go over best if they are good people who either have a very practical side, besides, or if you allow the other characters to respect their gifts, but also make fun of them. Many mystery books are based on the premise of someone famous as the detective--The Queen, Eleanor Roosevelt, etc, but I don't see "St. Thesere, the Little Flower Detective" having much of an audience outside Catholic book stores.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='vee8' date='29 July 2010 - 04:42 PM' timestamp='1280439732' post='2149656']
[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/yahoo.gif[/img]
From their newsletter

[b][color="#30312c"]If all goes well, our permanent monastery will be blessed on August 5th, 2010, anniversary of the Dedication of the Church of St. Mary Major.[/color][/b]

[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/woot.gif[/img] [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/woot.gif[/img] [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/yahoo.gif[/img] [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/yahoo.gif[/img]

I am beyond happy to read that! They truly deserve their new home and am so excited to hear they might actually get to move in very soon!
[/quote]

I'm very happy for them! Too bad you're never going to get to live in the monastery because, in the end, you'll either become a Domincan or get married. (The only two options that make any sense.) [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/tomato.gif[/img]





Note: For people who don't know me, I'm totally joking. We want Vee8 to find the place she is totally happy, wherever that is, as long as her final choice of vocation isn't illegal or violent, although writing mysteries is acceptable, as long as she doesn't "test out the murders first to make sure they would work."

Edited July 29, 2010 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[vee]

[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' date='29 July 2010 - 05:03 PM' timestamp='1280440984' post='2149665']
I'm very happy for them! Too bad you're never going to get to live in the monastery because, in the end, you'll either become a Domincan or get married. (The only two options that make any sense.) [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/tomato.gif[/img]



Note: For people who don't know me, I'm totally joking. We want Vee8 to find the place she is totally happy, wherever that is, as long as her final choice of vocation isn't illegal or violent, although writing mysteries is acceptable, as long as she doesn't "test out the murders first to make sure they would work."
[/quote]



Sorry but sometimes smilies say it all

[vee]

They have updated their photos on the site so first are some pics from the Mass for Our Lady of Mt Carmel, then there are pics of the inside of the new monastery. If you ever needed proof of how wonderful St Joseph is their building attests to that as well as to the power of prayer I just want to say that the nuns arent the ones taking the pics or putting them up its one of the secular Carmelites who is doing that, I know this because it was the secular Carmelite who told me. In a couple of the pics you can see the backs of the heads of two nuns mixing with the public, and also one where way in the back of the room a nun is looking at the camera, thats the prioress. I think the reason that some of the Sisters are around those people would be that those are members of the city council.

Basically when they came there twenty years ago many people didnt understand them and didnt want them there but thanks to the mayor they could stay, so a little meet and greet with the city council members is an exception to their enclosure and not something they are constantly doing! I just dont want anyone to be scandalized or misunderstand them. They are the first and only Carmel for hundreds maybe thousands of miles (or kilometers ) so they are rather missionary in a way and are very alien to a lot of people they have to deal with. I wouldnt be interested in them if I thought they didnt have the spirit of of their Holy Mother Teresa, who had to deal with certain members of the public when building a new monastery as well but once it was done, its back to the enclosure.

Edited July 30, 2010 by vee8

[SrBenigna]

The Carmelite's website have new pictures of the inside of the new monastery from an Open House/Monastery day: [url="http://www.carmelspall.org/PhotoGallery.htm"]http://www.carmelspa...hotoGallery.htm[/url]


It looks beautiful!

Edited August 14, 2010 by SrBenigna

[truthfinder]

[quote name='vee8' timestamp='1280439732' post='2149656']

From their newsletter

[b][color="#30312c"]If all goes well, our permanent monastery will be blessed on August 5th, 2010, anniversary of the Dedication of the Church of St. Mary Major.[/color][/b]


I am beyond happy to read that! They truly deserve their new home and am so excited to hear they might actually get to move in very soon!
[/quote]


Just looked at their website - seems to be that the blessing will actually be Aug 24, the feast of St. Bartholomew Finally, they are going to be in a permanent monastery. Praise God

[vee]

[quote name='truthfinder' timestamp='1281849543' post='2157628']
Just looked at their website - seems to be that the blessing will actually be Aug 24, the feast of St. Bartholomew Finally, they are going to be in a permanent monastery. Praise God
[/quote]

and praise God is right!!

[vee]

:bump:

As the blessing of the new monastery is set to take place tomorrow Im taking this chance to beg for your prayers for the nuns! Pray they remain faithful and loyal to their vocation, their rule, and the Church. Pray that they will grow and flourish with good and holy vocations. Pray for their health and for their safety always but especially now during forest fire season.

