Has Anyone Visited...?

[beccasmiles89]

Hey there! I was wondering if anyone has visited either the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in St. Louis or the Dominican Nuns in Summit, NJ (or both! :)). I am hoping to visit later this year and just wanted to hear what your thoughts are. Thank you!

[deusluxmea]

I visited the chapel of the Summit Dominicans and it was so lovely. Hoping someone will chime in....

[OnlySunshine]

The vocation director of the Summit Dominicans, Sr. Mary Catharine, visits here sometimes.  I've never visited but she could probably tell you quite a bit.  :)

Edited January 17, 2014 by MaterMisericordiae

[ToJesusMyHeart]

I have visited the Discalced Carms in St. Louis. Their chapel is wonderful, and the nuns are so cheerful!! When I was there they had one 20-something postulant and a few novices. That was in 2012.  Do you have specific questions?

[Immanuel]

welcome to the pham, becca :welcome:

[beccasmiles89]

Thank you all for your reponses! MaterMisericordiae, I've actually been in touch with Sr. Mary Catharine - she's been very helpful! ToJesusMyHeart, that is wonderful to hear!! I am planning to visit them in June; I'll be in St. Louis for a vocation retreat with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, and I'll be visiting the Discalced Carmelites before I head back home. It will just be a parlor visit this summer, but I'm hoping to go back for a longer visit later this year perhaps. As for specific questions, like I said, I've been communicating with Sr. Mary Catharine, and I've also been emailing back and forth with the prioress of the Discalced Carmelites in St. Louis. They've been answering some of my more "technical" questions, but I guess I'm curious to see what you all thought of the sisters themselves. Did they seem happy/joyful/cheerful, or a little more on the somber side? Would you say that the community was more strict or easy-going?

 

Thank you again! :)

[MargaretTeresa]

I'll try to talk my friend Emilie into getting on here... She LOVES the Summit Dominicans. :)

[OnlySunshine]

Thank you all for your reponses! MaterMisericordiae, I've actually been in touch with Sr. Mary Catharine - she's been very helpful! ToJesusMyHeart, that is wonderful to hear!! I am planning to visit them in June; I'll be in St. Louis for a vocation retreat with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, and I'll be visiting the Discalced Carmelites before I head back home. It will just be a parlor visit this summer, but I'm hoping to go back for a longer visit later this year perhaps. As for specific questions, like I said, I've been communicating with Sr. Mary Catharine, and I've also been emailing back and forth with the prioress of the Discalced Carmelites in St. Louis. They've been answering some of my more "technical" questions, but I guess I'm curious to see what you all thought of the sisters themselves. Did they seem happy/joyful/cheerful, or a little more on the somber side? Would you say that the community was more strict or easy-going?

 

Thank you again! :)

 

My friend is a 2nd year novice with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart in St. Louis.  She is in seclusion right now preparing for 1st vows in July!  It is a WONDERFUL community.  I visited them in August 2008.  :)

[beccasmiles89]

My friend is a 2nd year novice with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart in St. Louis.  She is in seclusion right now preparing for 1st vows in July!  It is a WONDERFUL community.  I visited them in August 2008.  :)

Oh that is wonderful about your friend! How exciting! Did you do a retreat with them or just visit?

[OnlySunshine]

Oh that is wonderful about your friend! How exciting! Did you do a retreat with them or just visit?

 

I went on retreat with them to meet my friend as she had been telling me about them for quite a while.  It was my FIRST ever discernment retreat after I started discerning in Dec. 2007.  I met my friend online through Facebook and she lived a different state so that was odd for me to do that - to meet someone in person that I only knew online.  But she is one of my best friends and I'm so glad I know her!  Unfortunately, though, I got sick while on retreat so I wasn't able to do a tour of the home.  I do know a lot of information about them since I discerned with the Northern Province as well (the St. Louis convent is part of the Central Province).  Please ask any questions and I will try to answer them.  :)

[ToJesusMyHeart]

ToJesusMyHeart, that is wonderful to hear!! I am planning to visit them in June; I'll be in St. Louis for a vocation retreat with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, and I'll be visiting the Discalced Carmelites before I head back home. It will just be a parlor visit this summer, but I'm hoping to go back for a longer visit later this year perhaps. As for specific questions, like I said, I've been communicating with Sr. Mary Catharine, and I've also been emailing back and forth with the prioress of the Discalced Carmelites in St. Louis. They've been answering some of my more "technical" questions, but I guess I'm curious to see what you all thought of the sisters themselves. Did they seem happy/joyful/cheerful, or a little more on the somber side? Would you say that the community was more strict or easy-going?

 

Thank you again! :)

 

Definitely very joyful! Smiles on all their faces. Many hearty belly-laughs were had. They definitely follow their constitutions, but I do think easy-going is a good adjective for them. Very accommodating, very faithful, very lovely. 

[beccasmiles89]

I went on retreat with them to meet my friend as she had been telling me about them for quite a while.  It was my FIRST ever discernment retreat after I started discerning in Dec. 2007.  I met my friend online through Facebook and she lived a different state so that was odd for me to do that - to meet someone in person that I only knew online.  But she is one of my best friends and I'm so glad I know her!  Unfortunately, though, I got sick while on retreat so I wasn't able to do a tour of the home.  I do know a lot of information about them since I discerned with the Northern Province as well (the St. Louis convent is part of the Central Province).  Please ask any questions and I will try to answer them.  :)

Oh very neat about your friend! It sounds like you were meant to be friends! :) This will be my very first vocation retreat, as well! I'm very excited!! That's a bummer you were sick during the retreat. Looking at their website, they sound like a wonderful community, and I like how they combine the active and contemplate lifestyles. Do you mind sharing some about what the retreat was like?

