AnneLine Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 (edited) Odd! I could have Sworn I posted this as part of my comments above! Now I am glad the Carmelites have a monastery hat will work for them, but I do think it is small. Take a look at the lay people's side of the chapel.... it looks like 3 or 4 chairs on either side of a center aisle. It's pretty, but I think it is pretty tiny, too..... It looks to me like the public chapel is literally 6 tinted windows to the entire length of the chapel! Which would mean room for about...8 rows of 6? 48 people and an altar? And if you make some reasonable estimates looking at the bigger picture of the whole monastery (remembering that one of those buildings is the gatekeeper's cottage and the other is the chaplain's house.... suddenly that monastery is looking a whole lot tinier than what Summit appears to be... with about 1/3 to 1/2 of the land. I don't think the land OUTSIDE the quadrangle is available to the nuns.... it's outside the cloister. Or am I missing something? I'm probably more sensitive to the implications than I might have been a few months back; a good friend of mine moved to a much smaller apartment, and it has had a huge impact on them.... I could be mistaken, but I would think this could be more true of cloistered nuns. Edited March 5, 2014 by AnneLine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumiere Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Here are the floor plans. They are large pdf files, be patient while they load... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Thanks, Lumiere... I'd posted them as well, but I think they got lost in the the page turn. The bottom set of plans are the ones that show where the rooms are, and it's just about what I figured. It's all there, but it is in a very tiny footprint. It does look as if they have put up a wall around the outside of the monastery, allowing a little more walking space for the nuns than just inside the cloister quadrangle, but still, not a lot of outside space.... at least to my eyes.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 While it does seem to be a not too big monastery I am almost positive they have a lot more living space than we have at Summit. We have a HUGE chapel and people think our living space is equally ample. It's much smaller. We don't have a quadrangle and the halls are quite narrow. Everything is built off of one side of the chapel and nuns' choir. The nice thing about a smaller monastery is that it is much more conducive to a family style community. Having land is more important for a cloistered community and 3 acres isn't very much. Considering that Carmelite communities usually don't go above 21 sisters the monastery seems a nice size. I'm sure they are most grateful to have a real place to live and not the make-shift monastery they were living in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 That makes a lot more sense, Sister Mary Catharine! I seem to recall at one point your monastery was intended to be bigger, and the building plans were, adjusted. Hopefully if you keep growing, that might be able to be changed! I agree I am SURE it is a better solution than where they have been living... I can't imagine a choir that doubled as a library! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiquitunga Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 http://www.catholicvoiceoakland.org/2014/04-07/frontpage1.htm :like: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StayingFaithful Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Thank you for the link. This donation is far from a "providential" situation: to start, the property is on a fault line and landslide. Nebraska also sent Nuns to Elysburg who now also find themselves in a bad situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totally Franciscan Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 Stayingfaithful, what would that bad situation be that the Elysburg sisters are having? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StayingFaithful Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Just like their Tridentine Carmelite Sisters in Canyon, Elysburg have not picked out suitable housing. Elysburg is looking to move or build new - it is in their Friends of Carmel newsletter. Just my opinion but think better planning may be in order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiquitunga Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 The Sisters went to Elysburg at the invitation of Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades (& the invitation of Bishop Cordileone, for the CA foundation) to come to the former vacant monastery there. I heard there are some problems with the current building, so they must have discerned that it was worth it for the long run to build a new monastery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inperpetuity Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 The Sisters went to Elysburg at the invitation of Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades (& the invitation of Bishop Cordileone, for the CA foundation) to come to the former vacant monastery there. I heard there are some problems with the current building, so they must have discerned that it was worth it for the long run to build a new monastery. Ah yes, and the property and location in Elysburg are beautiful. I visited there two years ago and was captivated by the beauty and silence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StayingFaithful Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 No question they were invited by Bishop(s) but I remain doubtful about the "discernment" process to choose either of these locations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AugustineA Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Carmelites spirituality in a homey lodge? Yes please. I want to sneak into the room with the books and read them by candlelight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reminiscere Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Are you serious? If you're not a member of these communities, what right do you have to question the Nuns' decision, even if you had a relative there, or were a donor? I'm sure that the availability or location was seen as a manifestation of Divine Providence or God's Will. The foundations of St. Teresa of Jesus were marked by many trials and the properties/buildings were far from perfect, so I guess you would doubt her "discernment" process, too. No question they were invited by Bishop(s) but I remain doubtful about the "discernment" process to choose either of these locations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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