beccasmiles89 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Hey there! I was wondering if anyone has visited either the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in St. Louis or the Dominican Nuns in Summit, NJ (or both! :)). I am hoping to visit later this year and just wanted to hear what your thoughts are. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deusluxmea Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I visited the chapel of the Summit Dominicans and it was so lovely. Hoping someone will chime in.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) The vocation director of the Summit Dominicans, Sr. Mary Catharine, visits here sometimes. I've never visited but she could probably tell you quite a bit. :) Edited January 17, 2014 by MaterMisericordiae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToJesusMyHeart Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I have visited the Discalced Carms in St. Louis. Their chapel is wonderful, and the nuns are so cheerful!! When I was there they had one 20-something postulant and a few novices. That was in 2012. Do you have specific questions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immanuel Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 welcome to the pham, becca :welcome: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beccasmiles89 Posted January 21, 2014 Author Share Posted January 21, 2014 Thank you all for your reponses! MaterMisericordiae, I've actually been in touch with Sr. Mary Catharine - she's been very helpful! ToJesusMyHeart, that is wonderful to hear!! I am planning to visit them in June; I'll be in St. Louis for a vocation retreat with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, and I'll be visiting the Discalced Carmelites before I head back home. It will just be a parlor visit this summer, but I'm hoping to go back for a longer visit later this year perhaps. As for specific questions, like I said, I've been communicating with Sr. Mary Catharine, and I've also been emailing back and forth with the prioress of the Discalced Carmelites in St. Louis. They've been answering some of my more "technical" questions, but I guess I'm curious to see what you all thought of the sisters themselves. Did they seem happy/joyful/cheerful, or a little more on the somber side? Would you say that the community was more strict or easy-going? Thank you again! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MargaretTeresa Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I'll try to talk my friend Emilie into getting on here... She LOVES the Summit Dominicans. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Thank you all for your reponses! MaterMisericordiae, I've actually been in touch with Sr. Mary Catharine - she's been very helpful! ToJesusMyHeart, that is wonderful to hear!! I am planning to visit them in June; I'll be in St. Louis for a vocation retreat with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, and I'll be visiting the Discalced Carmelites before I head back home. It will just be a parlor visit this summer, but I'm hoping to go back for a longer visit later this year perhaps. As for specific questions, like I said, I've been communicating with Sr. Mary Catharine, and I've also been emailing back and forth with the prioress of the Discalced Carmelites in St. Louis. They've been answering some of my more "technical" questions, but I guess I'm curious to see what you all thought of the sisters themselves. Did they seem happy/joyful/cheerful, or a little more on the somber side? Would you say that the community was more strict or easy-going? Thank you again! :) My friend is a 2nd year novice with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart in St. Louis. She is in seclusion right now preparing for 1st vows in July! It is a WONDERFUL community. I visited them in August 2008. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beccasmiles89 Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 My friend is a 2nd year novice with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart in St. Louis. She is in seclusion right now preparing for 1st vows in July! It is a WONDERFUL community. I visited them in August 2008. :) Oh that is wonderful about your friend! How exciting! Did you do a retreat with them or just visit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Oh that is wonderful about your friend! How exciting! Did you do a retreat with them or just visit? I went on retreat with them to meet my friend as she had been telling me about them for quite a while. It was my FIRST ever discernment retreat after I started discerning in Dec. 2007. I met my friend online through Facebook and she lived a different state so that was odd for me to do that - to meet someone in person that I only knew online. But she is one of my best friends and I'm so glad I know her! Unfortunately, though, I got sick while on retreat so I wasn't able to do a tour of the home. I do know a lot of information about them since I discerned with the Northern Province as well (the St. Louis convent is part of the Central Province). Please ask any questions and I will try to answer them. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToJesusMyHeart Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 ToJesusMyHeart, that is wonderful to hear!! I am planning to visit them in June; I'll be in St. Louis for a vocation retreat with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, and I'll be visiting the Discalced Carmelites before I head back home. It will just be a parlor visit this summer, but I'm hoping to go back for a longer visit later this year perhaps. As for specific questions, like I said, I've been communicating with Sr. Mary Catharine, and I've also been emailing back and forth with the prioress of the Discalced Carmelites in St. Louis. They've been answering some of my more "technical" questions, but I guess I'm curious to see what you all thought of the sisters themselves. Did they seem happy/joyful/cheerful, or a little more on the somber side? Would you say that the community was more strict or easy-going? Thank you again! :) Definitely very joyful! Smiles on all their faces. Many hearty belly-laughs were had. They definitely follow their constitutions, but I do think easy-going is a good adjective for them. Very accommodating, very faithful, very lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beccasmiles89 Posted January 24, 2014 Author Share Posted January 24, 2014 I went on retreat with them to meet my friend as she had been telling me about them for quite a while. It was my FIRST ever discernment retreat after I started discerning in Dec. 2007. I met my friend online through Facebook and she lived a different state so that was odd for me to do that - to meet someone in person that I only knew online. But she is one of my best friends and I'm so glad I know her! Unfortunately, though, I got sick while on retreat so I wasn't able to do a tour of the home. I do know a lot of information about them since I discerned with the Northern Province as well (the St. Louis convent is part of the Central Province). Please ask any questions and I will try to answer them. :) Oh very neat about your friend! It sounds like you were meant to be friends! :) This will be my very first vocation retreat, as well! I'm very excited!! That's a bummer you were sick during the retreat. Looking at their website, they sound like a wonderful community, and I like how they combine the active and contemplate lifestyles. Do you mind sharing some about what the retreat was like? Definitely very joyful! Smiles on all their faces. Many hearty belly-laughs were had. They definitely follow their constitutions, but I do think easy-going is a good adjective for them. Very accommodating, very faithful, very lovely. That is wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing! :) I'm so looking forward to meeting them!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Oh very neat about your friend! It sounds like you were meant to be friends! :) This will be my very first vocation retreat, as well! I'm very excited!! That's a bummer you were sick during the retreat. Looking at their website, they sound like a wonderful community, and I like how they combine the active and contemplate lifestyles. Do you mind sharing some about what the retreat was like? That is wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing! :) I'm so looking forward to meeting them!! Taking into account this retreat was over 5 years ago, I wouldn't be surprised that things have changed. I remember spending a lot of time with the Sisters, especially the last night since we had dinner in the community's private garden. We played "Ghost in the Graveyard." The retreatants took a tour of the elderly home and childcare center. I saw neither of these because I stayed in my room most of the time due to being ill. Sr. Mary Joseph, the Provincial Superior took the retreatants to the St. Louis Cathedral. Auxiliary Bishop Ed Rice (then Monsignor) came and gave a conference on vocation discernment. Most of our meals were taken in the dining room adjacent to the elderly home's dining room. We had Confession on Saturday (they have it every 2 weeks with their Chaplain). The Masses I was able to attend were beautiful. I was there during the Assumption of the Virgin Mary but I had to miss Mass, unfortunately. I finally started feeling better at the end of the retreat and, when everyone left (including my friend), I stayed one extra night because of reduced airfare. The Sisters allowed me to pray with them in their private oratory behind the chapel which was INCREDIBLE! It was so beautiful being with them. You usually don't go back there unless you have entered but I was the only retreatant left so they didn't want me to have to pray the Divine Office on my own on in the public part of the Chapel in the dark. :) I hope this answers your question. If not, please let me know if you would like any specifics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandelynmarie Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 I have a question, how does St. Louis pray the Office? Recto tono? Simplified Gregorian? English? Latin? I'm very curious :blush: & thank you.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eowyn Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Mater, what is "Ghost in the Graveyard?" :hehe2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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