 

Definitely very joyful! Smiles on all their faces. Many hearty belly-laughs were had. They definitely follow their constitutions, but I do think easy-going is a good adjective for them. Very accommodating, very faithful, very lovely. 

That is wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing! :) I'm so looking forward to meeting them!!

[OnlySunshine]

Oh very neat about your friend! It sounds like you were meant to be friends! :) This will be my very first vocation retreat, as well! I'm very excited!! That's a bummer you were sick during the retreat. Looking at their website, they sound like a wonderful community, and I like how they combine the active and contemplate lifestyles. Do you mind sharing some about what the retreat was like?

 

That is wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing! :) I'm so looking forward to meeting them!!

 

Taking into account this retreat was over 5 years ago, I wouldn't be surprised that things have changed.  I remember spending a lot of time with the Sisters, especially the last night since we had dinner in the community's private garden.  We played "Ghost in the Graveyard."  The retreatants took a tour of the elderly home and childcare center.  I saw neither of these because I stayed in my room most of the time due to being ill.  Sr. Mary Joseph, the Provincial Superior took the retreatants to the St. Louis Cathedral.  Auxiliary Bishop Ed Rice (then Monsignor) came and gave a conference on vocation discernment.  Most of our meals were taken in the dining room adjacent to the elderly home's dining room.  We had Confession on Saturday (they have it every 2 weeks with their Chaplain).  The Masses I was able to attend were beautiful.  I was there during the Assumption of the Virgin Mary but I had to miss Mass, unfortunately. 

 

I finally started feeling better at the end of the retreat and, when everyone left (including my friend), I stayed one extra night because of reduced airfare.  The Sisters allowed me to pray with them in their private oratory behind the chapel which was INCREDIBLE!  It was so beautiful being with them.  You usually don't go back there unless you have entered but I was the only retreatant left so they didn't want me to have to pray the Divine Office on my own on in the public part of the Chapel in the dark.  :)

 

I hope this answers your question.  If not, please let me know if you would like any specifics. 

[brandelynmarie]

I have a question, how does St. Louis pray the Office? Recto tono? Simplified Gregorian? English? Latin? I'm very curious :blush: & thank you....

[Eowyn]

Mater, what is "Ghost in the Graveyard?"  :hehe2:

[OnlySunshine]

Mater, what is "Ghost in the Graveyard?"  :hehe2:

 

It's an outside game where someone is tagged as the ghost and there is a safe zone.  If they hide and are tagged after they are found, you're now the ghost but, if you make it to the safe zone, the game continues.  I didn't like the game and neither does my friend but she entered there!  LOL!

 

Here's how to play:

 

http://www.gameskidsplay.net/games/sensing_games/ghost_graveyard.htm

[Luigi]

In terms of the music - I wouldn't know recto tono from simplified Gregorian from cappellini alla bolognese. BUT, this link contains three videos from the Carmel, and two of them have music.

 

The first one is scenes from a first vows ceremony. The first 4 minutes of music are pop stuff right off the radio. But from minute 4:00 to 5:11 you can hear the nuns singing.

 

The second one is a homily - no music.

 

The third one is mostly talk, but it does have some singing in it.

 

 

Maybe you can figure out if they're singing simplified Gregorian recto tono alla bolognese - or not.

[brandelynmarie]

Simplified Gregorian recto tono alla bolognese! Rotfl Thanks Luigi! :detective:

Edited January 29, 2014 by brandelynmarie

[faithfulflockstar]

I have visited the Summit Dominicans! It was a great experience although I don't feel called there. I didn't really know what kind of questions to ask since I felt that I wasn't called to cloistered life early on, but the nuns were really great when it came to not knowing the words to say.

[beccasmiles89]

Oh my goodness, I've been away for awhile! Sorry about that...it's been a busy couple of weeks!

 

Taking into account this retreat was over 5 years ago, I wouldn't be surprised that things have changed.  I remember spending a lot of time with the Sisters, especially the last night since we had dinner in the community's private garden.  We played "Ghost in the Graveyard."  The retreatants took a tour of the elderly home and childcare center.  I saw neither of these because I stayed in my room most of the time due to being ill.  Sr. Mary Joseph, the Provincial Superior took the retreatants to the St. Louis Cathedral.  Auxiliary Bishop Ed Rice (then Monsignor) came and gave a conference on vocation discernment.  Most of our meals were taken in the dining room adjacent to the elderly home's dining room.  We had Confession on Saturday (they have it every 2 weeks with their Chaplain).  The Masses I was able to attend were beautiful.  I was there during the Assumption of the Virgin Mary but I had to miss Mass, unfortunately. 

 

I finally started feeling better at the end of the retreat and, when everyone left (including my friend), I stayed one extra night because of reduced airfare.  The Sisters allowed me to pray with them in their private oratory behind the chapel which was INCREDIBLE!  It was so beautiful being with them.  You usually don't go back there unless you have entered but I was the only retreatant left so they didn't want me to have to pray the Divine Office on my own on in the public part of the Chapel in the dark.  :)

 

I hope this answers your question.  If not, please let me know if you would like any specifics. 

Oh thank you so much!! This sounds wonderful! I think I mentioned in an earlier post that this will be my first discernment retreat, and I'll also be a new Catholic. I'm sure I'll be nervous, but this answers a lot of my questions about what to expect. Thank you!!

 

I have visited the Summit Dominicans! It was a great experience although I don't feel called there. I didn't really know what kind of questions to ask since I felt that I wasn't called to cloistered life early on, but the nuns were really great when it came to not knowing the words to say.

 

 

I've only heard wonderful things about the Summit Dominicans! I'm trying to write down questions as I think of them for when I visit the sisters; otherwise, I know I'd be sitting there not knowing what to say!