Kelly Enters Carmel

[Maria]

UPDATE:

September 2, 2007
Pax Christi!

Thank you everyone for all of the lovely emails that you sent regarding Kelly's entrance. It warmed our hearts and we were so touched to read how our sweet one has touched your lives as well. I wrote to her and told her about your responses and she was very pleased to be reminded of how many people care for her and are praying for her. You know that she is praying for you as well. So, since it has been just over three months since our Sister Kelly entered Carmel and we have now gotten three letters from her, I figured that it was time for an update.

In her first letter, she admitted to being a bit homesick and having a few ups and downs, but was adjusting very well and was very happy. I'll let her tell you in her own words. Here's a snippet from her first letter from early June:

"God reward you (nb- God reward you = Carmelite thank you) again for letting me enter so soon after graduation. I know that you felt like it was rushed, but it really was providential, because if it had been one of the later dates I would have missed some things that have been and will continue to be, I'm sure, most helpful. First, just a couple of days after I entered, we went on an eight-day retreat (no recreation, more prayer) in preparation for Pentecost. It was good to start off thinking about the most important things, and I came to appreciate both the feast of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit especially so much more than I had before. And then on Pentecost Sunday Sister Thérèse made her solemn profession, and it was such a grace to be able to see what I'm aiming at, you know? The Mass was a solemn high pontifical Mass, with the Bishop, and was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I think it was something like 2 ½ hours long. The Bishop came in afterwards with some other priests (they're allowed to with the Bishop), and it was a joy to listen to Bishop Bruskewitz. Also, I was going to tell you, one of the priests there that day was Fr. Fessio—Momma, you know who he is, don't you? (Ignatius Press, Ave Maria, etc….) We talked with him later for a good while in the speakroom, and if you ever talk to Clara, you can tell her that her dad came up in the conversation when Father was talking about good things being done in the arts and theater and so forth—she'd be happy to know."

We had to wait nearly 6 weeks for her second letter, but I asked her to give a synopsis of her daily routine so that we could better understand her daily life and be more in tune with the rhythms of her day. Here's her response:

"To answer your meddlesome mother questionsJ. I am very very happy. It is better than I expected it to be- which is what I expected it to be. Do you remember the quote in the back of the Carmel of JMJ booklet—"This house is a Heaven, if one can be had on earth"? It is quite true. So do not worry- I am doing very well-….. Now I'll describe the schedule for you, although I'll try not to be too detailed….. We get up at 4:30 (5:00 on Sundays). Lauds and one hour of mental prayer is at 5:00 (5:30 Sundays). Then there is a short break during which we can make our tarimo…. Then there is the hour of Prime and then Mass and thanksgiving. Then breakfast (before Prime on Sundays [Saturdays too]). Oh, and Terce is right after the thanksgiving. After that there is work (not on Sundays) until 10:45. The postulant jobs rotate once a month. Right now I have the East wing of the novitiate—cleaning the hallway and some little side rooms and the offies (short for officinal-little office—also known as the H.O. or "humble office"). Each sister also has a garden plot (not rotating) that she takes care of. Ours (the one I do) is a long strip of day lilies with a few little rose bushes and some other flowers and a tree and some bushes, in the Holy Family courtyard (there's a nativity scene right in the middle of our plot!) along the windows of the cloister leading to the novitiate. Then there is sext and examination of conscience. Dinner is at 11:00. Then dishes, and then recreation from 12:00 to 1:00. Then we go down to the choir and make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament with a spiritual communion. Then we take a one-hour siesta from 1-2, followed by None and the Rosary. Then after benedictes (I'll tell you about that some other time), we do spiritual reading in our cells for half an hour, after which we can study Latin. Then we continue working until 4:00 on weekdays, when the postulants and novices have pontito ("little point" i.e. novitiate class). One day a week we go over ceremonies, and Mother teaches us on the other days about our order or (right now) about the passions from some other books. Then we have Vespers—4:40 on weekdays, 4:30 on Sundays (sung), and 4:30 on Saturdays (preceded by the solemn Salve). Afterwards there is prayer from 5 to 6, then supper and dishes. Recreation 6:55-7:55, Compline 8:00…. Then there is a quiet break for reading, letter-writing, prayer, etc. and then Matins at 9 or 9:15, and finally bed by 10:30. All of that having been said, the schedule can vary quite a bit on feast days or when we have more than one Mass or a visit in the speakroom or other unexpected things….."

