St. Therese And Lisieux Carmel

[Chiquitunga]

 

Winter stocking in wool and summer in linen. Attached behind the knees. 

 

 

 

 

Belt to attach the stockings behind the knee

 

 

 

 

Didn't the stockings which St. Teresa said should be worn for decency's sake (to cover the legs) open at the foot? like this one, http://www.sanjosedeavila.es/galeria.php#!prettyPhoto[gallery2]/14/  or this

 

 

Were St. Therese's stockings like this? or did they cover the foot too? Maybe some Carmels in very cold damp places like Lisieux wore stockings over their feet out of necessity. 

[graciandelamadrededios]

Didn't the stockings which St. Teresa said should be worn for decency's sake (to cover the legs) open at the foot? like this one, http://www.sanjosedeavila.es/galeria.php#!prettyPhoto[gallery2]/14/  or this

 

 

Were St. Therese's stockings like this? or did they cover the foot too? Maybe some Carmels in very cold damp places like Lisieux wore stockings over their feet out of necessity. 

 

Hi Chiqui,

 

What is the title of this book where you got this page from?  The Nuns is wearing the Spanish Style habit.

 

The Rule of Carmel (Rule No. 10) stipulates: "Necessity has no law."

 

On the Constitutions of St. Teresa, it says that stocking should be worn but it did not specifically say if the stocking is open at the toes or closed.

 

Further, if you look into the alpargates that I posted, the toes are not exposed so the stocking that is paired with it should be closed as well.

Edited November 20, 2013 by graciandelamadrededios

[Chiquitunga]

Thanks Gracian! Yes, I did notice St. Therese's alpargatas were closed-toe, interesting. I believe the Kirk Edge UK Carmel has alpargatas like that too, or at least the one nun here, http://www.flickr.com/photos/catholicism/3984318061/lightbox/

 

The little booklet the image is from is this, http://www.amazon.com/The-Monastery-Incarnation-Avila/dp/B0027CVNCS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1384983294&sr=8-4&keywords=%22monastery+of+the+incarnation  I found it really cheap once. It comes up every now and then. There's a new version of it too, which a friend of mine bought in Avila, just slightly different pictures.

[graciandelamadrededios]

Thanks Gracian! Yes, I did notice St. Therese's alpargatas were closed-toe, interesting. I believe the Kirk Edge UK Carmel has alpargatas like that too, or at least the one nun here, http://www.flickr.com/photos/catholicism/3984318061/lightbox/

 

The little booklet the image is from is this, http://www.amazon.com/The-Monastery-Incarnation-Avila/dp/B0027CVNCS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1384983294&sr=8-4&keywords=%22monastery+of+the+incarnation  I found it really cheap once. It comes up every now and then. There's a new version of it too, which a friend of mine bought in Avila, just slightly different pictures.

 

Hi Chiqui,

 

I wrote once to Discalced Carmelite Nuns of San Jose in Avila and they sent me a booklet.  I am not sure if that photo is on it.  I have to find that booklet somewhere tucked in my storage.

 

Do you think they produced a book or booklet about the 450 foundation of the their monastery? or is it the birth of St. Teresa.  Not sure here.

 

George

[Chiquitunga]

Hi Chiqui,

 

I wrote once to Discalced Carmelite Nuns of San Jose in Avila and they sent me a booklet.  I am not sure if that photo is on it.  I have to find that booklet somewhere tucked in my storage.

 

Do you think they produced a book or booklet about the 450 foundation of the their monastery? or is it the birth of St. Teresa.  Not sure here.

 

George

 

The booklet is from the Incarnation, although they could have sent you that one as well. I would guess San Jose would have produced some kind of booklet for their 450th anniversary in 2012. That that website was created for it at least. Yes, the 450th anniversary was for the foundation of the monastery. The 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Teresa is in 2015. Here's the site for that, http://www.paravosnaci.com/  :like:

[graciandelamadrededios]

The booklet is from the Incarnation, although they could have sent you that one as well. I would guess San Jose would have produced some kind of booklet for their 450th anniversary in 2012. That that website was created for it at least. Yes, the 450th anniversary was for the foundation of the monastery. The 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Teresa is in 2015. Here's the site for that, http://www.paravosnaci.com/  :like:

 

Thanks Chiqui!

 

I guess the Avila Monastery is the Incarnation and the Avila (San Jose) is the first monastery of the reform.

 

I hope I can get a copy of the 450 book.

