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Visitations of orders with the EF?


AVEBVM

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The Carmels in Traverse City, MI , Buffalo, NY and I’m pretty sure Littleton, CO now all have the EF Mass all of the time, so it may be good to write them also and get their perspective on what is happening.  (I think Alexandria, SD has the EF now always too, possibly Brooklyn which is moving to PA)

I know TC and Buffalo have always been a part of the St. Joseph Association, which has been the most conservative of the different associations in the US. I am not sure what is happening with the association now and there are so many changes since Cor Orans, etc.

But yeah, also in the end, it’s the community Gods calls us to, rather than us deciding where we want to go and all, although that could be an oversimplification, not sure ^_^ I will remember you in prayer!
 

ps a friend of mine who was in a very good, non-EF Carmel told me the other day the Subprioress cried once in recreation over what was discussed at that 2017 St. Louis meeting. It really isn’t just the EF communities going through trials/being asked to change, etc (I was surprised in that interview with Fr Maximillian that they were told they need to start doing things like teaching, wow)

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I have just watched the video which I think dates back to the end  of August so the Visitation will have finished now. Some serious and sobering topics discussed. 

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Sponsa-Christi
On 10/11/2021 at 1:11 PM, Chiquitunga said:

ps a friend of mine who was in a very good, non-EF Carmel told me the other day the Subprioress cried once in recreation over what was discussed at that 2017 St. Louis meeting. It really isn’t just the EF communities going through trials/being asked to change, etc (I was surprised in that interview with Fr Maximillian that they were told they need to start doing things like teaching, wow)

Again, speculation from outsiders isn't helpful...but I would wonder if "teaching" really means "have an outside apostolate like active Sisters"; or if it was more like: "nuns should be open to doing spiritual direction with laypeople who come to the monastery."

Cor Orans did strongly encourage cloistered nuns to start doing more limited outreach to the faithful and world at large, through things like hosting public holy hours in their extern chapel. I know this was controversial at the time, but in my opinion this falls into the "maybe not what I would have written, but also not a crazy idea" category. 

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11 hours ago, Sponsa-Christi said:

Again, speculation from outsiders isn't helpful...but I would wonder if "teaching" really means "have an outside apostolate like active Sisters"; or if it was more like: "nuns should be open to doing spiritual direction with laypeople who come to the monastery."

Cor Orans did strongly encourage cloistered nuns to start doing more limited outreach to the faithful and world at large, through things like hosting public holy hours in their extern chapel. I know this was controversial at the time, but in my opinion this falls into the "maybe not what I would have written, but also not a crazy idea" category. 

Thanks Sponsa. Thomas Merton in his book "Contemplation in a World of Action" wrote that contemplatives should reach out from their parlor and share the fruits of their contemplation.  The contemplative nuns I am in touch with are doing this and have been supporting me spiritually and from their parlors for probably 35 years or so.

It is really great to know it is more widespread today.

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Hi! There are some Carmelites in Cincinnati doing beautiful work. They are the Carmelite Daughters of St. Elias and I believe their mass is in the EF. It is said at Old St. Mary's in Cincinnati which is a beautiful and very traditional parish. 

This community, in my eyes, seem to be different from most Carmelites because they live a semi-contemplative lifestyle. This is what their mother said on Facebook a while back: 

"

Why are Carmelites out of the cloister? If you asked Duns Scotus, he would say, because "God willed it- so it was."

Pretty simple. Forgive me for liking simplicity.

Whenever the world or Church had a need God raised up saints and sent Carmelites. .

People need to see something to remind them of the Presence of God - so we wear Our Lady's habit.

They need to be reminded of how much God loves them- so we wear the Cross.

They need to feel loved- so we smile, listen, and share with them what we have... our material goods but more importantly, our hearts.

They need to be challenged to not hop on one foot and then on the other - treading two paths- which is impossible- so Elias send his daughters to town.

They need to be invited into God's house, to the Sacraments, and to be drawn to Heaven... so we open our doors and extend our hands, accompanying them along the way.

They need love and a family- so here we are every day.

They need prayers- and for souls to sacrifice and love for them- so Our Lady brings contemplatives with a face to town.

They need Sisters to come and work with the children- because often violence, drugs, and mischief is what they are learning, instead of becoming whom God created them to be.

