Discalced Carmelite Nun Communities

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

I expect you know this story already, but the Des Plaines Carmel had/has a rather "famous" older vocation. In 1989, a VERY wealthy socialite from San Francisco entered the Community at age 61, several years after the death of her husband. I'm pretty sure she is still alive and part of the Des Plaines Carmel Community. At the time she entered, there were a number of stories in the newspapers about her, so if you're interested, I'm sure you can do some digging and read her story. The Sister's secular name was Ann Russell Miller. In relgious life, she is Sister Joseph of the Trinity.

What makes the story even more interesting is that this Sister was not only wealthy, but very used to having things her way. One story is that the Sister was used to drinking hot water with lemon (I THINK it was hot water and not tea, but not positive), but after entering, when the Sister asked for this, she was told, "In THIS Community we drink coffee." Period. Despite being "set in her ways" Sister Joseph perservered.

BTW: I didn't go back to read the beginning of this thread, so if someone has already posted this story from the Des Plaines Carmel, please forgive me.

Edited September 11, 2012 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[Chiquitunga]

Oh yes, I know this story.. although I hadn't heard that about the hot water with lemon! Thanks for sharing that! Yes, it's so wonderful she persevered! And yes, she would be the type the world wouldn't expect to enter the cloister either!!! Here is one of those articles with some great pictures, [url="http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/From-high-society-to-a-higher-calling-The-San-2689543.php"]http://www.sfgate.co...San-2689543.php[/url] It wasn't posted before in this thread but in many others from the past .. great story!

[emmaberry]

[quote name='Chiquitunga' timestamp='1347390631' post='2481397']
Oh yes, I know this story.. although I hadn't heard that about the hot water with lemon! Thanks for sharing that! Yes, it's so wonderful she persevered! And yes, she would be the type the world wouldn't expect to enter the cloister either!!! Here is one of those articles with some great pictures, [url="http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/From-high-society-to-a-higher-calling-The-San-2689543.php"]http://www.sfgate.co...San-2689543.php[/url] It wasn't posted before in this thread but in many others from the past .. great story!
[/quote]

Thanks for posting! It's always nice for those of us who are newer to VS when things are posted multiple times!

I love what her daughter said, "She'd either eat the whole bucket (edit: of ice cream) or none at all." I think most people called to the cloister have this "all or nothing" mentality-surely a grace of God to benefit their vocation!

Edited September 11, 2012 by emmaberry

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='Chiquitunga' timestamp='1347390631' post='2481397']
Oh yes, I know this story.. although I hadn't heard that about the hot water with lemon! Thanks for sharing that! Yes, it's so wonderful she persevered! And yes, she would be the type the world wouldn't expect to enter the cloister either!!! Here is one of those articles with some great pictures, [url="http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/From-high-society-to-a-higher-calling-The-San-2689543.php"]http://www.sfgate.co...San-2689543.php[/url] It wasn't posted before in this thread but in many others from the past .. great story!
[/quote]

Chiquitunga--Thank-you for posting this newspaper story. I was so glad it included the story about Ann Miller's preference for hot water with lemon. (Whew--I got it right. It WAS hot water and not tea.)

I did get the religious name of the former Ann Miller wrong--She is Sister Mary Joseph (not Sister Joseph).

A lot of different lessons (and questions) arise from this story. But, if nothing else, the story teaches us not to be surprised at whom God chooses to give a religious vocation.

Edited September 12, 2012 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[ACS67]

I wonder why Ann Miller, (Sr. Mary Joseph) chose Des Plaines Carmel. The article does not say.

[emmaberry]

[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' timestamp='1347410364' post='2481506']
I did get the religious name of the former Ann Miller wrong--She is Sister Mary Joseph (not Sister Joseph).[/quote]

Maybe you didn't! Many times, communities will eliminate the 'Mary' or Marian name when speaking of the Sister. Only some communities do this though. So a Sister Joseph is usually Sister Mary/Maria/Marie Joseph or some other variation. This inclusion of a Marian variation is practiced in most cloistered communities.

I often heard Mother Mary Francis referred to as 'Mother Francis.' You might not have messed up after all.

[ACS67]

Chiquitunga,

I sent you a private message on Tuesday. Not sure it went through or not.

[Chiquitunga]

It did Good idea to ask me here though just in case. So it does seem that people cannot PM me unless I start them. Might need to clean out my inbox still more...

[ACS67]

So do you know why the Des Plaines Carmel is not listed on the Archdiocese of Chicago vocation site? I wouldn't think it is an oversite as they (the carmelites) have been in the diocese since 1959 .

