On the evening of August 15th, we processed by torchlight to the statue of Our Lady placed in a grotto of Lourdes in our garden, singing to Mary crowned with stars.     Rosary, prayers of Thanksgiving and intersession, deeply united with the Universal Church and especially with the Church of Jerusalem who celebrates Mary’s Assumption in the Tomb of the Virgin Mary, a few meters away from here, at the foot of the Mount of Olives.      The Assumption of the Virgin Mary is the b

The Assembly of the Federation of Carmelite nuns from Middle East and North Africa has been held in Amman, Jordan, from June 9th to 16th 2022. Three delegates of each Carmel (Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Haifa, Nazareth, El Fayoum – Egypt, Alep – Syria, Tangier – Morocco) meet every three years to discuss, work on future projects, in order to pull and forward together. The Federation is a structure dedicated to the communion between monasteries. We lived this time in an atmosphere o

On this 7th of June, our dear sister, always valiant, blows out 99 candles and enters her centenary, surrounded by the affection of her sisters, who simply return the great tenderness with which she surrounds each one of us: always attentive to each one, always joyful and ready to adapt, always busy praying, with the Word of God in her hands, or embroidering (without glasses) and unfailingly faithful to the choir services. Sr Marguerite Marie is also the first to arrive at th

Sister Marie Xavier (Marie DESCHAMPS) and sister Theresa (Thérèse GUYOT) left the Carmelite Monastery in Saigon (Vietnam) in 1871 and came back to France. They reach Suez in December and Cairo in January. In Egypt they receive a letter inviting them to a pilgrimage in Jerusalem, where they will meet with the Princess of the Tour d’Auvergne. She is looking for nuns who could establish a monastery on the mount of Olives. Everything starts… Excerpt from Mother Xavier’s journal,

Sunday, March 13th, Christian communities of the mount of Olives gathered together to celebrate the Lord who is calling for communion, participation, mission. After the parish Mass in the church of Bethphage, some faithful came to the Carmel of Pater, with Fr Silvio. Fr Luciano and his community of the Silent Action of the Cross, Combonian Sisters (Ashayah street), Benedictine nuns, Little Sisters of Jesus of Abu Dis, Sisters of Mother Teresa, some volunteers and young adults

Saturday, March 5th 2022, as Church was celebrating the first Sunday of Lent, Anne received the habit of the Carmelite Order in a religious custom which also makes her enter the novitiate. This Celebration of the Word of God takes place in the community intimacy. A thanksgiving Mass was celebrated on Sunday, March 6th with some friends. With the joy of the Magnificat, sister Anne of Jesus (her new name), starts her novitiate, an important time in the initial formative journey

After he was elected Superior General in September 2021, Fr Miguel visited the delegation of Holy Land in January. He rejoiced us with a fraternal, warm and encouraging visit. “What path should we take in Carmel of Pater? Attentively listen to one another, live a true fellowship together, let all Sisters feel precious. Because that is listening to God. When you discover how valuable you are, you are strengthened to help building the community.”

On January 26th, in the evening, snowfall could be forecasted. Throughout the night, snow fell silently to cover the sleeping mount. In the morning, the cloister patio was absolutely white, and the neighbourhood surprisingly quiet… Our trainee, originating from Côte d’Ivoire was delighted. She had never seen snow! However, the heavy snow and the violent wind caused disastrous damage to the trees in the garden. Early morning, the Sister gardener shook the trees, but many branc