Visiting Carmel!

[zunshynn]

I'm going to visit the Carmelite Monastery of Cristo Rey in San Francisco this weekend! I'm super excited! This will be my first time visiting a monastery.

I've spoken to the Mother Superior, Mother Elizabeth on the phone and she sounds really nice.

They don't have a website, but there are some lovely pictures of their church [url="http://www.jnelson.com/Church%20Installs/carmelite_monastery.htm"]here[/url].

Pray for me!

[magnificat]

Prayers for you!!

It must be the weekend for retreats!

Let us know how it goes, ok?

[HisChild]

Ooooh, how exciting! I will pray for you, to be sure.

[zunshynn]

[quote name='magnificat' date='Mar 9 2006, 04:37 PM']Prayers for you!! 

It must be the weekend for retreats!

Let us know how it goes, ok?
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like you even have to ask.

Thanks!

[MC IMaGiNaZUN]

[quote name='zunshynn' date='Mar 9 2006, 06:32 PM']I'm going to visit the Carmelite Monastery of Cristo Rey in San Francisco this weekend! I'm super excited! This will be my first time visiting a monastery.

I've spoken to the Mother Superior, Mother Elizabeth on the phone and she sounds really nice.

They don't have a website, but there are some lovely pictures of their church [url="http://www.jnelson.com/Church%20Installs/carmelite_monastery.htm"]here[/url].

Pray for me!
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That monastery is down the street from one of our Formation Houses. Also located next to the campus of USF. I have been around and seen the area, but not the monastery.

Interested in Carmel? I grew up in the neighboorhood of these sisters: You should give them a looksee.
[url="http://carmelitegeneralate.homestead.com/"]http://carmelitegeneralate.homestead.com/[/url]

Edited March 10, 2006 by MC IMaGiNaZUN

[Sixtina87]

looks awesome...good luck and take lots of pics for us!!!!! you know how we love pics!!!!

[TeresaAvila]

Please be assurred of my prayers for a safe journey and fruitful retreat!

God Bless You!

[brandelynmarie]

Prayers & blessings for you!

[ThyWillBeDone]

Carmalite are so awesome. I visit the monestary a few times a year, their chapel is awesome, well atleast the side we are allowed on
God Bless

[zunshynn]

Oh my gosh, the chapel is so incredibly beautiful. I loved it. The sister that I got to meet were wonderful too. My first day I met with Mother Elizabeth in the speak room, who is just so sweet and funny. I thought it would be really wierd to talk to someone through bars, but in some ways it was kind of nice. Like--you get to know them more intimately, as strange as it sounds, because its a reminder that they are apart from the world in order to offer themselves up to contemplation for our sake. She talked about Carmel and how happy she is with her life, then she had to go to pray with the sisters.

Then I put my things in my room--which was quaint and had a nice view. They were having a secular carmelite day on Saturday, so I got to meet Fr. Michael who was also staying there to conduct the retreat thing. and I went to see the chapel. It was so beautiful. When I get my film developed I'll show you the pictures. Although I don't think the pictures will show how beautiful it is at all. Their extern is on pilgrimage to Israel right now, so there is a couple there taking care of the chapel while she is gone, and they were really nice about letting me into the monastery and everything.

Then I went up for lunch at about 12.30 which they gave me through a dumbwaiter. I think the meal they gave me was different from their normal meals, because they gave me turkey, and they abstain from meat all year. And then some veggies and a pastry, and a soda (although I don't drink soda... but it was nice of them to give it to me) I guess they got a lot of food the other day, and alot of it they cant eat, lol. so they're giving alot of it away.

Then I met with Mother Elizabeth and some other sisters again, and a novice. (I can't remember their names though... but they were nice carmelite sounding names). It was kind of funny though, because it was the novice that was really grilling me about my suitability for the monastery. They were incredibly nice though. They all loved the Blessed Sacrament medal that I wear so I let them see it.

Then the secular carmelites had a very beautiful mass at 2.30 that I got to attend. Then I stayed to pray in the chapel some more and took some pictures. Normally, the chapel is closed to the public at 4.30, but they allowed me to stay by myse;f so I could here them chant vespers and the rosary. They're a biligual community, so they have the office in English for two weeks, and then spanish for two weeks, and I caught them on the first day of Spanish, so I didn't understand it, but it was so beutiful that didn't matter. I've never heard the office, like for real, so that was awesome. They sing inside a choir on the right side of the altar, with a grille you know, so they open the shutters so that Jesus can hear them from the tabernacle, but there is a black curtain so that you can't see them, but you can hear.

At 5.30 the people who are taking care of the chapel came to pick me up and lock up again. After the rosary the sacristans come out to prepare for mass the next day, and they can't be seen at all, so I had to leave which meant I didn't get to hear Compline and Matins but that was okay. I went home and had the house to myself for awhile as the couple went out to eat, so I tried to pray a little but I was having alot of difficulty for some reason so I read a little. Then the couple came and we chatted awhile about my vocation and other stuff and they were awfully nice. And I went to bed at about 9 and I slept very well.

