Reflections on the first meeting of St. Joseph’s Association by an Observer

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By the title of this piece, you may think we met in Rome, especially when I tell you who we met in the airport!   Actually, the meeting was in Darien, Illinois, at the National Shrine of our Carmelite saint who found her vocation “in the Heart of the Church.”  As she discovered that heart to be beating with love, we, too, experienced the love of Holy Mother Church in obeying her directives to have this meeting.   

I have already anticipated your question—why was St. Joseph’s Association having a meeting?  Isn’t that the association that is distinctive for not having meetings?  The answer to the first question is simple—in obedience to Holy Mother Church.  For the second question, since Blessed John Henry Newman will soon be canonized, I hope you don’t mind if I employ his seven notes of a true development of doctrine.    (Please forgive me if I do so incorrectly!)  So as not to delay us too long on this point, we’ll just look at two of them.  The first note is the preservation of type.  Bl. J. H. Newman warns, “Corruptions are often not so unlike externally to the doctrine from which they come, as are changes which are consistent with it and true developments.”  For example, a baby has the same number of arms, legs, and ears, as he will have as an adult.  A baby who has lost an arm may look more like the original baby than the adult does, but the loss of the arm is a corruption.  Likewise, in light of Cor Orans, if we had continued not to have meetings, we may have looked like the same association, but it would have been a corruption, because we were founded on faithfulness to Holy Mother Church.  Let’s skip to the third note: the power of assimilation.  That is the ability to incorporate from external sources, like breathing or eating.  If you can’t assimilate air or food, you die!   Accordingly, we are trying to take in the healthy nourishment that the Holy Spirit has given us through the directives from our Mother, the Church.  Now to the meeting . . . .   

Packing list

• alarm clock
• mantle and communion veil
• white tunic of faith
• green coat of hope
• red toga of charity

We traveled to Darien on Our Holy Mother St. Teresa’s birthday, Thursday, March 28, 2019.    I was a bit overwhelmed by the number of people filing through the maze that led us through airport security—many more than one sees at a doctor’s office!  Although we were required to remove our sandals and cinctures, we thankfully didn’t need to take from our feet the readiness for the gospel of peace or the girdle of chastity from around our waist!   In fact, the whole “Armor of God” eluded the metal detectors—the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of justice, and the sword of the Spirit!

The kind benefactor whom the Des Plaines Carmel had arranged to pick us up from the O’Hare Airport in Chicago had snacks ready for us in the car.  The Infant Jesus must have told her that I like bananas!  May God reward her!  When we arrived at the Carmelite Spirituality Center on the campus of the National Shrine of St. Therese, we were greeted with embraces from our dear sisters from Rochester and Des Plaines, who had arrived early to welcome us all.  It was a joy finally to meet them in person!  At this first Assembly meeting of St. Joseph’s Association, there were 17 nuns, plus Fr. Daniel Chowning, OCD, who participated in all of the meetings, celebrated Holy Mass for us, and gave us well‐prepared conferences each day.  The nuns came from nine Carmels, and represented, I believe, nearly 100 nuns.   

Soon after arriving, a number of us were in the lobby, talking, and I spoke briefly with Fr. Daniel Chowning, expressing concern about some of the new directives in Cor Orans.  For example, the higher minimum number of nuns needed to remain an autonomous monastery, compounded with a longer time of formation.    When a community loses a chapter member, now it will take longer until there will be a new one.  Father said to trust in God—times have changed, and He’s asking something new of us.  That helped set the tenor of the whole weekend for me.

We commenced the meeting that evening with Vespers and Holy Mass.  In the Homily, Father commented on the first reading from Jeremiah (7:23‐28) and asked us, “What word is God speaking to us?”  He encouraged us that we would hear Him through the scriptures and through others.

By the next morning, we were all together.  Our dear sisters from Sacramento had finally arrived in the night after spending most of the day at the Phoenix airport!   We had Lauds and Holy Mass together, as we did each morning.  Speaking on the Gospel of the day of the two great commandments (Mark 12:28‐34), Father said that, in the incarnation, love of God and love of neighbor have become one.  We cannot fulfill these commandments on our own, but God wants to place His love in us.

