Great/grate Veils Of The Discalced Carmelite Nuns

[graciandelamadrededios]

Discalced Carmelite Nuns wearing the Great/Grate Veils

[graciandelamadrededios]

Discalced Carmelite Nuns before Vatican II - with her communion veil pulled down:

 

 

[graciandelamadrededios]

Discalced Carmelite Nuns with Grate/ Great Veil - Spanish Carmel:

 

 

 

 

 

[graciandelamadrededios]

^{Discalced Carmelite Nuns wearing the Great/Grate Veils - Larger Photo:}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[graciandelamadrededios]

 

[graciandelamadrededios]

Other Carmel used the term Grand Veil and others calls it Parlor Veil

Edited June 29, 2013 by graciandelamadrededios

[graciandelamadrededios]

Carmelite Nuns sent the following explanation to a friend:

 

We assume that what you call the Great Veil, is actually the Parlor Veil that you are referring to.  In the times of Our Holy Mother St. Teresa, she and other cloistered nuns would wear these veils covering their faces completely when meeting persons outside the cloister, particularly on her journeys when setting up new foundations of Carmelite Nuns.  The purpose of these parlor veils was to maintain the spirit of the cloister even when certain duties were necessary to perform outside the cloister.  This spirit was and continues to be a spirit of detatchment from the things of the world and being set apart from the world in order to maintain intimate converse with their Spouse, Jesus Christ.  Carmelite life is also a hidden life, and St. Teresa tried to even maintain this aspect of our life in tact when one needed to leave the enclosure.  It also helps maintain recollection, custody of the senses, and maintaining religious decorum outside the monastery.  In the days of St. Teresa, this was a very common practice and widely accepted as the norm since all of Europe was still predominately Catholic.  In our modern times, however, this is not the case and that is why this pious practice has almost become extinct among Carmels today. 

[inperpetuity]

I love the great veil, Buffalo uses them still, good for them, so I would think also Alexandria and Brooklyn would too.

[truthfinder]

Would the JMJ Carmel's use them?

[graciandelamadrededios]

I love the great veil, Buffalo uses them still, good for them, so I would think also Alexandria and Brooklyn would too.

 

You mean they still wore a veil that covers the entire face and falls down to the chest?

[dymphnamaria]

 

[dymphnamaria]

 

 

[dymphnamaria]

 

[dymphnamaria]

 

 

[dymphnamaria]

 

[truthfinder]

You can see in the last picture how translucent the veils actually were, thus maintaining the privacy of the sister, but allowing her to see what she was doing reasonably well (providing she had half-decent eye-sight.)

[truthfinder]

double post

Edited June 30, 2013 by truthfinder

[maximillion]

Our Enclosure veils were of fine muslin type fabric, which effectively hides one from view but permits enough vision to the one wearing it, not be a danger.

 

We wore them for public Mass and for any occasion when in sight of the general public, ie, when accompanying a Sister in the Parlour. On Profession days we had permission to put back our veils in the parlour, and that was the only time people got to see our faces.

When I entered we had a big thick double grille in the Parlours, but this was replaced when I was a novice, by a simple single lattice.

Very soon after we were permitted to be in the Parlours without our Enclosure veils too. Then the double grille came down in Chapel and this was replaced by a thin muslin curtain.

In fact it was much harder to see the Sisters through the muslin than it had been through the grille - but this was because we did away with our Enclosure veils for Mass. this was in 1970.

[graciandelamadrededios]

Our Enclosure veils were of fine muslin type fabric, which effectively hides one from view but permits enough vision to the one wearing it, not be a danger.

 

We wore them for public Mass and for any occasion when in sight of the general public, ie, when accompanying a Sister in the Parlour. On Profession days we had permission to put back our veils in the parlour, and that was the only time people got to see our faces.

When I entered we had a big thick double grille in the Parlours, but this was replaced when I was a novice, by a simple single lattice.

Very soon after we were permitted to be in the Parlours without our Enclosure veils too. Then the double grille came down in Chapel and this was replaced by a thin muslin curtain.

In fact it was much harder to see the Sisters through the muslin than it had been through the grille - but this was because we did away with our Enclosure veils for Mass. this was in 1970.

 

Did you enter Carmel or Poor Clares?

[Chiquitunga]

Did you enter Carmel or Poor Clares?

 

In case she doesn't see this, she was in neither, but a new forming cloistered community in France dedicated to the Sacred Heart (which doesn't exist anymore) She has mentioned this other times on the phorum (otherwise I wouldn't post this).