Update From The Lockport Dominicans

[inperpetuity]

I have often thought about St. Therese and wondered how she was doing.  I know these nuns are in good standing and have thought about writing to them, but it's so flaming hot in Louisiana! On second thought, hell is hotter.

[Ja Sav]

If they are not in good standing with the diocese, is it perhaps because they only have the Traditional Latin Mass and won't follow Vatican 2?  I'm seriously asking.  I don't know.

[JHFamily]

16 hours ago, Ja Sav said:

If they are not in good standing with the diocese, is it perhaps because they only have the Traditional Latin Mass and won't follow Vatican 2?  I'm seriously asking.  I don't know.

They are in good standing.  They appear on the diocesan website, as several posters here have already shown.

[truthfinder]

14 hours ago, JHFamily said:

They are in good standing.  They appear on the diocesan website, as several posters here have already shown.

I don't mean to stir trouble, but I cannot find them on the Houma-Thibodaux diocesan website.  I know they used to be listed there, but they don't appear any longer.  So, perhaps something has changed?

[NadaTeTurbe]

6 hours ago, truthfinder said:

I don't mean to stir trouble, but I cannot find them on the Houma-Thibodaux diocesan website.  I know they used to be listed there, but they don't appear any longer.  So, perhaps something has changed?

Since they used to be only a Public Association of the Faithful, their canonical situation may have changed. The best thing to do is :
- accessing the diocesan directory. Since it's an official document, there's less mistakes in there than in the diocesan website.
- Juste call or email the diocese or vocation office. This may be usefull. When googling "Lockport Dominican", phatmass is the first link coming. So it's important that we have up-to-date, sourced, information in this thread. Can someone do it ?

To note : on the diocesan website, at "leadership of women religious", there is an O.P sister, but she seems to be from another community.

[JHFamily]

So, it turns out that the link I found was to a deceased sister, and the religious are not found at all.  According to someone who really does seem to be "in the know", the bishop revoked his approval. 

[MagnoliaMs]

They were/are canonically irregular and not affiliated with the Dominican Order. 

[Sr. Dominic Marie,OP]

I have corresponded with Mother Imelda, the superior of the Monastery of the Heart of Jesus, within the last year or two, by post and e-mail.  She sent me some unsolicited vocation information which gave the impression that they are still trying to recruit, and that there is at least one other Sister living with her.  However, when I contacted the diocese I got this response (4/27/21):

Quote

I am Sr. Carmelita Centanni, MSC, Vicar for Religious for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

The institution you mention in your email is NOT listed in the Kennedy Directory under the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, and I confirm that it is not listed in our Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Diocesan Directory, nor are the names of any of those who reside there.  However, it is our understanding that only Mary Imelda lives there alone at this time.

 I'm a member of their "grandmother monastery" (the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament), and one of my Sisters originally from Lufkin personally knows "Mother" Imelda (I'm sorry, it breaks my heart to use the scare quotes and I don't mean her any disrespect but I gotta keep it real!) and explained to me that several years ago they were given something like six months to receive a new vocation, otherwise they'd need to close.  They never received a new vocation (at least not within that time) but apparently they stayed anyway.  More recently, the above-mentioned Sister had it on good authority that they would be moving to somewhere in Pennsylvania. 

If anyone is interested in a Dominican monastery with lots of Latin in the liturgy, however, Marbury would seem a good option (including EF and OP rite Masses when they can get them), but then Heath (formerly Buffalo) only recently (within the last few years) switched from the Latin breviary so I would assume they still include lots of Latin in their liturgy, and others include it to varying degrees, but alas, no thoroughgoing Latin liturgy OP monasteries stateside, at least at this time.  If you come to mine you will only find a few (semi) closet Trads, but we are the only US OP monastery with truly perpetual adoration (as in we don't stop except for things like repairs and when the Church requires it during the Triduum).  Traverse City, MI has a Carmel with all Latin liturgy, however.   

[Sr. Dominic Marie,OP]

My apologies, I need to correct myself: Lockport was apparently given ten years to get new vocations, but that was apparently a few decades ago.  The Sister who gave me this information has spent some time living with Mother Imelda, as she went to help with their sewing at one point, and she asserts that MI seems like someone who exists in her own world, apart from reality.  A sweet, dear woman, but somewhere "out there".  The bottom line being the objective reality that they are not currently listed with the diocese, or weren't in April of '21, and I suspect that hasn't changed.  That said, I have no reason to believe that Mother Imelda and any others who may be living with her are personally in any irregular situation with the Church apart, perhaps, from their status as religious.  Something from 2015 listed a few of them in recognition of their service to the Church with other religious of the diocese, though whether or not any remain I couldn't tell you.  And as others have mentioned, they never claimed to be "2nd Order nuns" (a distinction that was abolished after the Council, anyway), similar to the Ortonville Sisters, the remainder of whom have now transferred to Farmington Hills.  The OP nuns website gives a full listing of US monasteries, though some have been/are being suppressed, including Lancaster, Trinidad, and LA 

[rosamundi]

On 2/13/2022 at 8:22 PM, Sr. Dominic Marie,OP said:

similar to the Ortonville Sisters, the remainder of whom have now transferred to Farmington Hills.

Sister, are you saying that this community, the Mount Thabor nuns in Ortonville, has closed and the members transferred? Or are you referring to another community?

I do note that Mount Thabor is not listed as one of the communities on the OP Nuns website you linked to, but if they're Sisters rather than nuns, they wouldn't be.

[Sr. Dominic Marie,OP]

5 hours ago, rosamundi said:

Sister, are you saying that this community, the Mount Thabor nuns in Ortonville, has closed and the members transferred? Or are you referring to another community?

Precisely.  It was heartbreaking for all of us (a few of our Sisters--mostly externs--would regularly or occasionally go on retreat there, and of course we've been friends with them from the beginning), but there were only three left.  One went to Springfield/Girard, IL and the former Prioress and one of the original foundresses came here, which has been a joy for us apart from the otherwise saddening circumstances (and providential, as the latter has had serious unexpected medical needs come up that would have made things much more difficult for the former to manage on her own).  They are still working out the legal details, so I couldn't share them even if I wanted to, but basically they are closed and we have accepted their request to transfer.  Prayers are much appreciated!

[rosamundi]

1 hour ago, Sr. Dominic Marie,OP said:

they are closed and we have accepted their request to transfer.

Thank you for explaining.