They need gatherings for young adults and children- so they can not just stay in the Faith- but be on fire with it... so as to set the whole world on fire... So as to not sit on our candle and bushel baskets (which I imagine would not go well, if done in real life)--but to get out there and run- ! To run while we have the time and the light, and to take as many people with us we can. Unless we want to get to Heaven and see all of those empty spaces that we were supposed to help fill!

Holy Mother St. Teresa of Jesus reminds us:

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

What are we waiting for? We are not promised tomorrow- we have only today.

We want to be here as a witness to the Presence and Love of God. We want to be here to work for the spiritual and moral formation of the youth. We want to make others feel loved- who otherwise feel worthless and have no one. We want to work with these kids who get into trouble down here because I'm watching it...

So God gave us a place in the city and one in the country...

We need your help to do all of this, however.

Stay tuned for our newsletter and more information.

You are daily in our prayers, please keep us in yours.

Pax et gaudium!" 

 

If you want to write, their address is: 

123 E. 13th Street 
Cincinnati, OH, OH 45202

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There are a number of active orders of Carmelite women. 

Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart (Los Angeles): https://carmelitesistersocd.com/about/

Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart (more than one province): https://www.carmelitedcj.org/carmelite-sisters

Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm: https://www.carmelitesisters.com/

Carmelite Sisters of St. Therese: https://www.carmelitesisters.com/

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I think there are also a group of hispanic Carmelite Sisters who call themselves Missionary  in the Archdiocese of Houston-Gavelston or the Diocese of Victoria, east of San Antonio.I believe the Carmelite Sisters of Charity have a convent  and maybe a noviate out in Los Angeles, or some place in California, and their motherhouse is either in Spain or Rome.

Monasteries of men and women in the old days used to feed the poor with a soup kitchen, some had guest houses for travelers, (talking Middle Ages) and ometimes in regards to those for women, like in Spain, unwanted babies might be deposited in the Turno( adevice that when you rang the bell,  would slowly turn and you could put packages into it.Then it would turn back around into the convent. You can imagine the surprise when a baby showed up!. Maybe the sisters aren't getting donations from the laitey  as in the past, and don't know how much money the  Bishops gave to them if any, so with the Sex abuse scandal  lawsuites, these Archiocese,Diocese ,etc. are having to pay out a lot of money and just aren't giving any to the monasteries, especially womens.

 Monks have brewed beer and liquers for centuries and also produced wines. Some  womens orders in Europe may still do this. They could make bread and cheeses, altar breads, vestments,  do fancy embroidry work  ,etc.  In San Antonio are the religious of Perpetual Adoration of St.Mary of Guadalupe. They are in the Guide to Catholic Sisterhoods in the US, as well is in the book Convent Life by Joan Lexau.Though contemplative, the sisters have a day nursery and their convent is on W.Travis.  They are predominately spanish speaking and been here for years. You can look them up.The Guide to Catholic Sisterhoods books are at Internet Archives. Not sure if the book Convent Life is anywhere on line, if so I haven't found it yet.  The sisters could make various crafts, and have the extern sisters if these cloistered sisters still have them, go and sell  merchandise as a fund raiser at craft shows.This is also a way for the sisters to connect with ordinary people.

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Convent Life is on archive.org. But I don't know that "guides" to religious life that are more than half a century old are really all the useful for information relating to today. 

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dominicansoul

Vatican visitations are happening because the "EF" communities are the ones causing all the disruption in the Catholic Church these days :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

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PaxCordisJesu
On 10/21/2021 at 11:32 AM, dominicansoul said:

Vatican visitations are happening because the "EF" communities are the ones causing all the disruption in the Catholic Church these days :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Oh, really??!! That's certainly not the case.

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  • 1 month later...
Sponsa-Christi

For whatever it's worth, it looks like someone posted the actually text of the Carmelite Father General's talk at the 2017 meeting in St. Louis:

chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ed81890998e9c2c86a69dba/t/619bce75cd5a685ef11ab0b5/1637600897843/Father+General%27s+Two+Conferences.pdf

I haven't read the whole thing yet, but based on the first two pages it actually looks like it will have a lot of good insights! (Even for me, a non-cloistered consecrated woman.)

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