Traverse City Carmel - Chapel Renovations

[Chiquitunga]

May her soul rest in peace.  Mother Margaret Mary was formed by Mother Mary Ilias herself. 

 

Yes, that is true and I believe she was the last one to have. 

 

"Courageous women brought the Carmelite Reform

to Mexico in the 1600s. Seven U.S. Carmels trace their

origin to a Mexican nun’s desperate prayer when she

faced a firing squad during religious persecution in

1914. Mother Mary Elias miraculously escaped death,

and went on to bring her community safely to Grand

Rapids, Mich. Mother Teresa Margaret, who founded

the monastery in Traverse City in 1950, is the only

nun still alive today who made her novitiate under

Mother Elias’ direction. She celebrated her 100th

birthday at the monastery in September 2011."

 

http://goodsaints.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MonasteryChapel-Brochure.pdf

 

http://teaattrianon.blogspot.com/2007/01/mother-mary-elias-of-blessed-sacrament.html

[Pia Jesu]

Yes...may she rest in peace!  I discerned a vocation at TC many, many years ago...and never forgot Mother

Teresa Margaret.  When I recently had the chance to stop by the monastery to see her, I babbled on and on

and she smilingly & kindly said to me, "Honey, I can see that you know me, but I have no idea who you are!"

After a good bit of laughter, she offered me some cookies and milk.

[Chiquitunga]

 

http://www.dioceseofgaylord.org/inside/_170/index.phtml?artid=682 ~ another article on her :pray:

 

[Chiquitunga]

they have a new site! http://carmeloftraversecity.org

 

with a picture I've never seen before of Mother Elias ~ http://traversecitycarmel.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/refugee-nuns2.jpg?w=870 (4th black veil from the right) :like:

[Pia Jesu]

Thank you for bringing the new website to our attention, +Chiqui!  As the photos show, the chapel renovations

turned out beautifully.  Likewise, the monastery location--near Grand Traverse Bay--is spectacular.  I haven't

been up there in awhile (since moving downstate). 

 

Are those chapel/communion/parlor veils in the one photo of "Community Life"?

[Chiquitunga]

I'm not sure exactly what picture you mean, but thought I'd take the opportunity to explain something. Many times when pictures are taken in Carmel that are going to be shown publicly like in a vocation pamphlet/website, the nuns will wear an outer veil (I believe the parlor veil in this case) even if it's while doing something when it is normally never worn, like working, to be more hidden.

 

See how the nuns are wearing them while raking and gardening here? http://www.holynamecarmel.org/origins.htm It's only because a picture is being taken. They normally never do that. I have a friend who was there.

 

This can really be observed in Iron Mt's video too, http://www.holycrosscarmel.com/ If you look closely you can even see that they made a digital image of the veil on some of the photos which were most likely originally taken only for the community. It's a particular custom they are trying to keep, and I've found it especially in the Spanish Carmels. In most of the French Carmel pamphlet/sites I've seen, they have no problem showing the nuns in just the day veil that's tucked under the scapular (even very strict French Carmels that keep their faces hidden nonetheless like Lake Elmo). I see Traverse City has photos there in just the day veil too.

 

Anyway, just some interesting observations! :like: Maybe good to know for someone entering Carmel though, because I remember I was slightly confused at first seeing the nuns most of the time in only their day veils, different than other cloistered nuns like Poor Clares whose veils are always out, except if they're wearing an apron over them of course. You get what I mean :)

Edited October 12, 2013 by Chiquitunga

[Pia Jesu]

Thanks, +Chiqui!  Surely the veil is a minor point...but your explanation helps us begin to understand how particular

Carmels live out their charism.  I visited the Clinton Twp, MI monastery while it was under renovation...and saw that the

nuns had a type of pinned-on work veil that rested beneath the scapular.  The Iron Mountain link had a great video

--as does (my favorite) the Denmark, WI site.  Appears that none of them wear the trad'l alpargatas (spelling?).  Are

they still being made somewhere?

[katarzyna]

http://karmel.gniezno.pl/pl/galeria-zdjec/

 

Here is the link to the gallery on the website of one of the Polish carmels (there are more than twenty there). It is all in Polish, but clicking on the titles opens a gallery with photos. You can see the nuns at work and prayer, with their veils tucked under the scapular - daily veils, or with a great veil, covering the daily veil during prayer and Eucharist. As far as I know all the Carmelites in Poland use those two veils.

[Pia Jesu]

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:3214]

 

Dziekuje!  How beautiful to see the Carmelites of Poland!

 

[katarzyna]

Nie ma za co! :smile2: I'm glad you like the pictures and the nuns. Carmels in Poland are blossoming!

 

Another link to a gallery of a new foundation in Elk in northern Poland:

 

 

http://karmel.elk.pl/galeria.html  Enjoy!

 

 

[graciandelamadrededios]

Thanks for sharing the website, Chiqui!

 

I was able to get some good photos from this website!  They have a nice habit!

 

How many Nuns are there in this monastery?  It looks like there are only few of them and there was even a rumor that they closed down the monastery.