All American Girl - Story Of A Vocation To Carmel

[Chiquitunga]

So I won this little booklet on eBay a few weeks ago and thought I'd share it. I had never heard of it before, but it sounded interesting and I love anything Carmelite

[left][left][i][font="Arial"][url="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=220685016669&si=5gG82hvLgwRAFIZJgwvTquw8AqA%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT"]All American Girl: A True Story For Those Who Should Know Her - by Fr. Daniel A. Lord, SJ[/url]

[/font][/i] [/left] [font="Arial"]It is just a short story, and no, it really doesn't include [/font][font="Arial"] "all the accompanying details of her journey from novice to final vows[/font]" as the eBay description says there. It was a great little read though .. one you have a hard time putting down until you've finished, at least for me!

The author [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_A._Lord"]Fr. Daniel A. Lord, S.J.[/url] has written a quite a few books just scrolling through these listed on [url="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-alias=books&field-author=S.%20J.%20Daniel%20A%20Lord"]amazon[/url]. Here's the listing for [url="http://www.amazon.com/All-American-girl-Daniel-Lord/dp/B0007I31NS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291103912&sr=8-1"][i]All American Girl[/i][/url]. And I discovered I have another little one of his booklets with a copyright 1927 (and it looks to be that old!) [i]Shall I Be a Nun[/i], which I got from Rockford Poor Clares some time ago.

[/left][left][img]http://i53.tinypic.com/t7n2nb.png[/img]

[/left] It's obvious the main character enters Carmel, so I'm not spoiling anything here But at first I was thinking it would just be like a classic conversion story of a young Hollywood actress who leaves everything[font="Arial"] to enter the cloister. But it is not actually that .. but rather a story of perseverance through many obstacles .. A[/font][font="Arial"]nyway, I will let you all read it for yourselves.[/font][font="Arial"] I think many of you will be able to relate to her .. and so many here discerning Carmel are converts like her too (you guys are the best!!)

I love that this is a true story. I wish I could find out more about her. I am going to write them to see, but I am certain that the Carmel she entered must have been St. Louis for a few reasons .. 1) it has a beautiful chapel, as the author describes (though many Carmels do), and was around in the 1930's when she entered 2) Fr. Daniel A. Lord lived most of his life in St. Louis and this booklet was printed there 3) he describes the Carmel as having Perpetual Adoration at the end .. which is close, but not true, at least not now .. from my understanding they just have it during the day normally .. and he describes seeing the back wall of the Nuns' Choir through a glass window before which the monstrance is placed .. I can think of no other Carmel that has this than St. Louis ..

[/font][left][i][font="Arial"][img]http://www.meditationsfromcarmel.com/gallery/chapel/img/chapel-altar@easter2006.jpg[/img]

[/font][/i] [/left][i][font="Arial"] [url="http://mtcarmel.stormpages.com/page4.html"]http://mtcarmel.stor....com/page4.html[/url] [/font][/i][font="Arial"]I didn't realize they had this adoration going on for so long though, since the 1930's when she entered. I need to write them to ask .. and maybe they can share with me some more information about Jackie, if that was her real name, probably not. May she rest in peace! (she would be a few years over 100 if she were alive today)

So I ran into a few of Fr. Lord's books on archive.org here .. his autobiography, [/font][i][url="http://www.archive.org/details/playedbyear001277mbp"][font="Arial"]Played By Ear[/font][/url][/i] [font="Arial"] & this beautiful little one, [i][url="http://www.archive.org/details/The_Story_Of_Christmas"]The Story of Christmas[/url][/i] I wanted to upload[i] All American Girl[/i] in the same way, but couldn't figure it out (if anyone can though, feel free to use my pictures) So I just put it in a google album [url="http://picasaweb.google.com/111883073319518457118"]here[/url] (you might need to be signed into google to see it .. also you can zoom in there, if the writing is too small) May we all persevere in our vocations as she did! God bless! [/font][i] [/i]

[1catholic]

thank you so much!

