The Carmelite Sisters

Moon Pixie SG

Hi...

Would anyone be able to tell me more about the Carmelite Sisters in Singapore? I only know they live a life of prayer and never leave the place they reside in, but don't know how else they spend their daily lives etc.

I grew curious after recently reading about them having to move from their Bukit Teresa monastery.

By the way, I'm a freethinker and know very little about Roman Catholics. Embarassed

SingaporeMacross SG

Hello there, and welcome to our humble abode! Very Happy Enjoy your stay here!

The nuns are cloistered in a monastery. They will never leave until they die. I think there are two exceptions: for elections and to see the doctor.

The nuns spend the day praying the Divine Office in choir, studying religious texts and manual labour. They sew priests' vestments and they bake altar bread for Mass. They also give spiritual guidance to those who come visit them for it.

The Carmelite tradition is a contemplative one. This means that they spend a lot of time reflecting and praying.

Moon Pixie SG

How many of them are there in Singapore? Do people visit them? Have short stays at the monastery?

What about food? Do they abstain from anything? Where do they get the funds for their meals? I read somewhere that they sell things they make to raise funds for the church, but I don't know what exactly those are.

And... why do they live in seclusion to this extent?

SingaporeMacross SG

The idea of seculsion is to remove the distractions of the world, so as to create a better atmosphere for contemplation. They also pray for those who request it, especially for the priests. The seculsion allows better focus.

I think they don't eat meat. They make altar bread and vestments for sale.