Newsletter #1 - Mount Carmel
J.M. + J.T.
Dear Ones,
Dear to God, to Mary, and to your Sisters in Carmel. Our heartfelt gratitude to each one of you for deciding to walk the slopes of Carmel with us.
Mount Carmel, as you know, is a region in Israel, mentioned most notably in connection with the holy prophet of God, Elijah, who though a meek man at times, rose up a fiery man when the honor of our God was at stake.
When in the 12th century, a community of Christian hermits dwelt on Mt. Carmel, they were named the “Brothers of the Virgin Mary”, in her honor. Even until today, Carmel is known as the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since we have such a long history, volumes could be written, but we will focus for a minute on the gift of the Brown Scapular, given by our Blessed Mother as a sign of her maternal protection and intercession for all who wear it. She also appeared to the children at Fatima dressed in the Habit of Carmel, while extending the scapular to them.
At the time of the establishment of the independence of the 13 colonies of our United States, religious freedom was granted, and Catholics no longer had to hide their faith. Up until that time, if someone sought the priesthood or religious life, it was necessary to take refuge in Europe. When priests and religious were able to return to the United States, the first monastery for women to be erected was the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in the diocese of Baltimore, Maryland.
It was also there, at one of the early meetings of the U.S. Bishops, that our Blessed Mother, under the title of the Immaculate Conception, was named patroness of our nation. As the U.S. began expanding and states were added to the nation, so grew the number of Carmelite monasteries, going where they were invited by the new Bishops. To date, there are approximately 60 houses of nuns. Our monastery at Sacramento was founded in 1935 at the invitation of Bishop Robert Armstrong.
What is the life of a Carmelite Nun? What does she do – what is her part in the Church? It is to continue the vocation of Mary on earth. A hidden, ordinary, everyday existence – in union with her, her Divine Son, and His Church.
There are three branches of the Discalced Carmelite Order:
First: Friars
Second: Nuns
Third: Secular-Order Carmelites
…and you are the Auxiliary Branch of the Nuns of the Sacramento Carmel! To further live her life for Christ and His Church, you belong to M.A.R.Y.
We look forward to meeting you during the new year.
- Mother Christine and Sisters
A Summary of the First Meeting of Auxiliary Members, Sept. 26, 2015:
Dear Friends,
On September 26th, seven members met and solidified plans for the coming months, and we want everyone to know what was discussed! In our efforts to get this Auxiliary rolling, we have some fun plans and some prayerful plans to share with you. In attendance: Pat Boynton, Toni Collins, Jana Devereux, Stephanie Ellis, De Anna Fiske, Cynthia Karp, Patty MacEgan.
We have some dates on the calendar, but keep in mind that the far-off dates may change if something comes up. All locations are the St. John Villa at the Monastery.
Friday, Nov 6: Quilt Day! Yes, we are going to make a quilt together! Jana Devereux, Pat Boynton, and Toni Collins, all experienced quilters, will lead us in a cutting and sewing marathon. Tickets for a chance to win the quilt will be available this spring, along with a photo of the quilt when completed, and the winner will be drawn at our Annual Luncheon, to be held this coming Summer. We hope many hands will join us on Nov. 6, all day if possible, or whenever you can come. We will start right after Mass. No experience necessary. Bring your scissors, or call if you can bring a sewing machine or ironing board and iron.
Saturday, January 9, 2016: Meeting to discuss the summer luncheon. Would you like to help us put on our first-ever luncheon fundraiser for the Nuns? Many hands make light work, and this will be our only fundraiser for the year. The quilt will be given away at this luncheon. No date has been set for the luncheon yet. We need you!!!! Meet right after 8:00 Mass.
Saturday, May 14: Day of Recollection. Mark your calendars now for a wonderfully uplifting spiritual renewal at the Monastery! We will start with Mass, followed by breakfast and spiritual food. The theme will be Carmelite spirituality. Save the Date!!!
At our meeting we decided that there will not be a set dues figure for donation. Everyone is encouraged to remember the Monastery in your holiday plans, whatever you wish to donate. Donations should be sent directly to Reverend Mother Christine, at the Monastery, P.O. Box 4210, Georgetown, CA 95634.
If you wish to make a donation to the Auxiliary to help offset our mailing costs and food costs, please do so in person until we get an account set up. You need to know that donations to the Monastery are tax deductible, but donations to the Auxiliary are not tax deductible at this time.
On October 15, the Monastery is celebrating the Feast Day of Holy Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus (Avila). It is the 500th anniversary of her birth! Holy Mass that morning will be very special! Everyone is welcome to attend, but there will not be a brunch afterward. However, there are some nice places nearby for breakfast.
Finally, let’s talk about recruitment. A very effective way to let people know about our Auxiliary and encourage more people to join, is to advertise in your parish bulletin for a few weeks. Three people are in charge of facilitating this, but anyone can talk to your parish to get the message into your bulletin. Cynthia Karp is going to oversee this type of outreach. She is covering the Parishes in the Foresthill, Auburn, Georgetown areas. Stephanie Ellis is covering Parishes in the southern area, and Toni Collins is covering areas in the western areas.
In reviewing our Mission, there are two reasons for this Auxiliary. The first is to support the Nuns financially, since they have NO OTHER income! The second is to grow spiritually. Remembering that the Nuns pray for all our families and our intentions and exist for no other reason than to give praise to God and intercede for us, we can help them by uniting our prayer to theirs. A gift from you for any amount and on any kind of schedule will help them to maintain their Monastery and keep food on the table. Please keep the Monastery in your conversation with friends and family, as others may want to help, too.
To sign others up for the Auxiliary, send all contact info to:
P.O. Box 174, Georgetown, CA 95634
and I will send them a Welcome Letter and a wallet ID card. Bless you for all you do to spread this Apostolate! God reward you!