[In The Arms of The Lord]

May God reward you for sharing the books with us! The picture also of that Chapel is beautiful.

I was searching through the book, and this really caught my attention: "On the contrary she had the clearest realization that it was a hard life, a life of privation, a life in which deliberately she must mount the cross with Christ and give up the things toward which her nature naturally drew her.... who knew she was choosing a hard life and who chose it because she loved the Savior, who knew no other than the hard life of sacrifice and renunciation."

Tommorow is December 1st, and it wil be 11 days until my entrance to Carmel. I can't begin to write about what has been going on within me. There are so many feelings here and there, but deeper than any feeling I have been experiencing there is something so beautiful happening in my soul that I am not able to explain. I have been thinking so much about detachment and going into the unknown lately, and it just seems this has been what I've been experiencing and there is this longing. I sense though that I am being prepared, and my entrance being during this beautiful time of Advent; a time of preparation. I am thankful to be able to make this offering of myself when everything is against my feelings of comfort and what naturally draws me. A heart that is in love with Jesus knows that The One they love is far above all things, and in order to give themselves to Him they must give themselves beyond what is known and comprehensible.

[TradMom]

+Praised be Jesus Christ!

Yes, indeed! May God reward you for sharing this information. I am a big fan of Fr. Daniel Lord, and yet, I had never heard of that book. I will have to be on the look out for it!

Pax,
TradMom

[loveletslive]

i thought this about about the american girl doll company having a doll that's a nun. hah!

[Chiquitunga]

[quote name='In The Arms of The Lord' timestamp='1291169063' post='2190115']Tomorrow is December 1st, and it will be 11 days until my entrance to Carmel.
[/quote]

I'm so excited for you!! I need to email/PM you again soon! Actually I was going to put off scanning this book for a while longer, but decided I better do it now before you enter! I have something else I've been meaning to post for a while that's Carmelite in subject too! :D Will get to it soon

[quote name='TradMom' timestamp='1291234318' post='2190233']
+Praised be Jesus Christ!

Yes, indeed! May God reward you for sharing this information. I am a big fan of Fr. Daniel Lord, and yet, I had never heard of that book. I will have to be on the look out for it!

Pax,
TradMom
[/quote]

Great! That is neat you're already a fan of his. If you don't find the book though, I have it scanned [url="http://picasaweb.google.com/111883073319518457118"]here[/url] I was just thinking, it could have been missed in my long post there, as it was at the bottom and everything. Oh and as those other books on archive.org are, this little one would be in the public domain too, as it's been out of print for some years and is unlikely to be reprinted again, though that'd be wonderful if it were.

By the way, speaking of old Carmelite books and reprints .. I have hopes that [url="http://www.amazon.com/My-Beloved-Story-Carmelite-Nun/dp/B000P6ERY4"][i]My Beloved[/i][/url] will be reprinted again though. This little booklet reminded me of it. I was once talking to a priest about [i]My Beloved[/i] and he was saying a friend of his is trying to get it republished .. so maybe Ignatius Press will or someplace .. they're already on a roll with great Carmelite releases Teresa of the Andes, The Nun, Edith Stein :D

[quote name='loveletslive' timestamp='1291260363' post='2190284']
i thought this about about the american girl doll company having a doll that's a nun. hah!
[/quote]

Haha! That's funny .. I was actually once thinking of making a "Girl of Today" or "Just Like You" I think they're called now, American Girl doll .. and give it to my little niece before I enter. I was thinking of sewing a Carmelite habit and everything .. and even bought a pair of rope AG sandals that look soo similar to the ones worn in Carmel. However, I'm a terrible seamstress, lol so I doubt it will happen. But maybe I can get someone to help me. But anyway, when I got this booklet and saw how little it is .. I was thinking, oh this could be one of her accessories!