At breakfast that morning, we were introduced to “energy balls” – I can’t remember all that was in them, but they were really good!  The gracious kitchen staff made them especially for us, to give us the needed energy for our meetings, which were about to begin!    We had a rigorous schedule, but it was very fruitful.   Because of all the preparatory work done by Mother Therese and others, we were able to get through all of the association statutes.    The tables in the meeting room were set up in a large square, with the chairs around the outside and a beautiful statue of Our Holy Father St. Joseph in the middle.  It was a very cordial atmosphere, and even though I was just an observer, I was able to ask questions and make comments, for which I am grateful

I enjoyed sitting with different nuns at our meals, getting to know them all, and hearing about each of their communities.  It was during our lunch break that we had an opportunity to go to the Shrine and museum of St. Therese.    A group of us went to the museum the first day and saw the replica of St. Therese’s cell through glass, as well as a number of relics, including a map she drew of North America!  The next day at supper, I heard from the group that had gone that second day that a nice, young man had let them go inside her cell, and they were able to touch the authentic window, door, and floor tiles that had been brought overfrom Lisieux!   They said the young man (named Dimitri) had told them he would be there the next day, as well.  So, of course, a group of us went, again, the third day.  He was indeed there and let us in.  We had pictures taken and touched holy cards to the relics.  I even had the opportunity to sit on the little stool in her cell for a few minutes and “look out” her very large window to see what she would have seen!  (Dimitri was one of the ones who went to Lisieux to pick up the relics and explained to us that they took a picture of the view of the inner courtyard from her cell window and then made it into a poster, which was placed behind the window in the museum.)  It turns out that St. Therese had two cell doors— one going into an anteroom and the other going into the cell proper.  The Carmel in Lisieux kept the inner door, on which the saint carved, “Jesus is Love,” I believe.  So, it was the outer door that we were able to touch.    That was really special, knowing that she had touched it, whereas the window might have been re‐painted since then and have new glass….  (The door “knob” was neat; it lifted a lever on the other side of the door.)

Each afternoon, Fr. Daniel Chowning gave us a conference, which the sisters at home could watch via “Zoom.”   The first conference was a prayerful meditation on drawing up a community plan of life; the second conference focused on adapting interiorly—“where there is interior depth, outward change takes place peacefully”; and the third conference was on prayer.  In addition, he gave us an excellent talk on visitations and made numerous helpful suggestions during the meetings from his wisdom and experience, for which we are very grateful.

On Saturday, Fr. Jude Peters, OCD, concelebrated Holy Mass with Fr. Chowning, and the latter spoke in the homily on the day’s gospel parable of the Pharisee and the publican (Lk 18:9‐14) – religious need to be careful of Pharaseeism.  Be merciful; all of us are weak, and only by God’s grace can we keep our vows.  At some point in the weekend, I heard one of the nuns comment that we were a mix of 1990 and 1991 constitutions, and yet we couldn’t tell who was which—we all seemed the same and united!

Later that morning, we had our first St. Joseph’s Association elections, and I was impressed at how smoothly it all went.  As mentioned, Fr. Chowning gave the conference on “Interior Adaptation” that afternoon, and I again noted the theme of trust—not clinging to the past or trying to control the future, but rather trusting in God Who is met in the present.    After Vespers that evening, we sang “Salve Regina” to Our Blessed Mother in union with all our sisters back at home.  

The Council of St. Joseph’s Association:
Sr. Mary Elizabeth - Coordinator
Sr. Gabriela
Mother Bethany 
Mother Therese
Sr. John 
Mother Celine

On Laetare Sunday, our sister sacristan, who I am grateful to for allowing me to help, and who was also affectionately called “Sister Mic” for carrying the microphone across the room when needed during our meetings, creatively made the sanctuary festive, having only an extra pink stole and a bouquet of flowers.   Father’s homily focused on that day’s gospel of the parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15:1‐3, 11‐32) – we are in the merciful gaze of the Father; let us ask for the grace like St. Therese (at whose Shrine we were) to know God’s love for us as we are and not as we would like to be.   

While going through the statutes, we spoke about some of the new procedures concretized by Cor Orans.  For example, the now required one year of aspirancy.  It was suggested that this designation is for a young woman who has become serious in her desire to enter a particular Carmel—she is no longer looking at other communities or dating.  It was mentioned that Archbishop Carballo advised religious to gradually introduce young women into the life of the community and to be careful who is invited into the privacy of the enclosure (“live‐in”).   

Another example is the process of affiliation, where one Carmel is placed under the governance of another Carmel for a certain period of time to see if the Carmel will be viable to be on its own, again, or if it needs to close.  At first, I thought of this as something to be avoided, but now I see what a mercy it is.  In fact, meeting the nuns from the different Carmels gave me peace that we’re not alone and that if we ever need help, affiliation, amalgamation, dispersion, whatever, that we have a wider group of sisters who hopefully would be able to help.

That evening after supper, the last day of Our Holy Father St. Joseph’s month, five of us had an impromptu procession to an outdoor statue of him.   We tried singing, but we didn’t have one in common that we all had memorized.  Perhaps we can swap hymns sometime?  Then, after vespers, about eight of us held a spontaneous recreation in one of the sitting areas, as it was our last evening together.

