The Monastic Family Of Bethlehem Nuns

[Lumiere]

They're Carthusian habit's aren't they?

 

The Monastic Family of Bethlehem, of the Assumption of the Virgin and of Saint Bruno have similar habits to the Carthusians because of their relationship with St. Bruno, but the veiling is different.

 

Carthusian Nuns

 

Here is another essay on the Monastic Family of Bethlehem.

 

 

[Gabriela]

Sure. :)

 

Monastery of Our Lady of Palestine.

 

Monastery of the Assumption.

 

Laura Netofa.

 

They have some beautiful photos on all three of the mini-sites. No e-mail, due to their eremitical life. You'd have to write or telephone.

 

Oh my gosh. beatitude, isn't this just off Road #1? http://english.bethleem.org/monasteres/bet_gemal.php

 

I've driven past this a million times and always wondered what it was!

[beatitude]

I'm rubbish with the road numbers as I don't drive, but that sounds the place - it's quite easy to spot.

 

If you go to the church of St Peter in Gallicantu (built by the ruins of the high priest's house, over the prison cells where Christ would have been held on the night before his death - not far from the Zion gate) there is a little shop in which statues and other devotional objects made by these sisters are on sale. They are incredibly beautiful. I would love to have one or two of them, but they're ceramic and I'm so clumsy that I would be scared of breaking them. It doesn't help that I travel so much either. They might get battered to pieces in a suitcase. :(

 

I don't know if you've been in the Holy Land since you became a Catholic, but if you haven't, perhaps one day you could make a pilgrimage? A lot of monasteries and convents near the holy sites have little guesthouses, and it's good for discernment too, even if you aren't looking at those exact communities.

[HisAlone]

I don't post often, but I just had to when I saw this topic.

 

I have been interested in this community for a long time and have seen about everything that's on the web and read all of the threads on VS, however, I have never come across a description of their Mass.  I know their community incorporates both East and West.  Is their Mass a regular Ordinary Form or does it also include Eastern influences/rubrics or even Carthusian influences i.e. prostration during consecration.  Hopefully some of you who have actually spent time with this community can enlighten me.  :proud:

 

Dymphna:  May I ask why you felt this community was not for you?

[Gabriela]

I'd also like to know more about their daily life. And ideally to get a link to their rule/constitutions.

 

Has anyone visited who could tell us more?

[Gabriela]

I'm rubbish with the road numbers as I don't drive, but that sounds the place - it's quite easy to spot.

 

If you go to the church of St Peter in Gallicantu (built by the ruins of the high priest's house, over the prison cells where Christ would have been held on the night before his death - not far from the Zion gate) there is a little shop in which statues and other devotional objects made by these sisters are on sale. They are incredibly beautiful. I would love to have one or two of them, but they're ceramic and I'm so clumsy that I would be scared of breaking them. It doesn't help that I travel so much either. They might get battered to pieces in a suitcase. :(

 

I don't know if you've been in the Holy Land since you became a Catholic, but if you haven't, perhaps one day you could make a pilgrimage? A lot of monasteries and convents near the holy sites have little guesthouses, and it's good for discernment too, even if you aren't looking at those exact communities.

 

As you're driving from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, you can see it on the right side of the road, just before you enter the "valley" (the tall cliffs on either side) that open out on Jerusalem (after quite a few miles). No?

 

I have not been to Israel since I became Catholic. I returned to the US in 2009 but was only confirmed last year. I have Israeli citizenship, so I could return anytime, but I shudder to think how much I'd owe Bituach Leumi if I ever did, because I haven't been paying their monthly overseas fee nonsense.

 

Are most of the sisters there Arabs? I can't imagine many Jewish women are entering. Or are they all coming from other countries? What is the daily language in these monasteries (the MFB ones)?

 

beatitude, you should be nice to yourself and buy one of their ceramics but not use it for eating/drinking. Just hang it on the wall or put it on a high shelf where you can admire it. :-) I admired them for a long time at the website, too. Their art is just stunning. It's amazing there's so much talent concentrated in these little monasteries. But I guess they have a lot of time to develop their skill!

[Anselm]

Why do you presume that they are Arab? Surely Palestinian Muslims are more less likely to join than Israeli Jews?

[Gabriela]

Why do you presume that they are Arab? Surely Palestinian Muslims are more less likely to join than Israeli Jews?

 

Because having lived in Israel, I know that most of the Christians there are Arab. Especially the Catholics. Also, since the Second Intifada, a Palestinian of any faith would have an incredibly hard (probably impossible) time of getting a visa to live in a monastery (or anywhere else, for that matter) inside the boundaries of Israel.

[beatitude]

As you're driving from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, you can see it on the right side of the road, just before you enter the "valley" (the tall cliffs on either side) that open out on Jerusalem (after quite a few miles). No?