 

Gracian

[Pia Jesu]

Incredible photos...thank you for sharing them!  Gracian & Chiqui, I remember reading an Irish priest's comment that he was "horrified at what had been done to the lovely old chapel" of the Carmel of Lisieux.  What are your thoughts on this?  Surely there were much

needed renovations of the old buildings, but did the architect go too far (for the sake of a modern aesthetic)?  I also remember reading that there was no running water in the nuns' cells during the time of St. Therese...and that the 2008 completion (of the the remodeling)

brought a half-dozen new vocations to their doorstep--after not having a candidate enter for 10 years!

[Chiquitunga]

yes, I believe the renovations went too far...

 

 

The Chapel

 

 

a gate with that wooden plank theme on the outside as well

 

 

[Noemi]

Wow, these photos are amazing! Thanks for sharing!

[graciandelamadrededios]

yes, I believe the renovations went too far...

 

 

 

a gate with that wooden plank theme on the outside as well

 

 

I love simple chapels and one of those I love are in Carmelite Monasteries in Poland.  But this new chapel of Lisieux is too simple - its like a Protestant Chapel (I mean no offense to Protestants here, just my observation).

 

Please see photos of Carmelite Monastery Chapel in Poland:

 

[DameAgnes]

"The renovations went to far" is very diplomatic, and putting it too kindly.

 

That renovation seems like a hate crime, to me. 

 

yes, I believe the renovations went too far...

 

 

 

a gate with that wooden plank theme on the outside as well

 

 

[Pia Jesu]

To affirm your comment, Dame Agnes, that the Lisieux chapel renovations might well be considered a "hate crime," Francis Bond writes in Gothic Architecture of England that...

 

It can hardly be held that there is one art of making things well, and another of making them badly...Good architecture...is the art of building beautifully and expressively; and bad architecture is the reverse. (1)

 

Likewise, my great-grandfather designed many beautiful Victorian Romanesque churches.  His goal was always to inspire...to raise the minds and hearts of men to God!  Yes, people certainly have their own

sensibilities and taste (and we respect that), but when an overwelming majority have a reaction similar to the Irish priest's lament about what the architect did to the "lovely, old chapel," we have to wonder if the essential function of the renovation was to accomodate tourists or maintain the beauty of that sacred, holy space.

 

Positive note:  The white veiled novices now in the chapel!

 

 

 

[graciandelamadrededios]

To affirm your comment, Dame Agnes, that the Lisieux chapel renovations might well be considered a "hate crime," Francis Bond writes in Gothic Architecture of England that...

 

It can hardly be held that there is one art of making things well, and another of making them badly...Good architecture...is the art of building beautifully and expressively; and bad architecture is the reverse. (1)

 

Likewise, my great-grandfather designed many beautiful Victorian Romanesque churches.  His goal was always to inspire...to raise the minds and hearts of men to God!  Yes, people certainly have their own

sensibilities and taste (and we respect that), but when an overwelming majority have a reaction similar to the Irish priest's lament about what the architect did to the "lovely, old chapel," we have to wonder if the essential function of the renovation was to accomodate tourists or maintain the beauty of that sacred, holy space.

 

Positive note:  The white veiled novices now in the chapel!

 

I agree, I could not understand it.  If one is building a new church or chapel, they can simplify the architecture but not on old but beautifully designed churches.  The renovation must be in harmony with the design of the building.

 

It's sad.

[BarbTherese]

Very sad

[graciandelamadrededios]

Circular of Mother Marie de Gonzague

 

Peace and very humble salutations in Our Lord who has saddened our hearts in calling to Him our honorable and beloved Mother ADELE-ROSALIE-MARIE DE GONZAGUE. She was 70 years, 10 months old and was in religious life 44 years, 27 of them as Prioress.

Our late lamented Mother was born in Caen from a family more honorable because of its virtues than by its noble titles. If the author of the Imitation wisely warned us to never to allow ourselves to be dazzled by the brilliance of a great name which he calls a shadow, he adds however that it is permissible to glory in ones ancestors when they have distinguished themselves by a holy life. Now our dear Mother counted among her family of true saints, among them SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA whose famous name is on all pious lips at this time. And yet her modesty and disdain of greatness of earthly things hardly permitted us to speak of them in her presence.

It was our honorable Mother GENEVIEVE DE SAINTE-THERESE, of so sweet and holy memory, that opened the doors of Carmel for our beloved Mother Marie de Gonzague on November 29, 1860, who gave her the holy habit on May 30th, 1861 and received her vows during ordinary time. From then on she could call her “her daughter and her crown”, as our seraphic Mother used to so graciously call her coadjutrix the Venerable Mother Anne of Jesus.

With what happiness, Reverend Mother, we spoke with you of the virtues and work accomplished by this second Mother of our Carmel during her long religious career, during the years where she devoted her life and energy to finish the construction of our convent, to make our chapel attractive, to raise up in the inner courtyard this little immortal Calvary in front of which “THERESE, her daughter and her crown” so many times strewed her roses.

