Information Anyone Re The Carmel In St. Helens-uk?

[HolyHearts]

I am wondering if anyone of the UK folks or those of you who have spent some time in
a UK Carmel can give me any info on the Carmel in St. Helens (Merseyside). Since they
follow the 1990 Constitutions, they have no computer.... I live in Brazil (am 64) & have
been discerning w/them.... However, it is very difficult b/c mail take 5 - 6 weeks to get
there. And likewise, a letter from Mother takes just as long. Most of my documents got
there; just two letters missing.... The info on the UK Association site is not very informa-
tive. The Carmel, from looking at a map, is located somewhere between Liverpool &
Manchester.... Any of UK folks live near them or have you visited there? Also those you
who were in UK Carmels, have you any info that you can pass on to me? Thank you
so much & God bless!

[jkaands]

[quote name='HolyHearts' post='1505294' date='Apr 21 2008, 06:44 AM']I am wondering if anyone of the UK folks or those of you who have spent some time in
a UK Carmel can give me any info on the Carmel in St. Helens (Merseyside). Since they
follow the 1990 Constitutions, they have no computer.... I live in Brazil (am 64) & have
been discerning w/them.... However, it is very difficult b/c mail take 5 - 6 weeks to get
there. And likewise, a letter from Mother takes just as long. Most of my documents got
there; just two letters missing.... The info on the UK Association site is not very informa-
tive. The Carmel, from looking at a map, is located somewhere between Liverpool &
Manchester.... Any of UK folks live near them or have you visited there? Also those you
who were in UK Carmels, have you any info that you can pass on to me? Thank you
so much & God bless![/quote]

I am surprised that airmail would take so long...

Is there anyone living in the UK whom you trust that you could email papers and documents to, who could then open and print documents, etc. and have them send these papers to the Carmel? Most of these Carmels have a sort of lay association who might have someone on the web who could correspond with you.

Nunsense might know someone at her Carmel who knows something about this Carmel.

[Gemma]

I have emailed a British aspirant to the Darlington Carmel. She buries her (biological) mother tomorrow afternoon, so it may take a couple of days to get a reply.

Blessings,
Gemma

[HolyHearts]

Thanks everyone! I got an email from Nunsense....
The papers are there ALREADY; so, no problem w/that, except that they took so long....
I asked those sending letters to St. Helens to also send an email copy thru the Carmel
in Darlington. Off & on I email the Prioress at Darlington....
It was Darlington that indicated St. Helens to me since I was looking for a 1990 Carmel.
I just thought that maybe someone nearby would be able to tell me a little more about
the place b/c it is really a leap in the dark for me from Brazil. But I should be used to
that by now. I took one of those leaps as an active religious in 1982: from USA to Brazil!
God bless you all!

[Antoniette]

They are in a word wonderful. I know of them from chance. When the original strict Brooklyn Carmel closed in 1997,I tracked one of two surviving nuns, Sr. Maria of the Holy Spirit first to Lanherne, which merged with St. Helens. They graciously provided a place of refuge for both Sr. Maria and the Lanherne nuns.

I visited her in the summer 2007. The Carmel has large acreage, and fits the traditional look of a monastery.
Now to the important things: their spirit and attention to the rules of Carmel (fully habited) is sincere. They are blest with a loving prioress with a great sense of humor-Mother Teresa. She was re-elected recently. I know Sr. Maria is happy there. I heard them chant and it is lovely...I of course would like pure latin, but I really couldn't complain. I heard a bit of the hour None coming through the walls while I was in the parlour.

I honestly believe the Holy Spirit is with them, they have found their niche in the world of Carmels, respectful but not rooted in the past. The chapel strikes me like an English country church, a lot of wood.

There is a train that looks out of Harry Potter that goes from Liverpool to Wiggans transfer via St. Helens. It putt putts along. I was afraid it wouldn't make it. It is about an 8 pound cab ride from the station to the monastery. The city is somewhat economically depressed, but I found it OK.

