Name of Church Carmel of St. Teresa chapel
Address 215 East Alhambra Road, Alhambra, California 91776
Phone number 626-282-2387
Website www.carmelteresa.org
Mass times Monday – Saturday, 7:30 a.m., the chapel is open to the general public and visitors may attend Mass.
Confessions Go to St. Therese Church, served by the Discalced Carmelite Friars, for confession; none are available to the public at the monastery.
Names of priests One of the Discalced Carmelite Friars of St. Therese Church comes to say the morning Mass.
Special events In 2013, the monastery celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding. The public had a rare glimpse inside the monastery walls as the sisters opened their doors for Mass celebrated by Archbishop Gomez, and a reception on the beautiful monastery grounds.
Fellow parishioners The sisters themselves are young and old; the neighborhood of San Gabriel and San Marino is predominantly English-speaking.
Parking Park on the street.
Acoustics Fine.
Additional observations The Carmel of St. Teresa was established in 1913 when five Discalced Carmelite nuns left their community to establish a monastery in Southern California. The San Gabriel/San Marino area contains middle and upper class homes. The monastery’s buildings fit the look of the area, and are built of red brick with a tile roof. The grounds are surrounded by a wall; inside are large trees, well maintained gardens, and a Marian grotto. The Carmelites enjoy a contemplative life, away from the world. Like that of the community’s namesake and well-known saint, St. Teresa of Avila, the sisters’ day is made up of prayer, silence, penance and sacrifice and work.
Like many churches built in the Pasadena area at the time, the church is graced with a traditional altar, stained glass windows, and traditional statues. The sisters sit in a different section of the church than the laity during Mass, so you will not see them (except perhaps when they come up for Communion). About 15 sisters live in the monastery. On the same street a few blocks down is the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles Motherhouse, which includes its Sacred Heart Retreat house. They wear the habit like the Carmel of Teresa sisters, but are not cloistered.
Add Carmel of Cristo Rey in San Francisco to the list.
I am not sure what language the neighbors speak has anything to do with whether or not a “church is worth driving to”, but since the article states that “the neighborhood of San Gabriel and San Marino is predominantly English-speaking”, I figured I would set the record straight.
My understanding is that CCD pays money to the person who sends these “church worth driving to” stories. If this is so then at least it would be nice if the story is accurate.
I easily found these statistics online:
-City of San Gabriel: Speak a language other than English at home 72.2%
-City of San Marino: Speak language other than English at home 46.1%
-City of Alhambra (where Chapel is located): Speak a language other than English in the home 72.5%
It is true, however, that the majority of the residents in these towns are very well off financially.
Just a minute, Tracy. Take a walk in the neighborhoods surrounding the Alhambra convent … San Gabriel is middle class, San Marino upper class, predominantly white and English speaking. Other parts of the city may be Hispanic and Spanish-speaking, but not right around the convent. I have been to the Alhambra convent many times, and I’ve walked through the neighborhood.
Dear Mother Abbes,
Please pray for my nephew EOIN EGAN 37 yrs diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease recently. He is married with two young children and lives in London.
EOIN urgently needs your prayers.
Thanking you all,
Sr. Bernadette Egan,
Sisters of Mercy,
Lake Roaf,
Loughre,
Co. Galway. IRELAND