Brooklyn Carmel Website

[littlebell]

Perhaps other Phatmassers are aware that the Brooklyn Carmel has a website, but I was not. Given the reputation that the Brooklyn Carmel has for being very strict and the nuns being hidden from almost everyone, I was surprised to see they have a website:

https://brooklyncarmel.org/

I think this is a great way for the nuns to make their way of life known to others, while the individual nuns remain hidden from the world. 

[Guest]

Something important to highlight on the website:

Quote

Serious medical conditions would make it difficult for someone to live and work as a consecrated person. A vocation to the religious life supposes, then, not only a supernatural inclination or desire to embrace it, but an aptitude or fitness for its duties. God cannot act inconsistently. https://brooklyncarmel.org/basic-requirements

At times, it is not sufficiently pointed out that with a call from God and a vocation, God gifts what is necessary to live out that particular vocation and in a particular community of a religious order.  I think it is up to the community and leadership to discern if an applicant has what is necessary to live the religious life in their particular community, as well as the applicant to discern as well.  It will probably take a live-in with the community for an initial determination.  After that, postulancy and noviciate, temporary vows up to final profession are further stages of discernment by both applicant and the community.  

[Nunsuch]

13 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Something important to highlight on the website:

At times, it is not sufficiently pointed out that with a call from God and a vocation, God gifts what is necessary to live out that particular vocation and in a particular community of a religious order.  I think it is up to the community and leadership to discern if an applicant has what is necessary to live the religious life in their particular community, as well as the applicant to discern as well.  It will probably take a live-in with the community for an initial determination.  After that, postulancy and noviciate, temporary vows up to final profession are further stages of discernment by both applicant and the community.  

Exactly. There seems to be a presumption on this and other vocation sites that the "feeling" of the potential candidate is all that really matters. Discernment is fundamentally two-sided and mutual, and it is not a one-time thing but an ongoing process. A sister I know who just celebrated her Diamond (60-year) Jubilee said last summer that she prayed every day for fidelity to her vocation.

[Dymphna]

This is possibly OT, but since the subject was already brought up:

20 hours ago, Nunsuch said:

Exactly. There seems to be a presumption on this and other vocation sites that the "feeling" of the potential candidate is all that really matters.

I wouldn't blame the people discerning a vocation for having this assumption. Because, at least in my part of the world, the idea of vocation to religious orders comes up in public media almost exclusively with remarks like "not many are willing to choose this way of life anymore", "most people today shy away from lifelong commitment" etc. - giving the impression that it is indeed a decision of the candidate only. Whereas in fact religous communities today are more selective in their acceptance criteria - at least that's what a VD told me: Today, only someone who can work hard and be fully responsible can be accepted, whereas 50 years ago someone who needed more support could get that because the communities were under less intense work pressure. (She was talking about active orders.)

I can see that communities want to attract applications, but I think they could make it more clear in public statements that there are two sides to the process - as the Brooklyn Carmel does, to bring this a little bit back on topic

[Antoniette]

This is a great joy. For years since the Council, Brooklyn was a strict anomaly, perhaps even made fun of by other Carmels. There were some negative comments made about them in a NY Times article in the 70's. I am glad that the Website doesn't "dish" or speculate about why they closed. Great credit must be given to Mother Miriam of Buffalo, who took in three nuns, two elderly and one ill. The same for the Dallas Carmel, who took in one of their prioresses, Mother Ange, and the same for Lanherne/St. Helens and Nottinghill Carmel in England (closings and amalgams) where the last sister from the closing still prays for us. While a lot of attention is given to the wonderful success of Valpairiso and its daughter foundations, Brooklyn deserves a serious inquiry from aspirants to Carmel life. I only hope, this wonderful website draws deserved vocations to them! I wish they had maintained that glorious original building, but apartment houses immediately adjacent to the grounds overlooked the walls, compromising enclosure, and the neighborhood had bottomed out. (Things are better now, with the old monastery serving as a senior living facility). God though, didn't want this powerhouse of prayer to disappear. He just moved it a tad north. Really a nice community location, next to the park.

[deusluxmea]

Hello,

You might enjoy these photos of Brooklyn Carmel I took a few years ago:

I only visited the public areas so I can't really speak to this community.