Carmelite Customs

[graciandelamadrededios]

You are a wealth of information! It's impressive!

 

Actually, I didn't say that the original lay sisters were lay women connected to the monastery and became 3rd Order regular. Lay sisters were just that, lay sisters. They always lived in the enclosure. They are not the same as extern sisters. Extern sisters were lay women connected to the monastery, not just for Dominicans, but for Carmelites and other Orders as well. Often they were widows, etc. This used to be very common in Europe. They often wore some sort of habit. Our externs didn't wear the Dominican habit until about the late 50's. Before they were some sort of black habit similar to the photo you have of the Carmelite extern.

 

Since externs weren't religious each monastery had different customs regarding their dress, etc. They really didn't have much of a regular religious life.

 

There is nothing in canon law regarding externs. The last norms from the Holy See are from 1961. These are the norms that monasteries follow when writing up constitutions and directories. These norms allow externs to live within the enclosure. Again, this is determined by the particular law of each monastery.

 

In 1931 the Holy See determined that extern sisters are religious with simple vows.

 

If you want the current (1961) norms in Latin go to http://www.vatican.va/archive/aas/documents/AAS%2053%20%5B1961%5D%20-%20ocr.pdf
It begins on page 371! :-)

 

God bless you!
 

 

 

Mea culpa, I got confused.  I meant "Extern Sisters" and not "Lay Sisters."

 

The First Filipina Discalced Carmelite Nun is a Lay Sister - Sr. Mary of the Incarnation and she entered Jaro Carmel.

 

 

 

 

 

[graciandelamadrededios]

a page on Loretto Carmel's site about their Externs, http://lorettocarmel.org/content/extern-sisters-guardians-enclosure Okay, that makes sense that since now they are full members of the Second Order, they would wear the same full habit. 

 

So with this change OCD Extern Sisters became even closer to the previous OCD Lay Sisters, with them both being a different type (different from the Nuns I mean) of Second Order OCD religious, and in full habit, depending on the monastery of course (one difference though being that Lay Sisters always kept the white veil, while Extern Sisters seem to usually have black veils now, from all the professed Externs I have met, though this seems to depend on the particular monastery from what you said of a Manila Carmel Extern in a white veil)

 

There are 4 Extern Sisters in Manila Carmel:

 

1. Sr. Anita of Our Lady

2. Sr. Pastora of the Queen of Carmel

3. Sr. Marie Esperanza of the Presentation

4. Sr. Karol of the Immaculate Conception

 

Sr. Karol was the one wearing white veil occasionally but she usually wears black veils.  Externs in Manila Carmel does not wear day veils tucked under the scapular unlike the cloistered sisters.  

 

Manila Carmel published several books and most were written by Sr. Teresa Joseph Patrick of Jesus and Mary whose pen name is Susana Jose: The name of her Mother and Father respectively.  One of her many books is "Asian Carmels in Communion" and she listed all the religious name of the sisters, age, years in Carmel, etc on this book.  This is where I got the above names of the Extern Sisters. 

 

Sr. Teresa entered Carmel in March 25, 1974 after her long career in government and as professor plus column writer and catholic radio commentator on he side; she was 54 years old.  She was a tertiary for many years and the tertiary officers frequently asked her to write something for OCDS anniversaries or special occasion.  She entered Cagayan de Oro Carmel and later transferred to Manila Carmel.  She always wanted to enter Carmel but she had to help her parents and siblings financially.  Her confessor was Fr. James P. Moran, S. J. who introduced Carmel to her in 1942.  Fr. Moran died during the time Sr. Teresa cross the threshold of Cagayan Carmel; Father offered his life so she may persevere in Carmel.

Edited July 6, 2014 by graciandelamadrededios

[graciandelamadrededios]

Hi Chiqui, This is the latest Code of Canon Law that I found but there is nothing on Extern Sisters.

 

Thank you Sr. Catherine for the 1961 Code but I cant read Latin.

 

 

Here is the link!  I forgot to copy paste it: http://www.holyrosaryprovince.org/2011/media/essencial/code_of_canon_law_1983.pdf

[graciandelamadrededios]

What you write here is more in line with my understanding of lay sisters and externs as well. In the Carmels where I have lived, prior to Vatican 2, lay sisters were still enclosed nuns but they were responsible for general household duties and did not participate in the choir duties, mainly because they were not educated and/or did not know the Latin required to participate in the Divine Office. Externs however, did not live within the enclosure, although they were allowed to enter, they usually had their own quarters located outside the enclosure.

 

After Vat 2, the division between lay and choir was removed and all sisters within the enclosure were considered choir nuns. In many Carmels, externs were eliminated completely although some convents did retain them, and others that tried to do without them, decided to start using them again.

 

At one monastery where I lived recently, the community had eliminated the use of extern sisters, but due to the circumstances of one particular choir sister who felt this was a better vocation for her, and because this met with the needs of the community, they allowed her to change her status from enclosed to extern. This also necessitated her changing from solemn vows to simple vows, which she did during a Mass at the convent. In her case, she continued to live within the enclosure but as an extern she was allowed to leave the enclosure as well, since she was no longer an enclosed nun. She often attended Mass in the chapel with the public and attended to other needs outside the enclosure as required.

 

DECREE ON 
THE ADAPTATION AND RENEWAL OF RELIGIOUS LIFE 
PERFECTAE CARITATIS 
PROCLAIMED BY HIS HOLINESS 
POPE PAUL VI 
ON OCTOBER 28, 1965

 

15. Common life, fashioned on the model of the early Church where the body of believers was united in heart and soul (cf. Acts 4:32), and given new force by the teaching of the Gospel, the sacred liturgy and especially the Eucharist, should continue to be lived in prayer and the communion of the same spirit. As members of Christ living together as brothers, religious should give pride of place in esteem to each other (cf. Rom. 12:10) and bear each other's burdens (cf. Gal. 6:2). For the community, a true family gathered together in the name of the Lord by God's love which has flooded the hearts of its members through the Holy Spirit (cf.Rom. 5:5), rejoices because He is present among them (cf. Matt. 18:20). Moreover love sums up the whole law (cf. Rom. 13:10), binds all together in perfect unity (cf. Col. 3:14) and by it we know that we have crossed over from death to life (cf. 1 John 3:14). Furthermore, the unity of the brethren is a visible pledge that Christ will return (cf. John 13:35; 17:21) and a source of great apostolic energy.

 

That all the members be more closely knit by the bond of brotherly love, those who are called lay-brothers, assistants, or some similar name should be drawn closely in to the life and work of the community. Unless conditions really suggest something else, care should be taken that there be only one class of Sisters in communities of women. Only that distinction of persons should be retained which corresponds to-the diversity of works for which the Sisters are destined, either by special vocation from God or by reason of special aptitude.

 

However, monasteries of men and communities which are not exclusively lay can, according to their nature and constitutions, admit clerics and lay persons on an equal footing and with equal rights and obligations, excepting those which flow from sacred orders.

[graciandelamadrededios]

Photos of Dominican Lay Sisters:

 

 

 

 

 

Lay Sisters are those wearing black scapular

 

 

Photos of Dominican Extern Sisters:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 6, 2014 by graciandelamadrededios

[Chiquitunga]

This is a very good photo of an Extern Sister, my dear Chiqui!  Thanks for sharing this!  I have seen photos of Extern Sisters like this too on the photos provided by one of the Philippine Carmels and on the two volume book "The Roots of St. Teresa's Nuns in the Philippines."

 

Before Vatican II, Sr. Laurentia of St. Michael, the saintly Extern Sister of Manila Carmel.

 

I am not sure of this but I thought I saw photos of Extern Sisters in slightly different habit than the above photo.  

 

Does Spanish line Carmel Externs wore similar habit before Vatican II?

 

Hello Gracian! Yes, I have seen an Extern Sister with the same habit as this (the one from Philadelphia) at a US Spanish Carmel, but I was told once that that Carmel (Buffalo) is more of a mix of Spanish and French customs actually, although generally we would call them Spanish since they came from Mexico and have the Spanish veil/habit. But it may be that other Spanish Carmels had a different habit for their Externs. I will look a little more and see about posting pictures here or emailing you :like:

[graciandelamadrededios]

Hello Gracian! Yes, I have seen an Extern Sister with the same habit as this (the one from Philadelphia) at a US Spanish Carmel, but I was told once that that Carmel (Buffalo) is more of a mix of Spanish and French customs actually, although generally we would call them Spanish since they came from Mexico and have the Spanish veil/habit. But it may be that other Spanish Carmels had a different habit for their Externs. I will look a little more and see about posting pictures here or emailing you :like:

 

 

 

The OCD Nuns from Mexico have been saying that they follow the Spanish Custom and the unaltered Constitutions of St. Teresa, unlike the French Carmels.  Mother Teresa of Jesus, the Foundress of Littleton Carmel wrote that in her book.

[brandelynmarie]

Gracian, I somehow missed it, but what is the title of her book?

[graciandelamadrededios]

The Dove with the Scarlet Collar, a biography of Mother Mary Elias of the Blessed Sacrament written by Mother Teresa of Jesus, foundress of Littleton Carmel. Ww

[brandelynmarie]

Thank you, Gracian. :blush:

[graciandelamadrededios]

The book is available online and you can download it - https://archive.org/details/dovewithscarletc00tere

[brandelynmarie]

:joecool: That was going to be my next question :hehe2:

[Swami Mommy]

Wow! What a mindful way to live! How many of us would be willing to adapt our life in the world to accommodate this way of being so that the sacredness of each moment, each place, and each action is noticed and honored? Thank you so much for posting these excerpts of the Carmelite Rule. I'm learning so much about my own way of being in the world as I run the details of my daily life past these mirrors!

[Swami Mommy]

I live in Buffalo and would love to visit the Carmelite convent there someday soon, now that I just retired and have my days open.

[brandelynmarie]

Oh, you really should :) And check out the Dominicans on Doat St. too :nun: Their public chapel is very peaceful...