The mission of the Carmelite Auxiliary has always been to raise awareness of and funds for the Carmelite Monastery of Sacramento. To that end, in August of 2015 Mother Christine, the prioress at the time, contacted Mrs. Patricia MacEgan and friends to reform the Auxiliary, and they set about inviting more people to join. People responded from all over the greater Sacramento area, and soon the revitalized Auxiliary was up and running. In the Fall and Winter of 2015-16, plans were made to bring greater awareness of the Monastery to the parishes in Sacramento. Activities that would help members get to know each other better were planned, such as a quilt-making project and a rosary-making project for the Chaplet of the Holy Face. Long term plans for a speaker series and a fundraiser luncheon were advanced.
The speaker series called Prayer on the Mountain was formulated in which people would be invited to the grounds of the Monastery for spiritual enrichment, followed by a salad lunch. The chapel would be open for visitations. In the Spring of 2016, the first series of talks was launched. In the following Spring we hosted three more talks at the Monastery. In May of 2018, the Auxiliary hosted a talk by Father Matthew Spencer, OSJ, “down the hill” at the Marello Retreat Center in Loomis. Because it took place on the hill of the Oblates of St. Joseph, we called that talk “Wisdom From the Mount.” Next Spring, in 2019, we will again host Prayer on the Mountain at the Monastery.
On October 8, 2016, we hosted our first Spaghetti Luncheon and Silent Auction fundraiser for the Monastery. It took place at St. Joseph Parish Hall in Auburn; the Knights of Columbus, Auburn Chapter, cooked a very delicious spaghetti with a secret recipe sauce. A raffle and silent auction, as well as a slide show about the Monastery, rounded out the event. Information about our upcoming fundraising events can be found here.
Members of the Carmelite Auxiliary Sewing Group
People from all over the Diocese of Sacramento continue to join the Auxiliary. There currently are no annual dues, and joining the Auxiliary means that you will get our regular Newsletters and be kept informed of events at the Monastery. People join the Auxiliary for many different reasons: some join to be assured of the Nuns’ constant prayer for them and their families; some join just to keep abreast of the events happening at the Monastery. Some join the Auxiliary because they believe in the great power of prayer provided by the Nuns for the people and priests of the Diocese of Sacramento, and want to support them in that effort. No one will ask you for a specific donation. But all members are encouraged to donate to the Monastery when you are able.
To facilitate the organization, a Board of Directors was formed in January of 2017. Board members are selected from the body of Auxiliary membership, and will serve a minimum of two years on the board. Board members may renew their service annually. Board membership is voluntary, and is not compensated in any way. In fact, no person serving the Auxiliary is compensated for their service.