[vee]

:bump:

Their website has been updated with some pics of the consecration Mass. [url="http://www.carmelspall.org/PhotoGallery.htm"]This link [/url]should go directly to the slideshow page which automatically starts playing so you might have to pause it and click back on the pics. The slideshow of the Mass goes right into older pics from back during construction at the end so Im guessing they have furniture and appliances now. Im pleased to see the six candles by the altar and the use of incense. Im still wondering (and hoping) if they will use the curtain over the choir grille as they had in the old monastery. Just to note that the altar faces the choir and so the lay people are looking at it from the side now. There is nothing up on the news and announcements page except a novena to some saint no one has ever heard of

[truthfinder]

Ahh yes, incense I know the Bishop likes using incense for special Masses, but I don't know if the nuns have it at their other Masses. The pictures show the people all the way to the door which leads to the guest rooms which is on the other side of a large-ish entrance = pretty big crowd. Looking at the pictures, there was a lot of priests there, some definitely travelled a few hours to get there. The altar server (with incense) is a seminarian and may have travelled up to 5 hours to get there.
I'm hoping they put in a curtain too. Looks like only half the chapel has pews and the other half are chairs. Looks like someone also videoed the Mass. I hope I'll get to go back some time for a visit. Please keep me in your prayers.

[truthfinder]

By the way, I really like that painting of that little known saint they have beside the novena prayer. Has anyone ever seen it before and know who painted it?

[vee]

[quote name='truthfinder' timestamp='1283554934' post='2167626']
By the way, I really like that painting of that little known saint they have beside the novena prayer. Has anyone ever seen it before and know who painted it?
[/quote]

I will post the image here
[img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qRF-1Cz1A7g/R-lhGKJ6AgI/AAAAAAAAAOo/Z4eTR-IQfSQ/s320/therese.jpg[/img]

It is titled St Therese of Lisieux and was painted in 2008 by a man named Leonard Porter and [url="http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2008/03/latest-from-painter-leonard-porter.html"]here [/url]is a link to a short article about it.

[url="http://www.leonardporter.com/"]Here[/url] is a llink to the artist's official site where the painting is listed under easel paintings.

[vee]

[quote name='truthfinder' timestamp='1283554813' post='2167625']
Ahh yes, incense I know the Bishop likes using incense for special Masses, but I don't know if the nuns have it at their other Masses. The pictures show the people all the way to the door which leads to the guest rooms which is on the other side of a large-ish entrance = pretty big crowd. Looking at the pictures, there was a lot of priests there, some definitely travelled a few hours to get there. The altar server (with incense) is a seminarian and may have travelled up to 5 hours to get there.
I'm hoping they put in a curtain too. Looks like only half the chapel has pews and the other half are chairs. Looks like someone also videoed the Mass. I hope I'll get to go back some time for a visit. Please keep me in your prayers.
[/quote]

I think I caught a whiff of incense coming from the choir one day so maaaaaybe the nuns use it sometimes on their side. They had Adoration on Sunday afternoon so it might have been then. Ya I was impressed by the number of priests there too. Im wondering if the Mass was recorded or was just airing it to people in the overflow area, or maybe both. I noticed the pew/chair set up too so my guess is that while they have moved in its not the end of the decorating on the public side at least. One of the nuns, Sister M said to me privately she wished it had a big stained glass window of Our Lady of Mt Carmel with a statue of St Teresa on one side and John of the Cross on the other. While the widow isnt going to happen they do have a lot bare walls to work with so maybe more decoration will show up in the future. I will keep you in my prayers so hopefully you can go again one day and find out answers to all kinds of things from your deep spiritual questions to things like do they still have the choir curtain and how much incense is used on a weekly basis

[truthfinder]

[quote name='vee8' timestamp='1283563017' post='2167644']
the window isnt going to happen they do have a lot bare walls to work with so maybe more decoration will show up in the future. I will keep you in my prayers so hopefully you can go again one day and find out answers to all kinds of things from your deep spiritual questions to things like do they still have the choir curtain and how much incense is used on a weekly basis
[/quote]


"deep spiritual questions" ahh yes, they happen all the time, NOT! I was thinking that the large round window above the altar could have been a great Rose window a la Notre Dame in Paris, but alas Mother told me it was to be a humble monastery. Thanks for the link to the picture and so many thanks for your prayers, they're all very appreciated.

[vee]

[quote name='truthfinder' timestamp='1283564482' post='2167648']
"deep spiritual questions" ahh yes, they happen all the time, NOT![b] I was thinking that the large round window above the altar could have been a great Rose window a la Notre Dame in Paris[/b], but alas Mother told me it was to be a humble monastery. Thanks for the link to the picture and so many thanks for your prayers, they're all very appreciated.
[/quote]

I thought the same thing! Im going to bet many people think the same way as well....... hmmm maybe we should have a little chat with St Joseph to see if he cant change Mother's opinion aaaaand find a donor to have one put in! Speaking of St Joe Im wondering where they have put these statues. <<< thats my deep spiritual question of the day hahahaha!

[img]http://a.imageshack.us/img132/10/imgp6652o.jpg[/img]

Edited September 4, 2010 by vee8