But we promised her to absolutely respect her humble wish which was to have no other circular than a simple note asking for the intercessory prayers of the order, not even for herself but for the souls in Purgatory, in whose favor she had made the heroic vow.

On the day of the great revelations, Reverend Mother, you will be able to see with us the secrets of that life hidden from the world. In waiting for the hour of God, might we be permitted to tell you in a few words how edifying and holy the death of that blessed mother was. If we say rightly “As in life, so in death”, is death is really an echo of life, you should already be able to guess many things. Our good Mother Marie de Gonzague, after practicing the austerities of our rule for all her religious life, so to speak, was stricken with a tumor of the tongue. She bore cruel suffering until the end with a heroic courage, never complaining, except for not being able to recite her breviary. “When might I return to choir?” she said, weeping. “Oh, it is painful to no longer recite the divine office, to no longer sing the praises of the good God.”

However she still fulfilled her duty of trustee and was as much as possible in community, no doubt through faithfulness, but also because she knew so well that her presence consoled our hearts.

So it was until December 8th, the day of the closing of our annual retreat, in which our good Mother followed all the exercises without missing a one of these precious instructions given by our pious chaplain whom she trusted completely. On this day she was able to obtain with us the Jubilee indulgence.

That afternoon without any warning signs, a great attack of suffocation/choking that was very serious overcame her and we immediately wanted to call our devoted doctor. But she gently refused this and indicated her wish to attend that evening a private little feast in honor of the Immaculate Virgin, Patroness of our convent. This feast ended with the singing of a canticle of which the last words seemed to be a prayer for our dear Mother:

Soon the night of our life will come…

We will no longer sail on an ocean of tears/sorrows

Then, o clement, o very sweet Mary,

Morning Star, beacon of the Homeland,

Show us your Jesus!           

She then came to kneel before the statue of Mary, radiant with light, and glanced at her in a touching way that seemed to say, “It’s me, O Mother! to whom you show first your Jesus.” The next day she was taken down to the infirmary and on Saturday night, December 10th, she received Holy Viaticum and Extreme Unction with the liveliest sentiments of faith and piety.

From that moment on, the life of our dear patient was but a slow death. At times she suffered cruelly and when we tried to deaden her pain with sedatives she said to us with the simplicity of a child, “My Mother, isn’t it cowardice on my part to accept alleviation? I only suffer a quarter of an hour without telling you and right away you bring me a remedy. Perhaps I should wait longer before complaining? Ah! Suffering is such a great thing! Through it we show our love and our gratitude to God.”

Until her death, this beloved Mother never ceased to edify us in this way, offering all her sufferings for the holy Church, for France, for the persecuted communities and for our families.

We were above all struck by her deeply humble words which reminded us of the exhortations of our Mother Saint Teresa when on her death bed she had written, “You will not reject, Lord, a humble and contrite heart. I hope to be saved the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Our late lamented Mother also repeated with an inexpressible tone of voice, “Have pity on me, O my God! I’ve had a lot of misery in my poor life, I have offended you very much. Don’t abandon me!”

In spite of this, we guessed that confidence overshadowed all her other feelings. How many times did she confide to us in her last days, “O my Mother, how the good God has been merciful to me! It’s something I’ve said all my life. Look, I was afraid of exile and I’m going to die before knowing that cross. Right now I have no fear, I want to see the good God not as a judge but as a Father full of tenderness and mercy. I am his child, I go to Him with filial confidence. I entirely abandon myself to Him.”

It was in this holy state of mind, Reverend Mother, that our so loved Mother Marie de Gonzague gave to God her soul, on Saturday December 17th at 5:30 in the morning after a peaceful death. The Community and we were present.

Our holy Mother affirms in The Way of Perfection that souls find God as they wish Him to be, as their hopes show him to be. We like to believe that our honorable and dear Mother had the sweet experience of such a consoling revelation and instead of a formidable judge, she found at the threshold of eternity a Father who stretched out his arms to her and opened his Heart.

However, Reverend Mother, as we don’t know the degree of purity required by the Lord of a soul he gave so many graces to, to enter into Heaven, we beg you to offer as soon as possible for our beloved Mother the intercessory prayers of our holy Order; by grace a Communion of your fervent Community, a day of good works, the indulgence of the Way of the Cross and six Our Fathers/Paters. She will be very grateful to you, as are we who have the grace to say it to you with the deepest respect and in religious union, My Reverend and very Honorable Mother,

Your humble sister and servant,

Sister Agnès of Jesus,

From our Convent of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Conception

of the Carmelites of Lisieux, December 20, 1904