 

I have not been to Israel since I became Catholic. I returned to the US in 2009 but was only confirmed last year. I have Israeli citizenship, so I could return anytime, but I shudder to think how much I'd owe Bituach Leumi if I ever did, because I haven't been paying their monthly overseas fee nonsense.

 

Are most of the sisters there Arabs? I can't imagine many Jewish women are entering. Or are they all coming from other countries? What is the daily language in these monasteries (the MFB ones)?

 

beatitude, you should be nice to yourself and buy one of their ceramics but not use it for eating/drinking. Just hang it on the wall or put it on a high shelf where you can admire it. :-) I admired them for a long time at the website, too. Their art is just stunning. It's amazing there's so much talent concentrated in these little monasteries. But I guess they have a lot of time to develop their skill!

 

A professed Sister of Bethlehem can be sent to any monastery in the world, so there are a lot of international sisters there. I don't think they get moved around regularly, but anyone entering has to be prepared to be assigned outside their home country.

 

I don't know how many Palestinian sisters they have overall, but in this monastery they use Arabic as a liturgical language, so I guess it's a good number. The sisters who met with me were Palestinian. They mentioned that quite a lot of English is used at the monastery in Galilee, so presumably they have more internationals there to warrant it. I didn't ask many questions, as the sisters were busy and I was just there to pray in a place where nobody knew me and I could get a little silence. I do want to go back someday. I've considered doing the 'evangelical month' mentioned on their site, but I'm not sure I would be permitted, as I am not discerning to enter there.

I am thinking of getting their cross of compassion and securing it to the wall with multiple hooks reinforced with extra Blu-Tack...

 

Why do you presume that they are Arab? Surely Palestinian Muslims are more less likely to join than Israeli Jews?

 

A helpful tip: if you ever make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, do not imply that Palestinian = Muslim. ;) My boss in Bethlehem is a Palestinian Christian, and once an American visitor asked her innocently when she'd converted from Islam. I thought she was going to attack his eyeballs with her dessert spoon. As it was, she was content to point out that this place saw the birth, childhood, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus and it is home to the oldest Christian community in the world, so she and her family had never had any need to convert from anything. They tend to be quite proud of their heritage and 'When did you convert?' is the question most guaranteed to get a grumpy response.

[OnlySunshine]

A professed Sister of Bethlehem can be sent to any monastery in the world, so there are a lot of international sisters there. I don't think they get moved around regularly, but anyone entering has to be prepared to be assigned outside their home country.

 

I don't know how many Palestinian sisters they have overall, but in this monastery they use Arabic as a liturgical language, so I guess it's a good number. The sisters who met with me were Palestinian. They mentioned that quite a lot of English is used at the monastery in Galilee, so presumably they have more internationals there to warrant it. I didn't ask many questions, as the sisters were busy and I was just there to pray in a place where nobody knew me and I could get a little silence. I do want to go back someday. I've considered doing the 'evangelical month' mentioned on their site, but I'm not sure I would be permitted, as I am not discerning to enter there.

I am thinking of getting their cross of compassion and securing it to the wall with multiple hooks reinforced with extra Blu-Tack...

 

 

A helpful tip: if you ever make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, do not imply that Palestinian = Muslim. ;) My boss in Bethlehem is a Palestinian Christian, and once an American visitor asked her innocently when she'd converted from Islam. I thought she was going to attack his eyeballs with her dessert spoon. As it was, she was content to point out that this place saw the birth, childhood, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus and it is home to the oldest Christian community in the world, so she and her family had never had any need to convert from anything. They tend to be quite proud of their heritage and 'When did you convert?' is the question most guaranteed to get a grumpy response.

 

Isn't Bethlehem or Nazareth within Palestine now?  I've never visited and I'm no geographer so I have no idea.  I'm pretty sure it is, though, so it would make perfect sense that Christians would be there.  ;)

 

Our parish has missionaries from Bethlehem that come nearly every year to sell olivewood goods from Bethlehem Olive trees.  I've purchased a rosary from them made from olivewood.  It is beautiful and the only one I use.  Apparently, they were raising money to keep hold of the places where Christ was born and raised since there is much persecution happening.

Edited May 7, 2013 by MaterMisericordiae

[Gabriela]

Isn't Bethlehem or Nazareth within Palestine now?  I've never visited and I'm no geographer so I have no idea.  I'm pretty sure it is, though, so it would make perfect sense that Christians would be there.  ;)

 

Our parish has missionaries from Bethlehem that come nearly every year to sell olivewood goods from Bethlehem Olive trees.  I've purchased a rosary from them made from olivewood.  It is beautiful and the only one I use.  Apparently, they were raising money to keep hold of the places where Christ was born and raised since there is much persecution happening.

 

Nazareth is and has always been in Israel (in Galilee). Bethlehem is outside the wall, in PA territory.

 

Both places are today predominantly Arab Muslim. But both also have a good number of Arab Christians.

