Carmelite spirituality and books in a convent

[MarysLittleFlower]

Hello,

I'm just kind of curious about this.. I'm looking into a Carmelite community and someone I know who was a postulant with them told me that when she entered, she was told she could bring some Carmelite books. Of course that makes sense. Yet I'm wondering - do Carmelites typically only read Carmelite books? If someone has other approved books, would they be typically able to bring them and donate them to the Carmel, maybe after becoming a novice? Or is it like if a community says you can only bring Carmelite books, those are the only books you'll be reading as a nun there? Disclaimer.. I'm not going to choose an order based on this. I have a nice book collection but I'll go where God calls me. But I'm just wondering how this works? Does anyone know just from past experience with Carmels? Are there cases where you can only donate Carmelite books as a postulant but later you can donate your other old books as well, - not as something to keep, but for the other Sisters to use as well? Or do Carmelites usually just read Carmelite books?

Thanks!

[truthfinder]

As per usual on VS, it depends on the community. 

[andibc]

Our daughter is a Carmelite (1990 constitituion) and she has mentioned books that weren't "just" about Carmelites.  She was also told that she could bring any extra Carmelite books with her when she entered.  I believe they just mention Carmelite books because they don't have a need for large quantities of books.  21 nuns is the official limit, although some go above that number before starting a new foundation.  They aren't reading as much as Dominicans, for example, so one nun might spend a month or two with one book and they do tend to draw more heavily from Carmelite writings.  A non-cloistered order might have different needs.

[John Paul]

I don't think any order has only books relating to the order or that would seem like a dry library and would only be able to learn about your order not other saints or Catholic Teachings.But I bet every Carmelite Library has the writings of Saint Teresa of Jesus,Saint John of the Cross and Saint Therese of the Child Jesus.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

One important thing to find out would be the reason that the postulant to this Community was told she could bring only Carmelite books, and a limited number of those. I suppose there could be Carmelite Communities where the Sisters only read Carmelite books, but I'd find it surprising if it were the case. There are an abundance of important spiritual works that have been written in the 2,000+ years of the life of the Church, and a great many of them are not Carmelite. For example, I can't imagine that Carmelites would not read the works of great saints such as St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, etc. etc. etc. 

My first thought is that the reason for the limitation is most likely a practical one. Perhaps the Community library is already overflowing with books, and it simply doesn't have room for a postulant to bring more than a certain number of books with her, even if the books are important spiritual works.

Andibc brought up several good  points above. Additionally, if the number of books a postulant brings needs to be be limited for practical reasons, it makes sense that the Community's greatest need might be for Carmelite books. Perhaps nuns in formation normally read more Carmelite books than non-Carmelite books, so the Community wants to try to be sure that any Carmelite book needed by a nun in formation is available in the library.

Now you've got me curious, so if you ask your friend if she knows why she was asked to bring only Carmelite books, that would be interesting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nunsuch]

I have been in the libraries of two Carmelite monasteries and they were both large and diverse in their holdings. Both communities put a lot of emphasis on spiritual reading--and reading in general--and also relied on library resources both from local public libraries and nearby colleges where they had borrowing privileges.  I would be wary of ANY community that limited its resources to only a narrow spectrum. This doesn't mean that "anything goes," but most religious today are well-read and continue to grow spiritually and intellectually through their entire lives. Also, people have different preferences and different things "touch" different people. I would hope that most communities these days would recognize and appreciate such factors....

[Mags]

The Carmelites at Notting Hill have two libraries, one which has books on theology and spirituality, including ones on other religious orders; the other has various periodicals, autobiographies, crafts and a small fiction section. I cannot speak for other communities though. 

[Charbel]

I definitely agree with the above responses. I think most Carmelite communities rely heavily on Carmelite writings (especially in the formation period) just because that is their spirituality, but that shouldn't stop them from reading other "non-Carmelite" books. I know of a Carmelite monastery that has a HUGE library and while there is a large quantity of Carmelite books, they definitely have other books! It's like the fiction book thing. Some read fiction, some don't (that also depends where you are in formation). Really, it depends on if they have the extra time or not and as always, the community.

There's no harm in asking either! Many questions I would still have no clue if I didn't ask. I know a few Carmelite nuns who are currently reading other stuff. Like one is reading St Faustina's diary. They like to read all the other saints too you know! I know a few who have strong devotions to non-Carmelite saints like St. Joan of Arc, St. Gemma, St. Benedict, etc.

