The 400 redwood trees shading the grounds of Mother of God Monastery will still reach for the heavens long after the cloistered nuns who planted them move off the 45-acre property next spring.
In an emailed letter sent to over 3,000 supporters on Aug. 31, Carmelite Sister Anna Marie Vanni announced the San Rafael monastery will close March 1, 2021. After 55 years the monastery is an apparent casualty of dwindling vocation numbers, the letter suggested.
“We are only four sisters now. We have been exploring the possibility of joining another monastery of Carmelites,” wrote Sister Vanni, the monastery’s last prioress. “Please pray for us during this period of transition.”
The sisters were informed in May after a decree of closure was issued to the archdiocese by the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life, she told Catholic San Francisco. At ages 59-98, they are now looking for a new home together in another Carmelite monastery, or if necessary, apart in several, she said.
Prayer has always powered the rambling, suburban monastery built by Archbishop Joseph T. McGucken for 10 Carmelite nuns who moved from Carmel on Nov. 24, 1965.
A life of prayer is the witness of the great Carmelite saints, according to the order’s website: “When facing a ‘dark night of the soul,’ St. John of the Cross will tell you to keep praying. When daunted by the heavy lifting that true self-understanding entails, St. Teresa of Avila will tell you to keep praying. When vexed by the everyday foibles of the people around you, St. Therese of Lisieux will tell you to keep praying.”
Joining another Carmelite monastery somewhere in the U.S. is the goal, said Sister Vanni, but easier said than done. Contemplative communities are “running scared,” she said.
“They don’t want to take a lot of older sisters in because they might not be seen as being ‘vital’ and will have to close too,” she said. It is more likely the sisters will be split into pairs.
Full story at Catholic San Francisco.
Sad, really sad!
Who owns the land and building[s]? Will the Abp try to make a land grab, and claim ownership? If sold, do the proceeds go to pay medical and living expenses of these Sisters?
Wait… TLMers like to say that traditional orders are “booming” with vocations. Seems not to be true. And if other Carmels won’t accept elderly nuns for fear of “not being vital” (meaning the average age will be tipped over the threshold for closing the community), if other Carmels are “running scared,” then I think TLMers haven’t been honest about the young flocking to traditional religious orders.
Sorry– these are NOT “traditional,” nor Tridentine Latin Mass nuns! Just post-Vatican II Carmelite nuns! I think these nuns also included some Byzantine traditions. Yes, religious orders of nuns devoted to either the Tridentine Latin Mass, or the Novus Ordo (New Mass) said reverently in either Latin or vernacular languages– with religious habits and older traditions (such as Mother Angelica’s Poor Clare nuns, or St. Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity) — are still “blooming!”
Sorry, I wrote this post too fast! Yes– these Carmelite nuns are just like the traditional religious orders sought by many young aspiring nuns of today! It is so sad that they are leaving!
Oh, how sad! I pray that God will soon find a good, new monastery, for these good nuns! I recall, right after Vatican II, we were all told that the new emphasis would now be on “being human,” and human relationships, and Marriage. Religious life would not be as much encouraged– how about human relating and Marriage, and raising children?? That is more “normal,” and “better” for most people, so we were told! We saw thousands of nuns and priests leaving religious orders! Thousands of Catholic schools and hospitals closing! But Christ calls His own, regardless of current earthly fads and fancies! The religious life consecrated to Christ Alone, lived in prayer and holiness, either active, contemplative, or a mix of the two– is absolutely essential, for Christ’s Church!
Problem is most communities, contemplative or apostolic, won’t accept older vocations (over 35 years of age). They want young vocations presumably to continue the community into the future and to help the older community members. It is very difficult for an 18 year old to enter a community where most, if not all, of the members are seniors. So, the young ones don’t want to enter an aging community, and an aging community does not want to accept over 35’s. Seems like they are shooting themselves in the foot! When my husband passed away, I contacted two contemplative communities by letter asking if I could come for an interview. Neither community answered my letters, not even to say, “I’m sorry, no”. So much for Christian charity.
