Last Public Mass Held at Monastery of St. Clare

The Poor Clare Nuns held the last public mass on Sunday, Aug, 11 2019, at the Monastery of St Clare in Memphis. The nuns will be leaving the building that has housed their order since 1932 in the Frayser neighborhood. The monastery will be closed at the end of the year.

Memphis, Tenn. - Concealed behind tall brick walls and strong iron gates in a struggling Memphis neighborhood, nuns have been quietly praying for the city and its people since 1932. 

 Few people have been behind the walls of this monastery.  The silent and prayerful lives of the women, who have chosen to live here in community, remain a mystery and a curiosity to most outsiders.

 But they do have friends. The many friends of the Monastery of St. Clare, are a loyal group of followers who have supported them in every way you can imagine, only asking for prayer in return.

 In a neighborhood that is plagued by crime and residents fighting to climb out of poverty, these women have chosen a life that St. Clare called the “privilege of highest poverty.” The nuns rely on their friends for generosity, food, donations and even occasional help around the monastery.

 They have been called to a life of prayer and silence. To live in community and in radical poverty.

 The day they celebrated the Feast of St. Clare, on August, 11th, 2019, the sisters were applauded for all the fruits of their prayer during their last public mass for the Catholics of Memphis. The chapel was full; it was standing room only.

 “In these past 87 years, the community began to dwindle” explains Father Albert Haase during that mass. He shared their process of discernment with the worshipers in attendance. Gradually their community has gotten smaller and smaller; they prayed and asked “what does God want from us now?” Each of them came to realize, their mission here has been completed. “Their mission here is complete” he says “but their vocation goes on.”

 Choked up, finding it difficult to get out the words that she had planned to share, Sister Marguerite said, “We are leaving, but we will continue to pray for you and you will always be in our hearts.”

 She looked into the faces of the husbands, wives, children and elderly that she had spent a lifetime praying for, but she was unable to say more.

 After the service, a small child, Emma Bills, 7, held onto her. She had been baptized at the monastery. Her grandparents lived near the monastery, her mother grew up near the monastery and they all had built a relationship with the sisters.

 In May of 2018 the Vatican issued guidelines that all contemplative communities should have at least seven members. This, the last contemplative monastery in Tennessee,  has dwindled to four.

 So, they sought out ways to continue their vocations. They reached out to other Poor Clare communities around the country. Sister Anthony will be going to the Poor Clare’s in Cincinnati with Sister Alma. Sister Marguerite and Sister Claudia will be going to live with the Poor Clare’s at the Travelers Rest, South Carolina.

 Written by Karen Pulfer Focht ©

Freelance Photojournalist in Memphis

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2019/08/13/final-public-mass-tears-mark-closing-of-poor-clare-monastery-in-memphis/

http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/final-public-mass-tears-mark-closing-of-poor-clare-monastery-in-memphis/49116/1

http://catholicphilly.com/2019/08/news/national-news/final-public-mass-tears-mark-closing-of-poor-clare-monastery-in-memphis/

Vespers with the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles

Gower, Missouri- The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, is a group of young Catholic cloistered nuns living a secluded life in the rolling hills and farmlands north of Kansas City.

They have chosen to come away from the world and spend their days working in silence-- except for when they are singing sacred music. These are women are seeking a conversion of life. “We are in a sense reaching back through time and conserving that way of life for the future,” Mother Cecilia said. The Benedictine way of life has given the church thousands of saints, she said.

It is within this contemporary monastery that these sisters are working on their latest album of sacred music to raise money to build their church. These singing nuns gained national attention when four of their albums topped the classical charts.

The convent was built on land donated by a local farmer.  According to Sr. Scholastica, the sub-prioress of the order, on the day the nuns first visited the land in 2007 to inspect it, they spotted a cloud formation of a very clear dark-gray arm and hand pointing down to the property.  Above the "hand" floated a bright white dove.  "It was a truly astonishing sight. Yes, this is where God wanted us," she said.

Their days are filled with silence, chores, prayers, chanting and song while they wait for God to come to them in whispers. Wearing distinctive habits and veils that cover all but their pretty faces and hands, they make their deep commitment to be a bride of Christ, visible to all who come into contact with them.

Each night the nuns have Vespers in their tiny chapel. Evening prayer is part of the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office. Candles are lit; the pious nuns quietly process into the hallowed space in a very orderly way. They begin to express ancient soulful rituals as they chant, bow and sing, "with the help of the angels." 

Their numbers are growing, as are their financial needs. They continue to expand and create a holy atmosphere conducive to a powerful inner life.

They have attracted women from all over the globe. Their average age is 29, including Sister Wilhelmina who will be 93 just after Easter. “It is a great blessing to have her wisdom and experience to guide us” said Sister Scholastica.

The nuns recently started a campaign to build their own church. "The monastery church is the focal point of every community, a place where the faithful may come partake of the prayer that is constantly offered there” the sister explains. The decision to build the $6.5 million church is a practical one, they have run out of room.  They have raised half the money needed. The hope it will be finished this fall, just in time for more candidates arrive.

They rely on the money they make from their music and donations. They recently got a glimpse of the changing world when received a large donation in bitcoin.

Written By Karen Pulfer Focht

Former story, photos and video at:

http://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/benedictines-of-mary-queen-of-the-apostles

Their CDs can be purchased and donations can be made at http://benedictinesofmary.org //////

©-Karen Pulfer Focht-Not For Use Without Written Permission