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Sisters Of Bethlehem In Livingston Manor


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while we are at it, did you know that 'next door' (to the Bethlehem hermits in NJ) if you will, more like beside,
i guess, are the 6 Carmelite Women hermits,helped by many priests and the Bishop,
with practically the same physical setup as the Bethlehem Community next door
here.. [url="http://www.hermitsofourladyofmountcarmel.org/index.htm"]http://www.hermitsofourladyofmountcarmel.org/index.htm[/url]
the second group of pics are good shots, especially the one to the right of snow covered cross..
[url="http://www.hermitsofourladyofmountcarmel.org/gallery.htm"]http://www.hermitsofourladyofmountcarmel.org/gallery.htm[/url]

THE HERMITS OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
80 Pleasant Hill Road
Chester, New Jersey 07930-2135 USA

"The Patriot's Path, part of Morris County's trail system, runs along the east shore of the river, ... The path is suitable for biking and hiking. If you're headed south on the path, distracted by the flowers and birds and the general racket of the woods in spring-time, you may miss the hermits on your left as you near Pleasant Hill Road. That's fine with the hermits.

Two communities of Catholic hermits, the Bethlehem Hermits and the Carmelite Sisters, live in a grove of eastern hemlocks on the eastern bank of the river. A separate, private road leads to their hermitages. Their lives are intentionally silent and sacrificial, and while they're kind to visitors, their home is not a theme park, and they prefer visitors who are spiritually motivated.

Edited by Emile James
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I just wanted to be sure to post the link to the Carthusian Nuns thread here, as they are very much related. [url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=57411&st=20&gopid=1157005&#entry1157005"]Carthusian Nuns[/url]

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Well, I have in fact, read about the Carmelite hermits. I got their info or knowledge of them from the Carmelite Hermit of the Trinity located in Wisconsin. I figured that since they were both in Chester, they wouldn't be too far apart.

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Sr Mary Catharine OP

I've been to the Chester Hermitage several times (but not for retreat). The hermitages are smaller than up in Livingston Manor and are quite close to the chapel which has 2 beautiful icons. The Sisters there are lovely and Fr. Romano likes to talk!
They are getting up there in age and now building hermitages onto the main building to help the older sisters. I'm not sure what the future holds for them. Only God knows and time will tell. People love to go on retreat there and the Bishop and diocese is very supportive as are many benefactors.
The Carmelites are right next door. I've only seen their chapel which is simple and functional. It was rebuilt after the fire. Thanks for posting their website.

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[quote name='Sr. Mary Catharine' post='1157099' date='Jan 5 2007, 07:14 PM']
I've been to the Chester Hermitage several times (but not for retreat). The hermitages are smaller than up in Livingston Manor and are quite close to the chapel which has 2 beautiful icons. The Sisters there are lovely and Fr. Romano likes to talk!
They are getting up there in age and now building hermitages onto the main building to help the older sisters. I'm not sure what the future holds for them. Only God knows and time will tell. People love to go on retreat there and the Bishop and diocese is very supportive as are many benefactors.
The Carmelites are right next door. I've only seen their chapel which is simple and functional. It was rebuilt after the fire. Thanks for posting their website.
[/quote]
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Do the Hermits of Bethlehem, Chester, have any Brothers? or only Fr Romano?

thanks-ahead,
E-J
-----------------------
a bit more on the Carmelite hermits at Chester
[url="http://carmelites.info/citoc/citoc/apriljune2003/citoc_magazine_apriljune2003_1.htm"]http://carmelites.info/citoc/citoc/aprilju...ljune2003_1.htm[/url]

since this is becoming a eremitic based thread.well cenobiums of hermits?
[url="http://www.marymount-hermitage.org/history.htm"]http://www.marymount-hermitage.org/history.htm[/url]

Edited by Emile James
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a photo from the Sisters of Bethlehem.... at the former Cistercian Abbey in Boquen, NW France.
A Little Sister is at adoration, they only use this Church for HolyMass, public adoration. and Vespers..

When i lived in Iffendic, i retreated there at Boquen but got reallllly sick on bad clams the second day!..had to go home.
they also have an amazing, yet typical to there style, winter Chapel
within the cloister that you can go to for matins-Lauds
amazing, they are great with lighting, and setting a mood for sure..
[img]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/81/261023232_7ec21dda2c.jpg[/img]

In His unending mercy, Emile-James

Edited by Emile James
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Little Sisters(Moniales) of Bethlehem in the Voiron
[img]http://www.haute-savoie.info/img/voirons/voirons204.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.haute-savoie.info/img/voirons/voir33hd.jpg[/img]
aaah a Sunday photographer, run away run away!!:)
[img]http://www.haute-savoie.info/img/voirons/voir37hd.jpg[/img]

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Thanks, Emile James! This are great pictures!

This reminds me. Last time I was in Livingston Manor I was asking the sister about how often it is that sisters are moved to different monasteries. She said not very often, it depends on each case - maybe once or twice a sister may move, but many more remain in the same monastery their whole lives. They take the vow of stability like the Carthusians, which is stability to the monastery in which they take their vows, but the Prioress can move a sister for good reason.

I asked about some reasons why sisters may be moved and she said first, if there's a new foundation .. but another reason she gave that really made me think, was that recently they had to send a girl from southern France back there because it was too cold for her up in LM - she was shivering all the time.