At Mass on Monday morning, Fr. Chowning, once more, brought up the theme of trust in his homily on the day’s gospel (Jn 4:43‐54).  Sometimes we wonder why nothing changes in a situation we are praying for; we have a need for signs.  He encouraged us to pray, “I believe; help my lack of trust!”  Breakfast was followed by more goodbyes (some sisters had already left earlier in the morning and had said goodbye the night before) and embraces.  I left with renewed hope.

On our return flight, the two flight attendants in the back of the plane spoke to me after we landed and were waiting to disembark.  I was in the last row (Mother and Sister were a few rows ahead of me) and was standing, because I was feeling queasy after the bumpy ride and hard landing.  (Just before that, I had even checked to see if they still provided the nice plastic‐lined paper bag in the seat‐back pocket in front of me that I used to need on most every flight I was on as a child.  Thankfully, they do.)  The flight attendants commented that even they were feeling a little sick after that flight.  For one of them, it was her fourth flight that day, and she had to go catch another flight to go home to Atlanta!  I said I didn’t know how they could do it and thanked them for what they do.  To which, the one about to get on her fifth flight replied, “And thank you for what you do!”

If you remember, I mentioned meeting someone in the airport at the beginning of this article.  Since you have persevered to the end, perhaps you are interested to know who it was.  Have you heard of Joan Lewis, EWTN’s Rome correspondent?  Well, while we were waiting at our gate in O’Hare for our return flight, I saw a woman who looked just like her.  Sister encouraged me to go ask her if she was Joan Lewis.  I declined, saying that perhaps she just looks like her.  A little later, she was speaking with someone, and I could hear her voice.  I said, “It even sounds like Joan Lewis!”  We were in the last boarding group and were practically the last ones to get on the plane.  As I was making my way down the aisle, the woman who looked like Joan Lewis was already seated.  Seeing me, she asked if I was an Albertine.

 I replied, “No, a Carmelite.  

Are you Joan Lewis?” She said, “Yes,” and we shook hands!

There wasn’t time for further conversation as the plane was getting ready for takeoff.  After we landed, Mother, Sister, and I were one of the last ones off the plane, and I was saying that I hoped we would see our famous co‐passenger in the baggage claim and be able to talk to her some more.  But, as soon as we came out of the passageway from the plane, there she was waiting for us!  We talked for a good five minutes.  She wondered how I had recognized her.  We explained that, unfortunately, we do not follow “Joan’s Rome,” but that I had remembered seeing her a couple times over the years on the rare occasions that we watch the Holy Father.  She told us the reason she had asked if I was an Albertine was that their sisters had been caregivers for Cardinal George.  Lastly, she was delighted to hear that our monastery is in the diocese of Metuchen and asked us to give her greetings to her good friend Bishop Checchio, whom she knows from his years as rector of the North American College. We found our devoted externs in the baggage claim area and arrived home about an hour later, amid much rejoicing.   In fact, although it may have been expressed differently—the sisters in Loreto had an unusual poster welcoming them home, while our sisters sang, “Now Thank We All Our God”—I am certain there was much rejoicing in all the Carmels as the Mothers and Sisters returned to their communities.  Deo Gratias!

Post Script: I want to conclude by thanking Our Lord for all those whose generosity made the travel and the meeting possible—the generous benefactor who remembered our Carmel in his will, allowing us to be able to send an extra nun (me), our externs who drove us to and from the airport, our sisters at home who doubled‐up on work while we were away and prayed for us, the gracious friends of Des Plaines who drove us to the Spirituality Center and then also back to the airport, the cooks and staff at the Center, Fr. Daniel Chowning, OCD, for his invaluable presence, Mother Therese and all those who helped plan the meeting, all the nuns who attended the meeting and gave the loving and cooperative atmosphere, Dimitri who let us into St. Therese’s cell, the sisters of Des Plaines for the lovely Mass and Office booklets, and the Carmels of Cristo Rey, Loreto, and Des Plaines for the gifts we could bring back to our sisters at home

 

 

 

 

 

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The Council of St. Joseph’s Association:

Sr. Mary Elizabeth, Des Plaines Carmel- Coordinator
Sr. Gabriela, Flemington Carmel
Mother Bethany, Sacramento Carmel
Mother Therese, Rochester Carmel
Sr. John, Loretto Carmel?
Mother Celine, Loretto Carmel

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The Current and Updated Counsil of St. 

On 2/29/2024 at 12:33 PM, graciandelamadrededios said:

t. Joseph’s Association:

The Current and Updated Council of St. Joseph’s Association:

Sr. Mary Elizabeth (Des Plaines) President
Sr. Gabriela (Flemington)
Mother Mary Bethany (Georgetown)
Mother Teresa Benedicta (Launceston, Tasmania)
Sr. Celine (Loretto)
Mother Paul Augustine (Rochester) Treasurer
Sr. Victoria Maria (Georgetown) Secretary