I do hope you visit, that will "hook" you on them. If you write them again, send my love.

With prayers,

Antoniette

[HolyHearts]

Many thanks for your post; that is really the first non-official news that I have re
the St. Helens Carmel. I am really happy! Waiting to see if I am approved for
entrance. I am from NYC & remember that OLD Carmel in Brooklyn. I recall,
when I was a young, that the cause of one of the Brooklyn Carmel Nuns (Mother
Electa) was opened. I never heard more after that; I entered the convent & even-
tually was transferred out of the US to Brazil. I am grateful to you for this choice
tid-bit of news. God bless!

[Chiquitunga]

Here's a page on [url="http://www.carmelite.org.uk/StHelens.html"]St. Helens Carmel[/url], in case you didn't see it yet. Also, you might be interested in [url="http://www.carmelite.org.uk/Kirkedge.html"]Sheffield Carmel[/url], which is also under the 1990s. I know they do have email. I don't believe the 1990 Constitutions forbid the use of the modern communication like the internet, but I am sure it would be very limited. God bless you!

[Laudem Gloriae]

I have am writing to the Sheffield Carmel and as Margaret Clare mentioned, they do have email and when I first wrote them snail mail, Mother Prioress, Sr. Mary of the Resurrection, wrote me back by snail mail and after posting the letter, she remembered they had gotten email not to long ago! So they have email but rarely uses it.

If you want to email them, you can email me off the forum and I can give it to you if you'd like. Here's a bit of info she emailed me for anyone else interested in writing them:
---------------------

"We are 12 in Kirk Edge, this includes a novice in her 30's who may transfer permanently to a 1991 Carmel. We have 3 in their early 40's, one in the 50's and 3 in the 60's, the rest in the 70's or 80's. All are well and active except one who has Sclera Derma - but she is fairly independent.

Two of our community transferred to a 1990 Carmel in Slovenia. We were asked to take responsibility to found this Carmel about 10 years ago. A young Albanian Sister in early 30's transferred to a new Carmel in Albania a year or so ago - she is the first Albanian Sister ever. We keep in touch with these foundations and the Sisters there.

I am Prioress and have been Prioress for 23 years altogether now. When you come you can guess my age!
I look forward to hearing when you can come. You may feel lonely if you stay any length of time. I think a week or 10 days would be quite sufficient for you to get to know the Sisters and get the feel of our Carmel.
My love and prayers are with you to guide you to where you can best serve Our Lord and to become a channel of grace for souls.

We have never had an age limit, and in England young vocations are rare now. If you are truly called to this Carmel you would have a loving welcome. We have no requirements other than good health and a cheerful disposition - it is difficult in our solitude ans silence for a Sister who suffers from depression. However it is harder to adapt to a new life style when you are over forty and there is the cultural difference and also the difference in climate. It is colder here than in Texas an in fact we are high up and like "Wuthering Heights".

If God is calling you to leave land and children, He is trusting you to give Him a very great gift. At the moment He is giving you His love and the joy of His presence - are you generous enough to persevere, for maybe years, in dry faith and in the dark of His absence ? Can you do that? That would be the real test of true love.

If you feel that our Carmel would be a possible Carmel for your soul we would be happy to invite you to stay at our visitors flat for a short holiday to get to know you better. Happily you have knowledge of Carmel already.
Just one more point. We have decided to have a years postulancy these days and two years novitiate this seems helpful to all our English Carmels at this time. I have written this letter to you and just realized I can email!!! "
---------------------------------------

So she was very warm and sweet. This is obviously only part of her writings, left out the private stuff. Hope this helps anyone interested in them or others who never knew of them.

