Carmelite Monastery in Coopersburg, PA
I have posted on this before but this time I brought a camera. The Carmelite Monastery near Allentown PA is a wonderful place to go to pray and worship and to "get alone" with God. It is the home of a small order of Carmelite cloistered nuns who follow the charism of Saint Therese of Lisieux. Each Sunday afternoon at 3:30 they have benediction which is open to the public as well as daily Mass at 7 AM. At the end of benediction, you can go forward and venerate a first class relic of St. Therese of Lisieux. We enjoy going to Christmas midnight Mass there because it's a bit quieter. There are priests from the diocese who take turns celebrating the Mass for the sisters (who remain unseen behind an iron grate) and the public.
Also they have a very cool little self-serve bookstore and gift shop where you can purchase inexpensive sacramentals, prayer cards, statues, and the story of their foundress Mother Theresa of Jesus.(Only Open on Sunday after Benediction) Finally, there is a room that contains the uncorrupted remains of their foundress and we often go there to obtain her intercessions for some serious concerns of ours. She is in the "pipeline" for sainthood. Can she intercede for us if she is not yet an "official" saint? Sure.
So if you get a chance when driving on Route 78 near the Quakertown exit, pull off and just a few minutes away is a nice retreat for your heart and soul. After you are done reading this, say a prayer for an increase in vocations to this order. They are very small and risking getting smaller as the sisters are very few in number but very many in years!
Also they have a very cool little self-serve bookstore and gift shop where you can purchase inexpensive sacramentals, prayer cards, statues, and the story of their foundress Mother Theresa of Jesus.(Only Open on Sunday after Benediction) Finally, there is a room that contains the uncorrupted remains of their foundress and we often go there to obtain her intercessions for some serious concerns of ours. She is in the "pipeline" for sainthood. Can she intercede for us if she is not yet an "official" saint? Sure.
So if you get a chance when driving on Route 78 near the Quakertown exit, pull off and just a few minutes away is a nice retreat for your heart and soul. After you are done reading this, say a prayer for an increase in vocations to this order. They are very small and risking getting smaller as the sisters are very few in number but very many in years!
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 9:54 AM
17 Comments:
How did I not know about this? It's RIGHT off PA-309 which I take to get to Allentown.
This is going on my list.
Hey, Your in PA? Im a Lancastrian :)
Not too far from Allentown!
-g-
yes George!
I love Lancaster. I just did a gig a few months ago out there in downtown Lancaster at a unitarian church . I spent my honeymoon there in Amish guest houses in Bird in Hand, long time ago.
I know of a brethren in Christ pastor from out that way in elizabethtown who just crossed the tiber. Check out his blog
Wow, that's cool! The blogosphere just shrank a little :) That guy looks familiar to me. I have friend who is BIC and says he would turn Orthodox if he didn't feel like God had more for him to do in the BIC.
Anyway, good to know your not far away there!
-g-
Hello! I have been to the Monastery and Benediction before! I met the Sisters afterwards because I was interested in staying with them for a week over my spring break. I'm a DeSales University student discerning my vocation like many of my peers. They are really the sweetest bunch of women, but they are most certainly an aging community that is not as youthful as it once was. When I go back to school (next Spring, I'll be gone this semester), I would like to visit them more and bring them things; apparently they love baked goods! (who doesn't). I'm so glad other people are taking an interest and praying for their community, too. I would be sad to see it go.
Dear Chelsea:
My son just graduated from Desales in December.
We live 15 minutes from the Carmelite monastery and love going to Mass there as well as benediction. I would be interested in hearing more about the Catholic activities at DeSales.
God bless you as you pursue your vocation
Does anyone know if they have had any more inquiries? How many are left? Thank you.
As far as I know they have three nuns left in the convent and I don't know if there are any candidates or enquirers. Say prayers for them. It would be a shame to lose these who are trying to truly live out the charism of St. Therese of Lisiuex
HAS any one asked the sister how many there are? Have they had any new vocations since 1982? I heard that they may have some new Philoppinos Sisters inside?? Is Mother Elisabeth still living?
Meiam:
I don't know anything about the sisters there. Last I heard there was three left. I don't know if there is any new vocations.Keep prayin!
I thought your conversion story was fantastic and shared it with another Catholic who has fallen into Protestant errors and confusion and a disconnect from historical proofs of the Church, the Sacraments, etc. I pray it helps her see all that she has walked away from!
Also, I was wondering if you have the high res version of the Shrine of St. Therese in Coopersburg. I am trying to do a web page for Mother Therese, their foundress who was found "incorrupt" when they moved her body after 60+ years of burial. The high res version of the photo you took of the front of the shrine would be very helpful. I would be most grateful!
Would you be able to upload it or send it by email (how do I give you the email to send it to)?
Thanks a million for sharing. God bless!
dear anon:
I don't know if my pics are hi def or not. Can you click right click on the image and just save to your computer?
if not, e mail me at dobrodoc1@gmail.com and I will try to e mail them to you. Thanks for your comment and for challenging your ex Catholic friend to re-consider the faith they left. I am convinced the only Catholic who walks away from the Church is one who never knew who and what they were leaving. God bless!
October 3, 2010. Today I thought I would finally go to the Carmelite monastery for the service for The Little Flower but there was no place left to park so I had to turn around and I never got to benediction. Please let me know if there is sunday Mass or benediction so I can try to go another time. I have been wanting to go here for a long time.
Elizabeth S.
Sos sorry you missed it! There was parking behind the monastery but it was really packed inside, standing room only. It was beautiful service and bendiction. The Knights of Columbus were there with the feathery hats and swords and a choir from St Pauls in Allentown provided the music. At the end, we venerated a relic of St. Therese and was given a blessed rose by the Knights.
They will have it next year so come early around 2 PM to get a seat.
I will post a video of it.
God bless
They have benediction every Sunday at 3PM and daily Mass at 7 AM and Sunday Mass at 7 AM.
It was so beautiful! I wouldn't have known about it if it had not been announced in our church bulliten (St. Thomas More in Allentown) I am becoming increasingly more devoted to St. Therese so, the service was extremely special to me. I was disappointed that we were unable to visit Mother Therese's tomb due to the construction, but i'll definately be back for a benediction on a Sunday in the near future. I spoke with 2 of the sisters after the service. They were so very sweet. Now that I know they enjoy baked goods, I'll be glad to bring some for them when I go again. :)
It is very difficult for me to attend Mass at 7:00 because of work and distance. Does anyone know if there will be a Midnight Mass Christmas Eve or earlier that day since I must work a 12-hour shift on Christmas? I work in a hospital. Thank you.
Elizabeth S.
I know they have a Christmas Eve Mass at midnite because we have been there before.
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