At 5 AM I woke up (that is when the Sisters rise too) and I went with the couple to the chapel at six and it is very beautiful in the morning. They had Lauds at 6:30 and that was beautiful. Then they had Mass at 7 am with a visiting priest who was very nice and a young woman that he was with me gave me a holy card of a woman named Blessed Anne Marie Taigi I think. The mass was awesome with a lovely homily about the Transfiguration. The priest celebrates ad orientem (at least on Sunday... he didn't at the secular carmelite mass) and it's very beautiful and for the first time since I went to the mass at the EWTN thing in SF I didn't notice any liturgical abuses and that was really nice. The sisters open the black curtain of the grille for mass so they can see, and so I could see them when they recieved communion.

Because it was the second sunday of the month they had 40 hours of adoration after mass and that was very beautiful too. It is a "day of recollection" for them so they don't really recieve visitors, and they stay in adoration most of the day. I was lucky to get to meet them in the speakroom---that is really for special guests, most people use what is called a turn, this little turning niche that you can hear them, but not see them through. Adoration was so nice... I kind of realized that as lovely as they were, I think if I were to become a contemplative, I really want perpetual adoration. I love how they do the divine office though. They prayed Terce after Mass and then I prayed the Way of the Cross and some private prayers in the chapel (did I mention how beautiful it was? )

I met with Mother Elizabeth and the prioress before her, Mother Mary Joseph at nine and they were so funny. We had a wonderful talk, and she gave me a book about St. Teresa of the Andes which looks good so far.

Then they had to go to sing Sext and None and I got to listen to that too, and then I prayed some more. They gave me lunch at 12.30 again but they were a little late so I started reading Journal of a Soul by John XXIII which is AWESOME. They gave me turkey soup, some tomato, avocado and BAKLAVA (mmmm!) which was obviously also quite good.

Then I went back to the chapel and prayed the rosary. Then when I got up from praying the rosary there was this lady that I recognized from somewhere praying, and so I stared for a second. and then was embarrassed for staring . Then I realized she was Eva Muntean, one of the founders of Walk for Life West Coast, which I knew alot about though I haven't been able to go. So I got up and thanked her for doing that and she said she was glad that I appreciated it. Then I prayed some more and my mom came at about 2 pm and she really liked the chapel too. So we went back to say goodbye to Mother Elizabeth and Mother let her take a picture of us together (through the grille of course) and I think that'll be cute. She told me to come back again any time, and that I'll probably join before I know it, lol.

So yeah, then I went home, and it was wonderful, and wow this is really long. I hope you enjoyed it!

Pax Christi,
Jen

(I'll post more about their community tomorrow)

Edited March 14, 2006 by zunshynn

[Marieteresa]

wow it sounds like you had a wonderful visit!! your visit reminds me of a visit I made to the Carmelites in Michigan. I would to see pictures of that Carmel! I wish they had a website....Oh well. Please share your pictures when you get them!


In JMJ

[magnificat]

Wow that's awesome! Sounds like you had quite a weekend! Interesting about the turn-thing they use to speak through. I'd never heard of that before.

[HisChild]

I am glad you had such a wonderful time. There's something special about Carmel. When I visited Carmel, I had to speak with the sisters in the speak room and the turn, (we have a turn in Ohio as well) but I wonder why they wouldn't allow you to participate Compline if you were discerning with them. Will you be returning to visit again? How was praying in Spanish, did you find that difficult? Would you be able to pray in Spanish as a nun? I will pray for you as you continue your discernment.

God bless you.

[uruviel]

Do they have a website?

[zunshynn]

[quote name='PCPA2Be' date='Mar 13 2006, 04:21 PM']I am glad you had such a wonderful time.  There's something special about Carmel.  When I visited Carmel, I had to speak with the sisters in the speak room and the turn, (we have a turn in Ohio as well) but I wonder why they wouldn't allow you to participate Compline if you were discerning with them.  Will you be returning to visit again?  How was praying in Spanish, did you find that difficult?  Would you be able to pray in Spanish as a nun?  I will pray for you as you continue your discernment.

God bless you.
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Well, see after their rosary two of the sisters open the grille and come into the chapel to get ready for mass the next day, and no one can see them, so I had to leave and the chapel was locked. Mother didn't seem to want to have the chapel opened again after they went in and then closed after Matins—perhaps it was too complicated... and since it IS San Francisco that could be dangerous for the nuns security... so I didn't want to push it. Plus, it may be just that they want to know that I'm pretty serious about their community... as it was my first experience with a monastery, and I still didn't know if I was called to contemplative or active life.

I may return simply because they have a beautiful mass, and chapel and prayers... just to pray there. But I don't think I'm called to their community. Like I said, I realized that adoration is so deeply important to me... I mean it's where I fell in love with Jesus ... I want to enter an order that has more emphasis on adoration... preferably perpetual. It did give me the feeling that I really am going to find the most fulfillment in contemplative life... which is still a little scary at this point.

I didn't really pray the office with them, because I didn't have a breviary and it was actually the first time I've heard the office at all. My experience has just been reading it on occasion by myself. I didn't have the best year of spanish... so I would definitely have to start learning it in the community for the most part... which I know God would help me with... but like I said, I don't believe I'm called here. They were wonderful... but... I want to love Him in the Blessed Sacrament. The thought of him all alone in the tabernacle when I could be with Him in adoration is... I don't know. I admire their goal to be in union with Christ in all things... but the Eucharist is so close to my heart... I want to devote my life to adoration. I don't know. My mom says that if someone is a contemplative it probably wont matter to much at that point if he was exposed or not. But I think it would to me. I do want an order that chants most of the hours of the office though. That was wonderful.

Thanks for your prayers!