The sister I was speaking with was from Canada. Well I'm from Chicago, and we do have pretty cold Winters, but I still have a hard time myself with the cold, much more so than others around here and my own family. I always have to wear an extremely warm big down coat during our Winter's here, and I'm still shivering. :cold:

But in LM is gets even colder and the way they warm their hermitages is the old-fashioned way, with little stove ovens. :camp:

I would be willing to bear the cold, but I'm afraid I would probably be shivering all the time and be sent to another monastery .. So I almost feel I might as well start out over there, somewhere in southern Europe, if I were going to join this order, or the Carthusians ... But whatever's God's will in the end!

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LOL It'll be ALL good if that's where you are called, Margaret! But I have to tell you :secret: I felt the same way when I was in Carmel, CA, as their chapel was SOOO cold ! :cold: <~~ me, in chapel :lol:

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[i][/quote]
I would be willing to bear the cold, but I'm afraid I would probably be shivering all the time and be sent to another monastery .
. So I almost feel I might as well start out over there, somewhere in southern Europe, if I were going to join this order,
or the Carthusians .
.. But whatever's God's will in the end!
[/quote][/i]
------------------------
Glory to Jesus Christ!
actually you can get smokin HOT with a wood stove if doing right..i used to dwell in a hermitage in North Ontario, and in January's minus 20 Celsius . i would need to sleep with windows open!
i understand! i cant stand the cold,,i suffered from it greatly in poorly heated Churches and Abbeys in France especially,
Italy wasn't too bad, Ukraine was impossible
But i noticed that the Sisters (Bethlehem) in Europe try to put in heating as much as possible,
on of the few communities i noticed who actually thought you should be reasonably warm
IF physically possible, especially in Church..and Cell a unheard of idea everywhere else id been. Central heating wasnt a reality in 14 century Monasteries!
when they built. re- built there Chapel in Marche-les dames, Belgium .EG.,,
old wonderful stones..they had piped INFLOOR heating,toasty for the tootsies!. at the Bros in Mt Corona italy, my Cell was actually too warm.. but yes,
whatever God wills, hard for me to believe he wills my freezing..but hey!.
i guess a place need be REALLLY cold, in order too heat it up..in a mildly cold November , and stone walls stay cold to save money..so the Alps ok great..then again so does Corsica,,if your a Sister!
The Brothers 'official Novitiate' if you will, is in Israel, but one may not necessarily go to it..as its personal.Did you know Fr. Agapito, Formation Master/teacher is one of the original founders and an American..
we were i the Same Philosophy class at St Jodard.

silly story, i remember helping prepare foundation at a new Catholic Community in Quebec City, one year after there arrival, an international Community based in France, and the Superior (from France) said, during this extremely cold winter, "why dont we use less heat, in a spirit of poverty, and so that we may be in suffering Communion with our Brothers and Sisters back in North France.." and i said, "umm why cant we be in suffering Communion with our Brothers and sisters in Africa?" :)java script:emoticon(':lol_roll:', 'smid_17')
:lol_roll:

ps did you get to the sisters 'econom'/store- Monastery in Paris? wonderful Chapel,i love how they have it set up..

Edited by Emile James
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Thanks, Emile James, for all the info. !! Ah, so this is one of the communities in Europe you actually noticed did give some importance to heating .. okay. And you can stay pretty warm with the stove oven .. thanks! hmm...

Well of course it is important that we give up comforts, like staying warm in the Winter, for Christ. I heard St. Therese's Carmel in North France and was freeeeezing. It's so hard to try to pray though, when you can't stop shivering .. I'm not that strong ...

That's funny, why can't we offer our sufferings in union with our Brs and Srs in Africa .. :hehe:

No I didn't see the sister's chapel in Paris .. only Les Montsvoirons .. maybe this year I will go again ..

But Italy wasn't that cold you say? What about Northern Italy? I am somewhat considering writing to the Charterhouse della Trinita there. I wrote to the Prior at Parkminster, and he suggested I write there since I know a little Italian .. hmmm, but Spain would be warmer <-- okay, MC you don't join a monastery bc it's comfortable ... ^_^

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I think I mentioned it before, but the Sisters of Bethlehem are starting a new foundation in Galilee, where English is going to be the main language of the liturgy, as in Livingston Manor, NY. Otherwise, most of their liturgies are in French, as most of their monasteries are in France, or another European country. Though all of their liturgies have some Latin, Greek, and Hebrew.

[img]http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/5195/seaofgalileecapernahmbexl1.jpg[/img]

Galilee :j

Edited by Margaret Clare
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[quote name='Cathoholic Anonymous' post='1161856' date='Jan 11 2007, 06:06 PM']
I came back from Galilee just last week. :) I may make a new thread for my photos in Open Mic.
[/quote] Oh wow. Is is safe there in Galilee? I'm pretty sure the Srs of Bethlehem don't have anything built yet, just plans. The best way to find out more about this foundation is to contact the Mother Prioress of the order at Bet Gemal, Israel.

[img]http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/2032/fliesaintmarie100tm8.jpg[/img]
Sr. Isabelle
Prioress of the Monastic Family of Bethlehem

She's very nice and speaks English very well. She took the time to speak to each retreatant at the Evangelical Month at Les Montsvoirons.

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