I was told that any books I would like to bring I would have to ask, just because they already had such a large library and almost any book on Therese ever. Monastery's generally have a lot more things/donations than we think they do. Sometimes a postulant will enter and leave after some amount of time, but leave most of the stuff they brought with them as a donation. Then the nuns have an overflow of supplies and don't know what to do with it all. Another community I know had a woman in the area pass away and she left all of her books with the monastery. They had so many, they had to give most of them away! So I would just ask to ease your worry MLF

Everyone has had some really good points, especially Iggy's on the part about important spiritual works and practical reasons for limiting the number of books one brought 

Edited October 8, 2015 by Charbel

[josephine]

there might be another reason: maybe she will study carmelite writings when she's in formation.

i've heard a couple communities ask postulants to bring their own breviary and certain spiritual classics or theology books because they will study them. 

Again, it completely depends on the community as well. 

[Orans]

Hello,

I'm just kind of curious about this.. I'm looking into a Carmelite community and someone I know who was a postulant with them told me that when she entered, she was told she could bring some Carmelite books. Of course that makes sense. Yet I'm wondering - do Carmelites typically only read Carmelite books? If someone has other approved books, would they be typically able to bring them and donate them to the Carmel, maybe after becoming a novice? Or is it like if a community says you can only bring Carmelite books, those are the only books you'll be reading as a nun there? Disclaimer.. I'm not going to choose an order based on this. I have a nice book collection but I'll go where God calls me. But I'm just wondering how this works? Does anyone know just from past experience with Carmels? Are there cases where you can only donate Carmelite books as a postulant but later you can donate your other old books as well, - not as something to keep, but for the other Sisters to use as well? Or do Carmelites usually just read Carmelite books?

Thanks!

My guess is that at your postulant friend community they may be allowed to keep some Carmelite books for personal use if they have their own copy -as different from common books of the monastery Library.

[MarysLittleFlower]

Thanks for the replies! My friend mentioned she was given a list of things she had to bring... And then she mentioned Carmelite books and I don't know if that's a connection - that she needed to bring those? The way she said it works as a postulant is that your books are kept somewhere and you borrow one at a time. In one of their newsletters they quote from St Bridget (though the newsletter is put out by lay helpers) - I thought it could be that while in formation they encourage you to read Carmelite books but then later you can read anything approved? I don't know how many books they have in their library. I couldn't figure out.. If you can bring other books, if that would be after postulancy? Or is a donation a separate thing then the list they provided? I would ask if I visit them but it might easily look like I'm choosing an order based on books? I like my books on St Gemma, Blessed Dina Belanger and others but I do want to go where God sends me. Maybe I can ask what books they have and if there's a library and then ask if I can donate mine if I enter. Many of these books have profound spiritual value but of course God's Will is higher. 

I don't think its the case that they can only read Carmelite books, maybe that's for postulants? I'm still unsure what to do with all my books if I enter and if I'd be able to donate any. Maybe I can ask if I visit - just to know. 

[vee]

There are non Carmelite books??!?!

[AccountDeleted]

During formation, a Carmelite postulant usually reads The Way of Perfection (especially since it was written for Teresa's nuns), The Story of a Soul and at least one of St John of the Cross' books (probably The Ascent, but it could be anything). If the postulant has her own copies of Carmelite books, then by bringing them with her, she can read and re-read them as needed without returning them to the library. All of the convents I have been in have had large libraries, and no, Carmelite books are not the only ones - their libraries are usually filled with theological and spiritual books of every description. And they all had a small fiction section as well. 

But during postulancy, the important thing is to instill an understanding of Carmelite spirituality, so the focus is on Carmelite writings. One of my favorite Carmelite writers is Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. I loved that the libraries all had so many of her writings, even the ones that were not about the Carmelite life but about her family as well. At one library, they had an unpublished copy of a PhD thesis by Iain Matthews that discussed whether or not Jesus experienced the Dark Night of the Soul as described by St John. It was fascinating. There are a lot of treasures to be found in Carmelite convent libraries!

As for taking books to donate - it has been said already, most convents have an over abundance of books and don't need donations, unless they are very newly published works that they haven't purchased yet. So I would check with the Prioress about donating books. The last thing they need is unwanted books, especially if their libraries are as full as the ones I have seen!

 

 

[MarysLittleFlower]

That makes sense, thank you! if I ever enter I'd ask if they need any books I have then.