Sheila,
In contacting Convents, it is not clear whether you sent multiple letters to 1 community or sent 1 letter to 2 communities. I heard its important to show repeated effort that you have a vocation. Maybe write repeatedly or call. Ask to spend a weekend or week with the Order.
Google “cloisterlife” or the names of the Orders that you feel drawn to.
Contact those communities (e.g. SF) in state and out of state. God Bless you.
Oh, yeah, because THAT’S a way for religious orders to succeed: by ignoring letters of inquiry as a “test”.
I understand all Vocation Directors are often leery to say ‘yes come on in”, especially if someone has just experienced a different change in their life. No religious community wants someone who is on a rebound shall I say. They want those called by the Lord. Especially the Carmelites who live a challenging physical life that many a young person could not easily adjust too. Not saying Sheila would not do well with, all the prayer times, limited diet, lack of ordinary comforts /distractions, and vows of poverty and especially obedience, etc. But one must show they have a vocation. I have read a lot of saints writings. They experienced rejection or changes that were difficult. It is not due to a lack of “charity”, but to the Lord, leading them down the road of virtue.
There is an excellent, “blooming” traditional Carmelite monastery in the Diocese of Oakland– their monastery is full of nuns! I think they also have the Tridentine Latin Mass.
This Carmelite monastery was originally founded to pray for the Russian people, as directed by the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, in 1917. The original 10 nuns learned the Byzantine Rite, assisted by the priests of San Francisco’s Eastern Rite Jesuits, of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (which later closed and moved to a much smaller location in the city). So sorry for these elderly nuns! They need our prayers!
Sorry— the San Francisco Eastern or Byzantine rite church is called Our Lady of Fatima– not Our Lady of Mt. Carmel!
So… did their prayers work and they aren’t needed anymore? Is that why God is allowing the monastery to fold? Mission accomplished? Or nothing to see here?
No I don’t believe that Kevin. God allows man free will. Many Jesus called, did not say “yes” when Jesus called them. They would rather live in the world. If you look throughout history, at the so called Reformation, or the French Revolution, thousands of nuns and priests were displaced or killed; and their convents, churches and monasteries destroyed or taken over. This was not God saying I want them to close. It is man’s sinfulness that causes the problems: Our pride, greed and plain selfishness. Look at how many Catholics want to live for the world rather than follow Church teaching. The world will change for the better when Catholics live for Christ. These nuns no doubt do. God bless them.
Kevin T.— the great Saints all say, to work and pray hard for something — but always leave the results to God. God’s wise plans are a great Mystery! When Christ was crucified, He looked like an utter failure! Yet, His life, crucifixion and resurrection are the greatest event in all of history!
Let us all trust in the Will of God, which is Love and Mercy Itself.
The good Lord won’t let His faithful brides be homeless, neither here nor in the other side of the veil. We’ll be amazed at how things will turn out for these beautiful nuns. Pray for Russia, they did, and we wait when the glory of God is proclaimed.
Gee Kevin T. you sure are a hoot and a holler, these nuns are not TLM nuns but Novus Ordo nuns, having said that why such anger at the TLM the Mass of All TImes? Funny just a short 50 years ago it was the Mass all over the world until the disaster of Vatican II, by the way Kevin T. Traditional orders of nuns that offer the TLM in their convents are packed and have waiting lists just like the seminaries of the F.S.S.P. , Institute of Christ the King and the S.S.P.X. with young men waiting to join these great orders but have to wait because there is no room to house them, can’t say that for the Novus Ordo convents and seminaries which have closed down since Vatican II, can’t argue the facts Jack.
Hopefully Archbishop Cordileone intends to preserve this site.
Preserve it as what and for what? It would fetch a handy price in a sale. Church needs money. That’s reality. Boomers are dying. Covid is keeping people away. Offertories are way down.
I am searching for carmelite years ago berkley ca. nun Lillian weeks I don’t know her carmelite name, she was sent to Formosa years ago, we saw her off on the ship, her prayers helped so much! Would appreciate knowing where SHE IS , VERY OLD PROBABLY DECEASED. Benglen67@gmail .com if you can help me! Many thanks!