[Gemma]

[quote name='Margaret Clare' post='1508599' date='Apr 24 2008, 06:02 PM']Here's a page on [url="http://www.carmelite.org.uk/StHelens.html"]St. Helens Carmel[/url], in case you didn't see it yet. Also, you might be interested in [url="http://www.carmelite.org.uk/Kirkedge.html"]Sheffield Carmel[/url], which is also under the 1990s. I know they do have email. I don't believe the 1990 Constitutions forbid the use of the modern communication like the internet, but I am sure it would be very limited. God bless you![/quote]

Post more, please!!!

Blessings,
Gemma

[praying4carmel]

[quote name='Laudem Gloriae' post='1508732' date='Apr 24 2008, 08:12 PM']I have am writing to the Sheffield Carmel and as Margaret Clare mentioned, they do have email and when I first wrote them snail mail, Mother Prioress, Sr. Mary of the Resurrection, wrote me back by snail mail and after posting the letter, she remembered they had gotten email not to long ago! So they have email but rarely uses it.

If you want to email them, you can email me off the forum and I can give it to you if you'd like. Here's a bit of info she emailed me for anyone else interested in writing them:
---------------------

"We are 12 in Kirk Edge, this includes a novice in her 30's who may transfer permanently to a 1991 Carmel. We have 3 in their early 40's, one in the 50's and 3 in the 60's, the rest in the 70's or 80's. All are well and active except one who has Sclera Derma - but she is fairly independent.

Two of our community transferred to a 1990 Carmel in Slovenia. We were asked to take responsibility to found this Carmel about 10 years ago. A young Albanian Sister in early 30's transferred to a new Carmel in Albania a year or so ago - she is the first Albanian Sister ever. We keep in touch with these foundations and the Sisters there.

I am Prioress and have been Prioress for 23 years altogether now. When you come you can guess my age!
I look forward to hearing when you can come. You may feel lonely if you stay any length of time. I think a week or 10 days would be quite sufficient for you to get to know the Sisters and get the feel of our Carmel.
My love and prayers are with you to guide you to where you can best serve Our Lord and to become a channel of grace for souls.

We have never had an age limit, and in England young vocations are rare now. If you are truly called to this Carmel you would have a loving welcome. We have no requirements other than good health and a cheerful disposition - it is difficult in our solitude ans silence for a Sister who suffers from depression. However it is harder to adapt to a new life style when you are over forty and there is the cultural difference and also the difference in climate. It is colder here than in Texas an in fact we are high up and like "Wuthering Heights".

If God is calling you to leave land and children, He is trusting you to give Him a very great gift. At the moment He is giving you His love and the joy of His presence - are you generous enough to persevere, for maybe years, in dry faith and in the dark of His absence ? Can you do that? That would be the real test of true love.

If you feel that our Carmel would be a possible Carmel for your soul we would be happy to invite you to stay at our visitors flat for a short holiday to get to know you better. Happily you have knowledge of Carmel already.
Just one more point. We have decided to have a years postulancy these days and two years novitiate this seems helpful to all our English Carmels at this time. I have written this letter to you and just realized I can email!!! "
---------------------------------------

So she was very warm and sweet. This is obviously only part of her writings, left out the private stuff. Hope this helps anyone interested in them or others who never knew of them.[/quote]

What a letter Laudem! She sounds wonderful! Thank you for sharing this!

[HolyHearts]

Thanks Laudem; it sounds great! Between you & Antoinette, I think I get a fairly good idea
of those two Carmels. I suspect thay are both very similar b/c they both follow the 1990
Constitutions. So,I am just waiting for a reply as to whether or not all the requested
documents reached them & if Mother & the community have discerned in my favor!....

[Laudem Gloriae]

As I am writing and discerning with the Carmel of Sheffield/Kirkedge in the UK, Mother Mary of the Resurrection, prioress, sent me this beautiful aerial photo of their monastery yesterday. (I hope this picture loads in! First time doing this, if not I'll try again.)


[img]http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/5940/sheffieldcarmelmonasterti3.jpg[/img]