[Chiquitunga]

[quote name='ACS67' timestamp='1347559730' post='2482051']
So do you know why the Des Plaines Carmel is not listed on the Archdiocese of Chicago vocation site? I wouldn't think it is an oversite as they (the carmelites) have been in the diocese since 1959 .
[/quote]
Praised be Jesus Christ! So I am sure you got my PM but I thought I'd reply here a bit too. So I have been searching for this particular article and cannot find it .. but I read one once where Cardinal George said he wanted a wholly contemplative presence in all major parts of the Archdiocese .. so the Carmelites and the Handmaids of the Precious Blood cover the north, [url="http://www.nunsforpriests.org/"]http://www.nunsforpriests.org/[/url] Holy Cross Monastery, a relatively new Benedictine community is in the city, [url="http://chicagomonk.org/"]http://chicagomonk.org/[/url] and the Poor Clares he brought back to the southside, [url="http://www.chicagopoorclares.org/"]http://www.chicagopoorclares.org/[/url] They had been there before for many years and then transferred to Roswell. Mother Teresita in Palos Park told me the first thing Cardinal George did when he become Archbishop was to call Roswell and ask them to come back!! .. He literally did this .. just called them up on the phone She remembers it

So anyway, I say this because I want to stress that the Cardinal, and the Archdiocese in general I would say, have a very high regard for the Des Plaines Carmel. So I do not think there is anything intentional with them not being listed.. but of course I do not know the Office for Religious .. but I will email them about this. My guess is that they were overlooked. They probably wouldn't mind so much though <-- hiddenness

But yeah (or yes! <-- can't say "yeah" in the cloister!) I think it's important they are there. But as I was saying in my PM, I remember there was once a thread on this here .. that generally diocesan websites/&Offices, etc. don't do so well with listing/updating/promoting vocations to the consecrated life. Actually they do very poorly! lol That is fine though, we have VS But seriously, yes it's not really their speciality. I've only seen a few good ones here and there that seem to be on top of things and they are usually smaller dioceses. I've emailed some from time to time to update things, like Buffalo once (to give correct websites for the Discalced Carmelites and cloistered Dominicans) and they promptly did http://www.buffalodiocese.org/Vocations/ReligiousCommunitiesofWomen.aspx


EDIT: Okay, I just found them there! [url="http://www.archchicago.org/DPS/OfficeReligious/WomenReligCong.aspx"]http://www.archchica...nReligCong.aspx[/url] They are listed as "Monastery of Discalced Carmelite Nuns"

p.s. also regarding your not hearing of them while you lived here until you heard them mentioned at St. John Cantius [url="http://www.cantius.org/"]http://www.cantius.org/[/url] yes, I've heard them mentioned there as a great community a few times too and saw some pamphlets on them in the back once

Edited September 14, 2012 by Chiquitunga

[VeniJesuAmorMi]

What great information, Chiquitunga! God reward you for sharing with us.

On a little side note, I was going to post on here that today being The Feast of The Exaltation of The Holy Cross, starts the Carmelite fast until Easter Sunday.

[ACS67]

Thank you Chiquitunga! This is great information. I'm sure you guessed why I was inquiring about them not being listed in the Archdiocese....it's because these days, there is so much fragmentation within the Church it can get confusing. Some Orders might say (and do) that they are "in communion with the Holy Father" but they really are not. This includes both conservatives and liberals.

Hey I know the Benedictines in Chicago! I went on a retreat there! Great monks!

I went to the dicocesan vocation office in Chicago at the request of my priest from the parish I was attending (Our Lady of Lourdes). He said he could not help me because he was a diocesan priest and I needed to speak to a "religious priest." So I called up the vocation office and told the director (who was a Sister, congregation of CSJ) that I would like to speak to a religious priest regarding a vocation to the religious life she said, "Priest! Why do you need to talk to priest?! That's silly. You can talk to anybody!" *sigh* Of course most of us who have pursued a cloistered contemplative vocation know that they want a reference from a priest, not just "anybody"... However, that was back in 2002...hopefully things there have gotten better now.

I wrote to Mother Anne yesterday and told her when I could schedule a visit. I'll see if next month works for them but obviously I will make myself available at any time that works best for them. I know next month is a "big" month for Carmelites with the fests of St. Therese and St. Teresa of Avila.

Thanks again! I'll keep everyone updated!

[Totally Franciscan]

[quote name='ACS67' timestamp='1347416273' post='2481539']
I wonder why Ann Miller, (Sr. Mary Joseph) chose Des Plaines Carmel. The article does not say.
[/quote]

I am from the Bay Area and very well remember the newspaper articles about Ann Miller and her vocation to Carmel before she entered. There were wonderful photos of her at her going away party, her children, etc. The article mentioned that she (and perhaps her husband, can't remember) were very large benefactors to this Carmel. I believe the Carmel was having a building project, and Ann had said to the superior, "Save a cell for me." I believe that is how she came to this Carmel over others.

[ACS67]

Ah! Thank you Totally Franciscan! That makes sense.

[VeniJesuAmorMi]

"The Carmelites of Chile" is a documentary that came out in 2006. I looked for the full documentary online, but I couldn't find it. Anyways, the 10 mins of the video that they show is great.


[media]http://youtu.be/TjAd5TeDT_4[/media]