April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
REFLECTION
Schenectady's Carmelites: More than memories
By MICHELLE AND WILLIAM SZUMILOSKI, PAM TARANTO, JOYCE PONSERELLA AND JOAN MULLANEY- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment
For almost 82 years, the Carmelite convent on Duane Avenue in Schenectady was a sanctuary of prayer and hope. The peace and love of the sisters was apparent to those who entered the chapel and monastery to pray and ask for their prayers. No one who entered the convent for prayer left without experiencing the love and concern the sisters shared for their problems.
We who are lay Carmelites still feel their loss. We have often said that only in heaven will we realize the graces that have come to us through the prayers and sacrifices of the sisters.
The Carmelite sisters have not been forgotten. Friends of the monastery continue to make the Thruway trip to Pittsford; there is communication via letters and email, asking for prayers and guidance on spiritual matters. The life of the monastery is recounted in a book, "Frances Nevins: Mid-20th-Century Carmelite," by Joan Ward Mullaney.
The Carmelite sisters in Schenectady were ahead of their time in fostering the growth of a movement among Catholic lay men and women. The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, begun by the sisters in 1924, continues to this day; the local group of secular Carmelites, the Our Lady of Mercy community, is among 4,000 such communities in the country.
Most Carmelite secular communities fall under the direction of the order's friars. The local community, however, was started by the Schenectady sisters. In 2003, Our Lady of Mercy community celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Every meeting, retreat and celebration was held in the monastery, and although the sisters didn't participate in these events, we always knew they were praying for us. We still have two members who have more than 50 years in the community.
When the sisters moved to Pittsford, Our Lady of Mercy community lost its monastery meeting place. Rev. Leo Markert and his parish, St. Gabriel's in Rotterdam, offered a new home. The community continues to meet there twice a month with Rev. Jeffrey L'Arche, MS, as its spiritual assistant.
As secular Carmelites, we wear brown scapulars that measure about five by seven inches under our clothing, since our vocation to Carmel is a "hidden" one: Our primary calling is to marriage or single life. The scapulars are made by the sisters from the same cloth as their habits, symbolizing that we are all one family.
We remain in close contact with the sisters. We have visited their new home. One practice we had in the monastery was our annual Epiphany celebration, when we collected gifts for the monastery: soap, toothpaste, canned goods, stamps and paper. Now, when we visit Pittsford, we bring similar gifts. We collect money to send at Christmas.
Dr. Mullaney's book on Frances Nevins (Sister Christine Marie) profiles a woman who entered the Schenectady Carmelite sisters in 1960. A Jesuit theologian called her "the holiest person I ever knew." Bishop Hubbard said that her life is "a fascinating story."
In the monastery, the sisters interred their dead in a basement crypt. When the monastery moved, the deceased were relocated to a local cemetery. Around All Saints' Day, Our Lady of Mercy community visits the cemetery to pray for our deceased sisters and ask their prayers for us.
(Ms. Taranto and Ms. Ponserella have each served as president of Our Lady of Mercy community, of which the Szumiloskis are also members. To order Dr. Mullaney's book, contact Rainbow Corner Bookstore in Schenectady, 346-5896; or Monastery Greetings, 1-800-472-0425 or www.monasterygreetings.com.)
250 X 250 AD
250 X 250 AD
Events
250 X 250 AD
Comments:
You must login to comment.