The Discalced Carmelite Monastery of Sacramento

Throughout the past years I had noticed the numbers of priestly and religious vocations dwindling and the rising of certain sinful practices throughout the world. Many times during my studies I had thought about a certain verse in the Bible…John 15:19, where Jesus says: “If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world...” I know that I am to be a priest, but I often wondered, am I to live a monastic life as well. I do know this much, I’m not the only one who thinks like this.

For some reason, I believe Jesus is the reason, I kept thinking about our religious sisters and how their numbers were decreasing as well. This concerned me because I am a strong believer that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ and not only do we need more priests in the world today, we also need more religious sisters. The best thing I could think of to do to address this issue is to write this article. 

My original plan for this article was to begin writing it in April and have it posted before the Feast Day of Our Lady of Carmel, but life threw a curveball at me. First, I had a death in my family. The Lord released my sister from her struggles with ovarian cancer and brought her home on the Feast Day of St. Mark the Evangelist during the hour of Divine Mercy…I think that’s a miracle right there. Not too long after that, I lost my job and had been looking for employment since. Normally, one would complain about losing their jobs, but I won’t. I believe that Jesus is giving me some time to work on other things at the same time…after grieving for my sister first. As far as trying to get a new job is concerned, I strongly believe that God will provide.

Now, I have finally written this article. Going back to the issue I first mentioned, the lowering number of religious vocations, I decided to interview a few of our religious sisters at the Discalced Carmelite Monastery located at 6981 Teresian Way, Georgetown, California. I asked them for their insights and thoughts of this issue and asked them for advice on what we can do.

Before I talk about the interview itself, please allow me to give a brief history of the monastery.

Nestled in the forest and mountains of El Dorado County, The Carmelite Monastery is surrounded by beautiful thick trees everywhere you can see. If you're not impressed with the beautiful structure and artwork of the monastery, you definitely will be with all the natural beauty of God’s work that surrounds them. The following is an excerpt on their history straight from their website, www.carmelitemonastery.org:

“In Sacramento, the Vine of Carmel was planted on December 25, 1935. The five founding nuns came at the invitation of Bishop Robert Armstrong. In an exchange of letters with Mother Mary Seraphine, the founding prioress, the Bishop had inquired what would be needed for the initial establishment of the monastery. Mother Seraphine replied, ‘Excellency, St. Teresa felt to begin with, a house and bell were necessary. Bishop, we have the bell.’

The first Mass of this new foundation took place at midnight on Christmas Eve, 1935, in a farmhouse. It was such an inspirational beginning. The scene of Mary and Joseph in a cave, awaiting the birth of Jesus, blended so well with that moment. And the new community experienced a poverty not unlike that known to Mary, Joseph, and Jesus; a poverty they rejoiced in for several years, until the end of our country’s ‘Great Depression.’

Fifty years later, when our community relocated to a Christmas-like setting near the El Dorado forest, we designed a Bethlehem scene in one of the oratories. There we can prayerfully meditate and give thanks often for God’s coming to earth to dwell among us, to save us and show us the ‘Way’ in which He wishes to be followed.”

Among the patron saints they have, St.Teresa of Ávila, also known as St. Teresa of Jesus, is venerated at the monastery. The sisters follow what is called the Teresian Way, which speaks of Saint Teresa of Ávila, is all about walking in the divine footsteps of Jesus. They even have it noted that their address, 6981, is a miracle. Here is the story to that:

Formally located right in Sacramento, Mother Mary Seraphine, who had a truly fiery devotion to St. Thérèse, wrote to Mother Agnes at the Lisieux Carmel. She entreated her to ask St. Thérèse to obtain from God the favor that all who would be called to this new Carmel would be victims of Merciful Love, as was St. Thérèse. Once they had moved to the El Dorado Forest, and received their new address number 6981, they wondered: why such a long number, when they were the only ones living there? After some prayerful reflection, they realized that St. Thérèse made her oblation to Merciful Love on June 9, and ‘81 was the year the address was assigned to them … so 6981 echoes their vocation.

If you visit their website, you can read a lot more about their history and about the Teresian Way.

If you are able, I strongly suggest that you visit the monastery. They love to pray for and with everyone and…they have an outdoor rosary walk that is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Walking the path in the woods while praying the rosary is a marvelous way to connect with our Lord and Savior and the Holy Trinity.

Now, as promised, here is the interview I mentioned. The three religious sisters I spoke with were Mother Superior Mary Bethany, Sister Agnes, and Sister Veronica Rose.

What aspects of the monastery are they passionate about and why?

The chance to follow God with less impediments or distractions, to be able to focus on giving to God.The religious life is like a streamline that makes serving God easier.

Being consecrated to God, belonging completely to Him and growing in union with Him.

Praying for priests, for them to be effective in leading souls to God.

What point in your life did you realize that you wanted to live a monastic life?

One sister said she was a non-Catholic teenager in high school. She visited a local monastery located nearby where she lived. She found it so attractive that that was what she wanted to do after finishing high school. So, just to keep it short, she converted.

Another said after she graduated from high school, she was in the parking lot at church and was thinking about what she was going to do with her life since she had just graduated. Then just all of a sudden it occurred to her that she could be a nun, which really intrigued her. She didn’t want to have a job in which she would have to split her time between working a 9-5 job and her time with Jesus, so being a nun interested her more and more.

The third one said she had also just graduated from high school and was in a car accident. She said it was traumatizing for her because she was driving. Her biological sister suggested to her to read a book about Our Lady of Fatima. While reading the book, she said she felt like she was reading the Truth. Even though she was brought up Catholic, she felt as if she was hearing the truth for the first time, which gave her a deeper conversion. After going to daily Mass and praying the rosary asking to know God’s will for her, and reading about St. Thérèse, she was drawn into the Carmelite order.

Churches throughout the world are declining in attendance and vocations. What advice would you give on this concern?

They mentioned that one of their fellow sisters had to go to a medical appointment, while there, met someone from a different diocese who was studying to be a priest. He said that his diocese was booming with vocations. The reason being…their director of vocations went around to each parish and encouraged families to pray for vocations from their own families.

Another bit of advice, with as much darkness there is in the world today, try to keep your faith strong…and pray pray pray (well, I added the pray part there). Pray for others to open themselves to God’s voice. Love Jesus and look at Him as a Person to love and follow. Invite others to know and to love Him.

One said that she was thinking the morning before I arrived that in a way the Church is experiencing the same thing it had in the beginning with pagans converting and joining the Church. They didn’t know the Truth at first, but once they were taught about Jesus, they joined. To me (the author of this article) that means to spread the truth about our Lord and Savior and teach the Gospels to others. Be open to whoever comes into the Church and see where their heart is.

For parents concerned about their children falling away from the faith, what helps is the families living out their faith and being active in works of charity.

What advice do you have for my readers who may be discerning the vocation of cloistered life?

Don’t give up. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t stop halfway. At least come and find out and pray, investigate cloistered communities, read and study. Meet and talk with someone in the Carmelite order, or whichever order you are discerning. Read scripture. Don’t be afraid. Take the leap, God will catch you. Pray and don’t worry.

And to make it more fun after asking the serious questions: What’s your favorite color?

Blue, Purple, White.

For those of you reading this who are thinking about or trying to discern what vocations to follow in your life, if any of them are to follow a religious vocation (such as priesthood or cloistered life), I hope that this article will help you with that decision in a good way.

God bless you all and I pray that everyone will find the best vocation God wants of you, whether it be religious, marriage, or jobwise.