[beatitude]

Isn't Bethlehem or Nazareth within Palestine now?  I've never visited and I'm no geographer so I have no idea.  I'm pretty sure it is, though, so it would make perfect sense that Christians would be there.  ;)

 

Our parish has missionaries from Bethlehem that come nearly every year to sell olivewood goods from Bethlehem Olive trees.  I've purchased a rosary from them made from olivewood.  It is beautiful and the only one I use.  Apparently, they were raising money to keep hold of the places where Christ was born and raised since there is much persecution happening.

 

It is hard for the Christians in Bethlehem right now. Pray for them, especially the Salesian sisters in neighbouring Beit Jala. Buying Bethlehem olivewood products is also an excellent way to support them, as a lot of families depend on the making of these religious objects for income.

 

Bethlehem is within what is known as the Palestinian Territories. Nazareth is within what is now Israel. There are Palestinian Christians in both places. Because of the conflict, people often use different names for the same place, so it can be confusing to people who aren't familiar with the area (and sometimes even to those who are). For example, the Christians in Nazareth are commonly referred to as Israeli Arabs, as they've been Israeli citizens since 1948 (although they didn't get full citizenship rights until 1966). However, I have many friends in Nazareth, and they call themselves Palestinian Israelis or Palestinians of Israeli citizenship, or even just plain Palestinian. Most of them don't mind being called Israeli Arabs too, but it wouldn't be their first choice of description. It is common to hear the same thing when travelling in other Arab towns and neighbourhoods in Israel. Because the situation is sensitive and I don't want to upset anyone, I usually wait discreetly to find out what a particular person prefers to be called, and then use that name for them.

[Gabriela]

Bethlehem is within what is known as the Palestinian Territories. Nazareth is within what is now Israel. There are Palestinian Christians in both places. Because of the conflict, people often use different names for the same place, so it can be confusing to people who aren't familiar with the area (and sometimes even to those who are). For example, the Christians in Nazareth are commonly referred to as Israeli Arabs, as they've been Israeli citizens since 1948 (although they didn't get full citizenship rights until 1966). However, I have many friends in Nazareth, and they call themselves Palestinian Israelis or Palestinians of Israeli citizenship, or even just plain Palestinian. Most of them don't mind being called Israeli Arabs too, but it wouldn't be their first choice of description. It is common to hear the same thing when travelling in other Arab towns and neighbourhoods in Israel. Because the situation is sensitive and I don't want to upset anyone, I usually wait discreetly to find out what a particular person prefers to be called, and then use that name for them.

 

Yes, I worked for an Arab Christian man who called himself Israeli-Palestinian, though he was born and raised within Israel's boundaries. Such identifications typically have political undertones. An Arab in Israel who identifies as an "Israeli Arab" is usually more or less content with his Israeli citizenship, i.e., not desirous of Palestinian citizenship. (That is not to say that Israeli Arabs are 100% happy with the State of Israel, though, nor with how the state treats them.) An Arab in Israel who identifies as a Palestinian or an Israeli-Palestinian typically is expressing by that label solidarity with Palestinians in PA territory and/or discontent with the way that Arabs within Israel are treated by the State of Israel.

 

It can be more complicated than this, though, so beatitude is right: If you want to be sensitive, you either wait or ask outright how someone prefers to be identified. Most (Jewish) Israelis are totally oblivious to all of this and just refer to all Arabs within Israel's boundaries as Israeli Arabs. That is, after all, how the media and the government consistently refer to them, and very few Israeli Jews have close friendships with Arabs; the groups are pretty well segregated. I refer to Arabs inside of Israel as Israeli Arabs just because most of the Arabs I met inside Israel preferred that identification (I lived in Jaffa). But if someone told me that they preferred to be called Israeli-Palestinian or Palestinian, I'd respect that (though personally I find the latter denomination downright confusing when applied to someone born and raised inside of Israeli boundaries).

Edited May 7, 2013 by curiousing

[dymphnamaria]

Dymphna:  May I ask why you felt this community was not for you?

 

 

First of all, religious life is not for me due to health reasons. Second, the sisters dont have monasteries in my country. At least in Asia, I hope they do.

 

[Chiquitunga]

Can you tell us more about them and their life, Chiquitunga? Their website is huge, but really doesn't say a whole lot about their daily life, their sisters, their discernment/aspirancy/entrance process, etc.

 

Here's the old thread on them where I posted kind of a lot - http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/56995-sisters-of-bethlehem-in-livingston-manor/  This thread was how I found phatmass actually. Those were my first posts here  This was some years ago... I was pretty young when I went over there. I went to the Evangelical Month at Les Montsvoirons, http://english.bethleem.org/monasteres/montsvoirons.php probably the best month of my life! If anyone is ever invited to it, please go!!! Oh my goodness...... It was like another world up there.... Yes, you have to be invited to go and generally discerning with them (although I was not sure, which they knew, but they still encouraged me to go) but beatitude, you could ask anyway. 

 

EJames has also been to several of their monasteries in Europe and knows a lot about them as you'll see in the thread. I believe this is how he found PM too :like: