Two Communities In One Monastery

[Luigi]

Here's an interesting story. The New York Redemptoristines have moved into the same monastery as the Beacon Carmelites.

 

http://rednuns.org/blog/

[brandelynmarie]

This is a very hard, but a very beautiful thing. :) What grace they possess!

[deusluxmea]

Beacon Carmel is not far from where I live! The Esopus nuns had a beautiful retreat property called Mount Saint Alphonsus that closed last year. Sister Hildegard OssR is a late vocation, and is a grandmother in addition to being a cloistered nun. Another example on the Hudson comes from our Episcopalian brothers and sisters. A new community, Companions of Mary, shares the property with the Holy Cross brothers.

 

Like the recent post about the Vietnamese Cistercians, it is encouraging to see communities creatively address their reduced circumstances. 

[AnneLine]

It also reminds me of the choice by the Carmelite nuns who had formerly been in Elysburg to move onto the property of some Franciscan Sisters (I believe) when they realized they needed help caring for their elderly Sisters and also wanted to stay with them.  The Franciscans had a building the weren't using on their grounds, and were thrilled to get a 'contemplative wing' backing them... the Carmelites received the loving care of their Franciscan Sisters.... and the building was then available for the JMJ Carmelites to move in from Valparaiso. 

 

It struck me at the time that St. Teresa would have been VERY Happy to see all of this falling into place... because she would have liked the way each group was honoring poverty and charity....

 

I'll see if I can find some of the articles about this at the time.

 

AND... the Carmelite Nuns in England have made a similar choice, in their case, to set up a designated 'retirement monastery' where the elderly Sisters (and those who feel called to work with them!) can live their lives together while still getting the elderly sisters the help they need.

 

AND the Mission San Jose Dominican Sisters and Sisters of the Holy Family in California have been doing this for years... as have the Sisters of Providence and several Dominican and Holy Names communities in the Seattle Area.  They will consider taking in any religious who needs more help than her community can provide.  I was blessed to stay there several times visiting a Sister friend who was VERY ill... and I was incredibly impressed by the quality of the women and their prayerfulness.  Made me do a lot of re-thinking about sisters who don't wear habits... because I saw Christ in action in that house.... it was an eye-opener.....

 

Bottom line... hard as this kind of thing is, I think it is WONDERFUL.... and I see the Holy Spirit at work....

[Gabriela]

AND... the Carmelite Nuns in England have made a similar choice, in their case, to set up a designated 'retirement monastery' where the elderly Sisters (and those who feel called to work with them!) can live their lives together while still getting the elderly sisters the help they need.

 

AND the Mission San Jose Dominican Sisters and Sisters of the Holy Family in California have been doing this for years... as have the Sisters of Providence and several Dominican and Holy Names communities in the Seattle Area.  They will consider taking in any religious who needs more help than her community can provide.

 

Wow. These are awesome ideas. We need more of these!