Photos of Brooklyn Discalced Carmelite Monastery Chapel

[deusluxmea]

I hope you'll enjoy these photos of the chapel and visitors' areas of the Brooklyn Discalced Carmelite Monastery. It is difficult to find information about this branch of the nuns online, although I believe they were founded from Buffalo Carmel and follow 1990 Constitutions. 

The monastery is in a residential area of Brooklyn, about ten minutes walk from the subway. As soon as I walked in, I was struck by the incredible spiritually-charged atmosphere, vibrating with the Holy Spirit. 

I walked around the grounds and all the doors to the chapel seemed locked shut. I hit the buzzer (and yes, I felt a bit sheepish) and a female voice said she'd let me into the chapel. The door buzzed again and I opened the door. There was a lobby with a large crucifix with some Catholic pamphlets and gifts for sale. There was a grille-type window area with a buzzer.

Downstairs, there was a big parlor area with what I assume is another "grille" time area for the nuns to talk to people. 

Beautiful chapel, impeccably clean and so peaceful. I wanted to stay forever. 

You will see that there was a large grille separating the nuns choir from the public area. There was a big black curtain covering the grille. I didn't see any nuns. I did hear the bells go shortly before 3pm and then I heard some voices praying the Divine Mercy chaplet behind the curtain.

 

[nikita92]

Thank you for posting these wonderful pictures!! I always love to see what the inside of convents and monasteries look like!!!

I hope you'll enjoy these photos of the chapel and visitors' areas of the Brooklyn Discalced Carmelite Monastery. It is difficult to find information about this branch of the nuns online, although I believe they were founded from Buffalo Carmel and follow 1990 Constitutions. 

The monastery is in a residential area of Brooklyn, about ten minutes walk from the subway. As soon as I walked in, I was struck by the incredible spiritually-charged atmosphere, vibrating with the Holy Spirit. 

I walked around the grounds and all the doors to the chapel seemed locked shut. I hit the buzzer (and yes, I felt a bit sheepish) and a female voice said she'd let me into the chapel. The door buzzed again and I opened the door. There was a lobby with a large crucifix with some Catholic pamphlets and gifts for sale. There was a grille-type window area with a buzzer.

Downstairs, there was a big parlor area with what I assume is another "grille" time area for the nuns to talk to people. 

Beautiful chapel, impeccably clean and so peaceful. I wanted to stay forever. 

You will see that there was a large grille separating the nuns choir from the public area. There was a big black curtain covering the grille. I didn't see any nuns. I did hear the bells go shortly before 3pm and then I heard some voices praying the Divine Mercy chaplet behind the curtain.

 

 

[Antoniette]

Many of the mosaics, statues, pews  and other artifacts are from the chapel of the original monastery on St. Johns Place, which closed in 1997. Three surviving sisters went to Buffalo with the hope of an eventual re-founding. Unfortunately, two were elderly, and the third became ill. They knew of the plans but were incapable of participating other than by prayer. They all passed before the sisters moved into Brooklyn. Buffalo had received prior transfers from Brooklyn, so the new foundation was a good fit. The chapel is amazingly clean, and so peaceful. I always notice that the thurible never shows signs of having had burning coals in it. The sisters form a truly beautiful, traditional Carmel, indeed 1990. Perhaps they are a bit over looked because of the success of the 3 traditional Tridentine Latin Carmels. They could use, and deserve vocations! That chapel and monastery must remain the beautiful oasis of prayer it is.

[vee]

They are featured in the first half of this video. 

 

 

[clk]

Do they have any public novenas?

[AccountDeleted]

I love the old architecture of the chapel. The outside is so unattractive (to me) but they have done nicely with the inside, and of course, the chapel is the best.

As for the clean thurible, I can tell you that take a lot of hard work to keep it looking that way. I was second sacristan at one convent and one of my jobs was to clean the thurible after use, and even with rubber gloves and a strong powder cleanser (for the inside bowl, not the outside), it took a long time to get it clean enough to pass muster. I much preferred polishing the outside and polishing the Benediction candlesticks. I was also not fond of lighting the thurible - we had incense that seemed to spark when I tried to light it. But I did enjoy the sacristy work overall.

I hope the chapel of this convent gets saved if they ever have to close down due to lack of vocations. It's just so lovely.

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

I love the old architecture of the chapel. The outside is so unattractive (to me) but they have done nicely with the inside, and of course, the chapel is the best.

As for the clean thurible, I can tell you that take a lot of hard work to keep it looking that way. I was second sacristan at one convent and one of my jobs was to clean the thurible after use, and even with rubber gloves and a strong powder cleanser (for the inside bowl, not the outside), it took a long time to get it clean enough to pass muster. I much preferred polishing the outside and polishing the Benediction candlesticks. I was also not fond of lighting the thurible - we had incense that seemed to spark when I tried to light it. But I did enjoy the sacristy work overall.

I hope the chapel of this convent gets saved if they ever have to close down due to lack of vocations. It's just so lovely.

​This building originally belonged to the Lithuanian Franciscan friars. It wasn't built to be a monastery and I believe it was a friary, either. So, it had to be renovated to add the choir.

[J.M.J.T.]

Thanks for the photos! This is one of the places I definitely miss in the U.S and the visits I made there were memorable. If you'll notice the address, it says Highland Blvd. so if you're gonna walk to get there, I'd suggest wearing comfortable shoes since that place is really on a boulevard that is on high land haha.

I've visited the Carmel a few times when I was in New York and the place was very solemn. I've talked to a sister through the turn and she was very nice and even gave me an advice one time. That statue of Christ by the turn is really moving and I like that the Nada Te Turbe was written in the style of St. Teresa's handwriting. I hope that they'll get a lot of vocations soon! So if you're discerning a vocation to be a Discalced Carmelite nun, I hope that you'll consider this Carmel.

P.S. I'm a guy so I'm not discerning with them :D

[deusluxmea]

Thanks for everyone's response, I was happy people liked the photos and added some background info.

JMJT, I am not discerning cloistered life (married), however, I hope these glimpses may inspire a discerner to visit sometime.