Nuns at chapter

Session 13: Thursday morning 26-May-05

The chapter welcomed the prioresses of the Carmels of Nuns under our jurisdiction: Mother Teresita for San Antonio, Mother Monica from Piedmont OK, Mother Edith from Covington, Mary Ann from Houston’s New Caney, Mother Kateri from Sioux City, and Mother Cecilia from Little Rock. Fr. Provincial invited each to give a report from her community starting in alphabetical order with Covington.

Edith gave the history of the New Orleans Carmel. In 1992 the Carmel was revived by Nuns from Lafayette and Little Rock. They presently have four in formation. “As regards the building project, we have a large residence and we have been working for the last 10 years to renovate it. The additions that we have made have helped us in regard to enclosure. We have added four cells and a gift shop. We are doing work along the front of the property, adding a fence. Our plans are nearing completion. At this point, we want to remain small. We can only have 13 nuns.” Bonaventure began a discussion of the success they have had in recruiting young vocations.


Cecilia then gave a short history of the Little Rock Carmel founded from Loretto PA in 1950, their move from downtown to 32nd St., and expansion of the present site. “There have been 13 sisters most of these years. No one from Arkansas has entered the community yet. Presently we have 15 sisters. We have had a number of transfers. Camilla, Ann and Mary Alice were in Covington for a number of years. Now they have returned. For a living we distribute altar breads. And, people are very generous to our community. Almost all of our sisters are computer literate and have e-mail addresses. A new web site is being set up. We are blessed to have the friars at Marylake and the friars come twice a month to hear confessions and so forth. We are very happy to have you there. Right now we have 3 goals. The first is to build up the community and get back to essential living after our building project and renovation. We are looking at our prayer and liturgy to see how we can improve it and 3. we are looking into how we can recruit new members.” When Ralph asked about the elderly and infirm, Sister explained the new infirmary wing recently added.

Next Sr. Mary Ann gave a short history of New Caney founded from San Antonio in 1958 in a small house near Hobby airport. In 1963 they moved to the west side of Houston, and gained Mother Mary Angel, Virginia, Angel Teresa and Mary from San Antonio. “Gradually we were able to save up some money to get a new house. We moved to New Caney because a man bought our whole property [off Old Katy Rd] and allowed us to live there free of charge. In 1974 we moved to New Caney.” They support themselves by making vestments and distributing hosts. By 2001 aging, serious illness and several deaths were taking their toll in the community. They applied for grants, and were able to build a new infirmary wing. In 2003 they were able to establish a retirement fund through grants, and enrolled the Nuns in social security. “In the past 10 years we have lost five nuns through deaths and departures. In the Spring of 2002, a web site for vocations was set up. There has been little response. With the concern of the vocation problem, in 2004, with the approval of Fr. General, we participated in the diocesan vocation retreat. We plan do this again this year... Our dwindling numbers have affected us. We still support ourselves by sending out altar breads. Since Sr. Judith died we cannot do as much liturgical sewing.” Last July they set up a reception room in the front of their monastery where volunteers help screen calls, welcome guests, take prayer requests, and help bag hosts. “Our small numbers and lack of vocations are the things that are troubling us the most.” Another concern is finding a chaplain.

Suggestions on ways the friars can help: “classes and retreats, confessors a few times a year, and helping us with the theological reflection process when you pass through. We would like to continue working on the formation program and to pool our efforts for vocational recruitment.” Bonaventure stressed the need of “finding the right organizational structure to deal with the kind of collaborative possibilities.” Fr. Sam Anthony talked about the ideals of the order world-wide shifting from idealism to basic survival.

Next Sr. Monica gave her report on the Oklahoma City community, founded from New York (the Bronx) in 1939. Bishop Clement Kelley made the request for a Carmel through Fr. Vincent Martinez, O.C.D. The foundresses stayed with the Villa Teresa Sisters while a house at 18th and Ollie was converted into a temporary monastery. Ten years later they purchased 17 acres outside the city limits at 4200 N. Meridian Ave. and, beginning with a prisoner-of-war barracks moved from McAlester, OK, gradually erected a building which was to be their home for the next 36 years. They made a foundation in Ft Worth, Texas in 1958. In 1985 the community moved to their first permanent monastery in Piedmont, OK once again outside the city limits. Unfortunately our friars could no longer serve as chaplains. Gratitude was given to Fr. John Magdalene for serving as extraordinary confessor and to all the friars of the province from whom the nuns have received much good care and friendship all through the years since 1939.

Finding chaplains is difficult. "But we may have to adjust to the possibility of not having Mass every day and somehow attend Mass once a week. Our retired priests, on whom we depend, are wearing out and there will not be many to replace them." Regarding vocations, "We have taken an active part in a weekend vocation camp for high school girls the last two years and will again this summer. Last summer there were twelve girls who took part, up from seven the year before. Having seminars such as we had at Marylake proved very helpful. We would like them to continue. Perhaps we could also work together and collaborate on vocation recruitment."

This session adjourned at 11:45am for lunch in the refectory.