Edited December 3, 2010 by Chiquitunga

[In The Arms of The Lord]

[b]"I'm so excited for you!! I need to email/PM you again soon! Actually I was going to put off scanning this book for a while longer, but decided I better do it now before you enter! I have something else I've been meaning to post for a while that's Carmelite in subject too! :D Will get to it soon "[/b]

Thank you! I'm always excited to hear more of your knowledge and news of Carmel!

I talked to Reverend Mother this morning. My parents and I will be staying at a hotel about 20 mins. from the monastery. If I remember correctly, the guest room will be used at the time we are going, the weekend of the 11th and 12th. I know the Sisters are not allowed contact during Advent, but on Christmas day they may receive mail. So, perhaps there will be another discerner there that weekend. I also will be able to donate a couple of religious items I would like to see there in the monastery; rather than have them be packed away somewhere once I leave. The community will enjoy them also I know; it's a large framed picture of the "Jesus, I trust in You!" image, and a replica Pilgrim Virgin statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

It will be nice to hear from you before I leave! You also know the address of the monastery. Though I know I won't be able to write to friends for about 5 years; after the solemn profession.

Edited December 3, 2010 by In The Arms of The Lord

[1catholic]

all compiled...I wanted to give a copy to someone, so i made a pdf to print at kinkos....actually its to big to upload...if u want the file u can pm me

Edited December 12, 2010 by 1catholic

[Chiquitunga]

[quote name='1catholic' timestamp='1292124763' post='2192262']
all compiled...I wanted to give a copy to someone, so i made a pdf to print at kinkos....actually its to big to upload...if u want the file u can pm me
[/quote]

Wow, thank you! I shall PM you Maybe I can figure out how to upload it on archive.org now with that file. That's wonderful you liked it enough to print off a copy at kinkos for a friend! All that scanning was worth it! This reminds me .. I have yet to contact the Sisters in St. Louis to ask about her ..

[emmaberry]

Wow old topic! Chiquitunga, I just wanted to ask you if you still had [i]Shall I Be A Nun[/i], and if you do, if you could either point me to a copy to purchase or upload it? May God reward you!

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

Many years ago (25!) I had Shall I Be a Nun! I loved that little booklet! I think there is a photo in there of nuns in a garden. I lost that booklet somehow in moving and have often wondered if I am correct in remembering the garden photo and that that is the Dominican Monastery in Camden. Also, isn't there a large photo of a nun praying!

I had forgotten the title of that booklet. Fr. Lord was a very popular and prominent writer in his day. One of our sisters remembers passing him on the street in Providence, RI and then realizing, "That's Fr. Lord!" (This was before she entered, obviously.)

Please tell me if my memory is correct on this!

THere is also Shall My Daughter be a Nun but I forget if they are the same book.....

[Chiquitunga]

Yes, I still have it! I ran into it a few weeks ago, though I couldn't find it last night. I'm in the process of organizing all of my religious life material, etc. so I'm sure I will come across it again. Then I will see about scanning it. My copy is very little with just a picture of a Rockford Poor Clare on the front. That's where I got it. I may actually try to go over there for Angela's clothing day, so I can see about getting another copy for you. Or you could call or write them. I bet they have more.

Ha, did you find this thread in a google search for "Shall I be a Nun?" I see it comes up there I've been meaning to post here again actually as I believe I found a picture of Fr. Lord with this Carmelite nun, I'm pretty sure. I will scan it in some time.

[emmaberry]

[quote name='Sr. Mary Catharine' timestamp='1345385283' post='2470130']
There is also Shall My Daughter be a Nun but I forget if they are the same book.....
[/quote]

If anyone knows if they are the same, please let me know! Chiquitunga, you may be happy to know that I ordered Shall My Daughter Be A Nun from Amazon for only $8-but I do appreciate your kind advice!

I may write the Rockford PCCs asking if they have All American Girl available. I'd love for my parents to read that.

[Strictlyinkblot]

I really enjoyed reading the story. Thx

[inperpetuity]

I loved it. What an amazing story. Thank you for posting Chiquitunga.