On June 7, 1923, Marguerite Marie Guiomar was born in Landernau (Finistère) into a close-knit and happy family. On June 7, 2023, at the Carmelite convent in Jerusalem, Sr. Marguerite Marie de Jésus celebrated her 100th birthday surrounded by her sisters in the community and her sister Sr. Marie Guénola, a Benedictine nun from Calvary and neighbor on the Mount of Olives, as well as many friends, priests, nuns, and lay people who came to join in our thanksgiving

Throughout this great week, we have accompanied Christ in the mystery of his Passover. Sent by the Father, the Lord Jesus offered everything and draws us into his offering. "The right hand of the Lord has done marvelous things, his right hand has lifted me up. No, I shall not die, I shall live and proclaim the works of God." (Psalm 117:16-17) Happy and Holy Easter to all!

Holy celebration of the Lord's Supper! "Father, [...] my soul needs to tell you that it is in complete communion with yours, allowing itself to be taken, carried away, and overwhelmed by the One whose charity envelops us [...]. I was thinking of you as I read [...] these words on contemplation: “The contemplative is a being who lives in the radiance of the Face of Christ, who enters into the mystery of God, not under the light that rises from human thought, but under that whi

Sing a song of joy to Christ as He enters into Jerusalem! Each one of us is there, present, during our Lord’s Passion in Jerusalem. The Paschal Mystery reflects on us, touches us, sanctifies us. This is ongoing, from our conception in God’s eternal Will, to our today’s life, and will be so until our death and resurrection! Indeed, “when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit. […] The earth quaked and the rocks were

Let us talk straight as we enter into Lent: what do we need? Which specific Word of God shall we echo? On Thursday after Ash Wednesday,...

Religious communities of the Mount of Olives On the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Sunday dedicated to the Word of God, the religious...

"You have come into your Temple, you, the sacrificed Lamb, the torch of the new Jerusalem, the true Temple of which we are the living stones... " It was to the singing of this refrain that we went this morning, February 2, to the Meeting of the Lord presented in the Temple by the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, and joyfully welcomed by Simeon and Anna, the prophetess. The procession with lighted candles begins at the enclosure gate and continues through the clois

“Our Father, which art in the Heavens.” O Son of God and my Lord! How is it that Thou canst give us so much with Thy first word? It is so wonderful that Thou shouldst descend to such a degree of humility as to join with us when we pray and make Thyself the Brother of creatures so miserable and lowly! How can it be that, in the name of Thy Father, Thou shouldst give us all that there is to be given, by willing Him to have us as His children and Thy word cannot fail? … Being ou

This year Christmas is celebrated Sunday. We adore He who is born was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and He who was designated Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his Resurrection from the dead (Rm 1:1-3). The Carmelite nuns of Pater Noster Monastery in Jerusalem wish you a Very holy Christmas and Happy New Year 2023! May the Blessed Child of Mary, the Risen Lord, bring a light of Peace and life to our World. May your hearts be full o

“The earth has yielded its increase. God, even our own God, will bless us.” (Psalm 66:7). The 2022 harvest has been particularly abundant: nearly four tonnes of olives. This harvest was also postponed for several weeks to let the olives reach an optimum grade of ripeness. The harvest was carried out by all healthy Carmelite nuns, our two workers and generous volunteers. It was a nice community work, in silent prayer, good humour, mutual support, and physical effort. Sure, 4 t

“What a magnificent view! On one side, Jerusalem spreads on the Moriah mountainside, and on the other side the Dead Sea, the road to Bethany, Bethsphage. So close on the right, the place of the Ascension.” These are the words Mother Xavier chose to express her delight in her diary, in the evening of her encounter with the Princess of the Tour d’Auvergne, on April 19th, 1872, on the place where the monastery was to be built. 150 years later, this place has changed a lot! Many

The Carmelite Sisters of Carmel in Jerusalem are delighted to invite you to the Eucharist Presided over by Our Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa 15 October 2022 at 10 a.m. On the occasion of the "Feast of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Our Mother and the opening of the 150th anniversary of the Foundation of the Carmelite Convent of Pater Jerusalem"

The summer sun shines on the Holy Land and ripens nice fruits: golden grapes, tasty figs, prickly pears sought-after by the neighbours whose children enter the garden to pick some themselves. It’s a little disappointing as we’ve been giving plenty to all who asked for. Yet let’s rejoice as the whole earth belongs to the Lord and all shall be “to the praise and glory of His name”! We received a very nice session in August to further deepen our liturgy. Fr Olivier Praud be

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.”