"I haven't milked a cow, but I have helped with the sheep a couple of times. I got to hold the head of one while she was lying on the ground getting her nails trimmed. It was wonderful, and the weather was so beautiful that day—all cool and cloudy—I felt like a little Irish shepherdess. J……
Oh, and the other thing—on Sr. Maria Louisa's feast day, the professed did a reprise of songs from The Sound of Music (with altered lyrics) that they had originally sung for Sister's golden jubilee. Afterwards, a bunch of us (mostly postulants and novices) sang and acted out a few of the songs from the movie. You would have liked it….."

Then just a few weeks ago, we got her most recent letter that showed how well she is settling into her new life.

"According to mother (Agnes), I have been "baptized" into Carmel! Yesterday, a few postulants and novices were out in the south land weeding around the pine trees with Sr. Stella Marie. It was the feast of the Ascension and the sky was somewhat overcast, but no one knew it was going to rain. Suddenly, there was some thunder a ways off and then a few drops of rain and then the water came pouring down all at once—huge drops and lots of them, without any warning. We all started to run back, but the house is pretty far away, and I had a wheelbarrow full of stakes and wires and things, so those of us who were left were soaking when we got back and had to shower and change our clothes. It was great fun. It made me very happy because it felt like the scene in the Thérèse movie where St. Thérèse comes running into the monastery all soaking wet from the rain. Sr. Juana Teresa saw Sr. Elizabeth Louise and I standing there outside the glass door and went to get Nuestra Madre –she (Sr. Juana Teresa) said that we looked pretty pathetic."

"Sr. Stephanie entered on Sunday—she was the last of the once-a-month entrances that had started with my own in May. Now we have seven postulants (a record—we took a picture) and a total of fifteen in the novitiate (another record). There are ten professed…."

" ….. I have two new jobs. This month, I'm working in the laundry—taking clothes to and from the professed laundry and folding things and ironing tocas and veils. Also, this is my third week as versiclarion – which mostly means intoning some of the antiphons before the psalms and also sometimes chanting a little verse at the end of the office. The first words I ever sang by myself in choir were "Beatus populus"—pretty exciting, isn't it? Mostly I manage to make many mistakes….. Hello to everyone…. I miss them and pray for them all…. God reward Amelie for sending you the pictures and for wanting to come to my clothing! Regarding the latter, if, God willing, I do receive the habit, I would be delighted if she came. Anyone is welcome to come. Dominique Shema (she's on the email list) I know was planning on coming, so if you could be sure that she knows when it's time….Pray for me!"

Sorry that this is such a long email, but we hope that you enjoyed the update from her letters. (Please excuse the typos-- they are mine and not hers; but she writes so very tiny that some words are hard for me to decipher-- especially the Latin and Spanish terms!) We'll send another email out in a few months. Until then, keep Sister Kelly and our family in your prayers as you are in ours and hers.

God bless you all,

[Maria]

My dad took this picture of Kelly at the graduation.

[img]http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c343/DominusVobiscum/P5120042PressingOnToCarmel.jpg[/img]

Edited October 11, 2007 by Maria

[Starets]

It's great to read this this evening

[cathoholic_anonymous]

I am glad that she's happy.

[Faustina]

What a beautiful story.

[Carolyn]

[quote name='Faustina' post='1400815' date='Oct 11 2007, 12:53 PM']What a beautiful story.[/quote]

Ditto!

Sister Kelly seems to be overflowing with love for Carmel! Thank you so much for the update!

[Chiquitunga]

Maria, thanks for posting this!! I know Sr. Stephanie whom she refers to. I'm so happy for her! And wow, 7 postulants, with a total of 15 in the novitiate!!

That's great though!! I wonder where their foundation will be. I bet that one will fill up fast too!

[Romans1513]

Sidenote- that picture freaked me out because she has the same color hair as me. Like, exactly. I've never known someone with hair exactly the same color as mine.

Anyway.

Thats a beautiful story. It almost made me cry

[Romans1513]

double post

Edited October 15, 2007 by Romans1513

[Antoniette]

[quote name='Carmelitess' post='1298763' date='Jun 19 2007, 10:09 PM']Wow! Thank you sooooo much for posting that! I'm called to become a cloistered Carmelite, and it was so great to hear the "inside scoop" on someone's entrance into Carmel. It's so nice that the nuns let Sister Kelly take a nap---it sure sounded as if she needed one. [/quote]