Today is Memorial Day when we honor the living and those who gave up their lives so America can be and remain free. We also remember the families of our fallen heroes. May God continue to bless them for the sacrifices their sons and daughters have made. We also remember the families of the heroes who still live among us. May God continue to bless them for the service of their sons and daughters who fought to keep America free.
October 21-23, 2022
We are glad to announce that we are going to hold two Fall Come & See weekends this year! For those of you who have visited the Motherhouse in the past could attest how beautiful this place is! If one is open to it, you can see and feel God's presence all around nature and in the silence of the Hudson River along the Catskill mountains. Saint Teresa's Motherhouse in Germantown, New York is home to the Carmelite Sisters and their Formation House. So come and join us for this weekend's experience of get away! You will have the opportunity to ask questions, learn about our life, pray and be alone with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Call Sr. Mary at 845-768-2303 or email her at srmaryod@stmhcs.org to register. The event is open to single women ages 18-35.
November 10-12, 2022
Our second Come & See weekend will be held in one of our mission facilities in Naperville, IL. If you are looking for a closer look at what we do as Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, and a chance to meet and greet our beloved residents, this is the experience for you! As Carmelites, we are called to bring the fruits of our prayer and contemplation into our workplace. What does that look like? Come and find out! You get to ask questions and speak to our Sisters. You will be given a tour of the facility and meet the residents as they go about their typical day. Come join us and call Sr. Mary! The event is open to single women ages 18-35.
Don't forget to bring along your friends or share these events with those who you know might be interested.
To learn more about the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged & Infirm, visit our website.
If you want to reach out to one of our formation directors to talk about your spiritual journey, contact one of us below:
Sr. Mary O'Donovan, O.Carm.- Vocation Director- srmaryod@stmhcs.org
Sr. Lois Ann, O.Carm.- Postulant/Temporary Vow Director -srloiswetzel@stmhcs.org
Sr. Helena of Mary, O.Carm.- Novice Director- srhelena@stmhcs.org
On August 16, we hosted a prayer service for Sister Michelle Elizabeth as her days at the Motherhouse wind down and she prepares to leave the Novitiate. On Saturday, August 20, she will profess First Vows. She will then begin her life as a newly professed and eventually leave for her first "Obedience" in Columbus, OH! It was a simple and beautiful prayer service, acknowledging Sister's religious commitment and celebrating a new beginning. Some Sisters took the opportunity to come up and share their sentiments, prayers, goodbyes and well-wishes as Sr. Michelle Elizabeth welcomed the Community's outpouring of love and prayers. We wish you well, Sr. Michelle Elizabeth! God bless your continuing journey as you climb the heights of Mount Carmel! May the spirit of our holy Foundress, Venerable Mary Angeline Teresa be your inspiration as you minister to our beloved residents. May Our Lady of Mount Carmel always be your Mother, Queen and Model as she continues to lead you to her Son, Jesus our Lord!
On April 23, 2022, Sister Luke Mary Angeline and Sister Maureen Paul Angeline, will profess their Perpetual Vows before the Carmelite family, invited families, guests and friends. Sister Maureen Paul is from New Mexico and Sister Luke Mary from Bronx, New York. May God continue to bless them as they continue their journey in Carmel. We thank God for their presence among us and celebrate them for who they are!
Visit this link on April 23 at 11 am EST for live stream coverage https://www.carmelitesisters.com/carmelite-events/final-profession-of-vows
by Sister Michelle Elizabeth, O.Carm.
On Tuesday, April 19, Sister Mary and I attended the “God Calls. You Answer” vocation fair at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. The event was held on the lawn in front of the library on campus. Many students walked past on their way to classes and study sessions. There were roughly fifteen other religious communities, of both men and women, in attendance for the fair. It was quite cold for mid-April, which made interacting with the students difficult. However, it was still a beautiful day overall. Before the end of the day, Sister Mary and I stopped in the chapel to make a visit to Our Lord, and to our happy surprise we were able to spend some time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and even receive Benediction. It felt like such an appropriate note to end our day on.
Throughout the day Sister Mary kept praying, “Well, Lord, we cast the net and went fishing. The rest is up to you.” Her prayer has stayed with me throughout the days since the fair. While the weather may have been poor, and our interactions with the students minimal, we do not know the true impact our being on campus made. All we can do is cast the net, the rest is up to Jesus.
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. (Lk 1:26-27)
I have always been fascinated by Our Lady and the Annunciation. Specifically, what has most impressed me is the fact that God chose a seemingly ordinary girl to play such a monumental role in His plan for salvation. If He chose Mary to participate in His plan, then maybe He might choose me too. Not in the same way He asked the Virgin Mary to participate in His plan, but in my own way. There is a part for me – and for all of us – in the Lord’s plan that can only be played by me.
Mary did not have to agree to God’s plan. She could have said no. However, she had a lifetime of little fiats leading up to that moment. They were the “yeses” of everyday life. Doing a favor for a friend, going on an errand for a parent, etc. Somehow, those smaller fiats contributed to her being able to consent to the Lord’s plan for her. In the ordinariness of her day, she was faced with another opportunity to say “yes” to what was being asked of her, only this time it was totally unlike anything she had ever been asked before.
I wonder what that moment before giving her consent was like. What went through her head? Did she think about the cultural and societal ramifications she would face? Did she wonder what her parents would say? What Joseph would say? Was she scared? Or did every little fiat she had ever given really pave the way for this moment? If I were to guess, I would say that even if she was scared or concerned, the grace, strength, and trust in the Lord that she possessed overshadowed all of it.
In a few months’ time, God willing, I will make my First Vows. It would be a lie if I said that I have never thought about what lies beyond my “yes.” In reflecting on the Blessed Mother’s “yes” I know that while she may not have had all the answers about what lay ahead, she had faith in God and in His plan for her. She trusted that come what may, He would always be there to guide and protect her. What’s more is that in reflecting on today’s Solemnity of the Annunciation, I am assured of the same thing. Whatever the Lord has in store, I know He will be there with me every step of the way. In addition, because of the smaller “yeses” I have given throughout my life, and especially in my time of initial formation, I am confident that there will be grace to say “yes” to Him again in this much bigger way.
Every day we are all faced with a thousand little fiats of our own; a thousand chances to consent to the Lord’s plan for each of us individually. In all honesty, I miss out on most of mine. But what would happen if I – if any of us, really – were more aware of those opportunities? How might the Lord’s plan unfold for us? It is precisely in the ordinary moments of everyday life that we are called to consent to the Lord’s plan for us as individuals, and in turn affect the world around us.
May today’s Solemnity of the Annunciation serve as a reminder to each of us to continually say “yes” to what the Lord is asking of us. May we be challenged to notice, and act upon, all of the little ways in which the Lord is calling us to cooperate in His plan. No “yes” is too small or ineffective. We never know what God will call us to, but it is in the ordinariness of our everyday lives that we can respond to his call with grace, strength, and trust in Him just as Our Lady did.
