In this Edition:

• The Monastery: Building project
• Community News
• Website News

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Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Dear Friends of Carmel,

Greetings to all as we celebrate this beautiful Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16th. We read in Father Gabriel’s book, Divine Intimacy, “Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel indicates a strong call to the interior life… Those who wish to live truly devoted to Our Lady of Mount Carmel must follow Mary into the depths of the interior life. Carmel is the symbol of the contemplative life, a life wholly consecrated to seeing God and tending wholly toward divine intimacy; and she who best realizes this very high ideal is Mary, Queen, Beauty of Carmel.” We are remembering all of our benefactors in our Novena prayers for this Feast and send once again our gratitude.

O Mary, flower of Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, who brought forth the Son of God, yet remained a Virgin, sweet and Immaculate Mother, grant the favors your children implore, O Star of the Sea!   ~St. Simon Stock

COMMUNITY NEWS

We have a new building! The addition to the Monastery is complete and is all that we planned and hoped for it to be. All that we have told you about for the last two years with so much hope has been accomplished: more cells for present and future vocations, larger kitchen and sewing room, increased space for work with statues, woodworking and other projects, an actual place for our library, rather than having it stand against the cloister (hallway) walls – all has come to pass, just as we have prayed and worked for. The addition is simple and austere, but cheerful and full of sunlight. Our novitiate has moved into the new building, and the young Sisters appreciate the view of the Rocky Mountains and Pikes Peak from their cells and classrooms. Our seamstress Sisters are delighting in all the space they need for the numerous sewing projects always going on here in Carmel. For more than a year, no less than four sets of vestments have been cut out and are waiting for assembly sewing; now the Sisters can sew with more order and solitude…that is, when they can keep from checking on the activity of not one but two robin’s nests within full view of the sewing room windows! The entire new portion of the building is closer to our stand of ponderosa pines, so all the windows invite the pleasant view and fragrance of these stout and sturdy trees. The kitchen is the relief of all the Sisters, since we all take turns working there, either preparing meals for the Community or baking. Our old kitchen was very small indeed, so we are especially grateful for this most useful room, filled with strong cupboards and now two large ovens. An idea we have been encouraged to pursue is to become a licensed bakery someday, so as to be able to sell, on a small scale, some of the wonderful and delicious baked goods our Sisters make. Our new kitchen makes this idea a real possibility.

There is about $30,000 of expenses that remain. Even with these final expenses, we were fortunately able to complete this project under the projected $500,000. May we ask you please to help us raise this last $30,000 so that we can be completely done?

We received a new postulant May 31st and have accepted another young lady from Brazil. Although we had hoped the latter would enter this summer, her entrance date has been delayed until after the New Year. We thank you for your good prayers for these young vocations as they learn and grow in the Carmelite life. Each week brings us more letters of inquiry and interest, most recently from Germany, France, and Spain.

WEBSITE NEWS

Our web site is run by a highly-gifted Catholic gentleman who devotedly works to build and prosper our work. He is a quite busy man besides all he does for us! But the Sisters are full of work for him: ideas for new items to add to our selection of sacramentals and other gifts we offer. Several new chaplets are already on the website. Among future offerings will be a “Rosary Gallery”, which will present rosaries designed and handcrafted by the Sisters. Customers will be able select a special rosary from these, consulting the detailed photos provided in the gallery. Patron Saint rosaries are also scheduled to be added to the website, and are now available…the rosary’s center medal can be chosen from the Patron Saint medals. As well, we hope soon to offer choices of crucifix and center medal on our Build a Rosary page. Until this option is made available on the website, you are welcome to let us know of crucifixes and centers you like from pictures you see on the site. Rosary bracelets and one-decade rosaries make excellent gifts, and these too we will soon be offering on the website. Lastly, we are also designing and preparing to print a series of prayer bookmarks. Although it will take some time for our good friends to get all of these items formally up on the site, please feel free to inquire by e-mail about any of these items, which in most cases we can already provide for gift-giving.

Again, please be assured of our prayers for you and yours!

Gratefully in Our Lady,
Your Carmelite Sisters