Session 14: Thursday afternoon

Mother Teresita began her report on San Antonio with a history of their evacuation from Durango to Tucson in the 1920s. They came to San Antonio in November 1934. Our friars housed them in the basement of the shrine while work was done on a two-story convent a few blocks south on Kentucky Ave. Our friars enabled them to stay together as a community. “This was the first time our sisters felt freedom and peace.” In 1983 they acquired their present site off Culebra in far western part of the city near the loop. “We have always been grateful for the presence of the friars and for their help as chaplains and confessors.”

“We are now 9 in the community. Our main source of income is the distribution of altar breads. We are beginning to look into a type of computer work but we are still in the beginnings of that.” “We have a great need for vocations. We have a new brochure and the web site under construction. Anything that could be done in a collaborative way in terms of vocation recruitment we would appreciate.” She mentioned construction of an infirmary and a mailing office.

Finally Mother Kateri gave a report on Sioux City. “We are the newest foundation.” A few Sisters from Bettendorf including Sr Agnes made the foundation in Sioux City in 1962. “We are a community of ten nuns… For the first part of our history there were four or five sisters. Then, in the 1980’s we prayed fervently for vocations and we received ten novices.” “As we grew to know the friars through Fr. Aloysius, we decided to go under the jurisdiction of the friars. Then in 1998 and the next three years we lost five nuns, leaders of our community. We are between the ages of 38 and 65 except for our foundress, Sr. Agnes who is 87.” She then described a mid-week hermit day, an annual preached retreat, and a two-week private retreat for each nun. “We don’t have a problem with chaplains because the diocese has taken care of that need… We have two sources of income in addition to receiving alms. We distribute altar breads and we have a sewing department where we make vestments and baptismal gowns and so on. We used to do the printing for the bulletin of two surrounding parishes and it was a good source of income but it was a pressure job and difficult for us in terms of our prayer life, so we let go of that.”

As to ways the friars may help: “Working together on the promotion of vocations; collaboration with the workshops” [the friars have organized in Dallas and at Marylake]. Another Sister agreed with Kateri about the formation workshops, and also suggested these workshops be extended to on-going formation for those no longer in initial formation.

Fr. Provincial thanked the Sisters for their presentations, and suggested that after a short break “there could be some brainstorming about how this can go forward.” He also mentioned the desire of the friars to have a central provincial website that could act as a hub for all our houses of friars and nuns.

Fr. Ralph, who as Provincial, had taken the initiative to invite the Nuns to our chapter, began the brainstorming. “Thank you for accepting our invitation to come. I was mindful of what Bonaventure had done before and I thought this would be another step. I hope more can be done to collaborate. We appreciate what you have done for us in the past. You have been very generous with us and I want to acknowledge this. At times when we have been in need, you have come through to help us financially with the educating of our students. In the crisis of our province you prayed for us.”

Fr. Henry said, “I think our Holy Mother would be happy to see the growing unity that exists between us and our desire to collaborate.” Bonaventure then asked how things were going with the theological reflection of the associations. Difficulty meeting deadlines was mentioned. Bonaventure responded, “Camilo came up with this process. The initial idea was to give the Carmel’s of the world an opportunity to speak their voice on matters touching their life.” Mary Ann said, “First we have to find our voice. We are not used to talking to one another [on this level] and this is a means for that, a coming together.” Edith said, “It is educational and it helps us to verbalize things. When we are asked to summarize our thoughts it helps us to articulate.” Cecilia responded, “it all goes slowly because we have so much to do. There are a lot of things scheduled.”

Bonaventure then asked what the province might offer that the Association does not. Edith responded, “The value as I see it is that we build identity as a province.” Monica said, “When we gather on a province level, there is greater communion.” Gregory welcomed any suggested themes for future seminars. Jenaro described how the friars and nuns work together in Mexico. Gregory suggested we take stock of our resource people. Mary Ann suggested making CDs as a tool for recruitment of vocations, but admitted she diodn’t know where to start with the technology. Fr. Marion suggested DVD’s rather than CD’s, and suggested the first step would be to film activities in your community. “The seculars could share this with their families.” Fr. Stephen suggested using local college students to help with the techincals. “You can use people at Universities who need to do projects as a resource.” Before departing for Mass downstairs, Fr. Marion set up his new camera to take a group picture in the chapter room.

left to right: Marion, Cecilia, Bonaventure, Sam, Mary Ann, Edi, Gregory, Ralph, Teresita, John Michael, Henry, Joseph Marie, Kateri, Raphael, Stephen, Monica, John Magdalene, Jenaro & Charles. Brothers Joseph Marie and Charles came to Oklahoma City to serve with external chores of hospitality.

After a break Stephen gave a report on Mt Carmel, John Magdalene on San Antonio, and Bonaventure on Marylake. “Between these three main sites, Marylake, S.A. and Mt. Carmel, there is a need for collaboration on development.” The session adjourned at 5:00pm.

Session 15: Friday morning 27-May-05

The final session of the chapter tied up loose ends. The vision committee presented their final draft for the introduction to the Acts. Frs. John Magdalene and John Michael presented the final editing of the Acts. Fr. Provincial thanked John Magdalene for all the work he did in taking detailed minutes (53 pages) of the chapter [from which this report was compiled], and the community of Oklahoma City for their wonderful hospitality to us all for these two weeks. Then with a whoop and a cheer [see photo] Gregory declared the chapter of 2005 adjourned at 10:27 am.

--John Michael OCD

--John Magdalene OCD