Discalced Carmelites celebrate 75 years of prayer in Diocese

“The heroism of your hidden life is an imitation of the 30 years that Jesus spent hidden in Nazareth, and it is as valuable to our redemption as the three years of his life that followed,” said Discalced Carmelite Father Michael Berry, speaking to the Discalced Carmelite nuns of the Carmel of Mary Immaculate and St Mary Magdalen, Flemington.

Father Berry, past provincial of the Carmelite Washington Province based in Brighton, Mass., served as principal celebrant and homilist for the 75th Anniversary Mass honoring the foundation of the Carmel in New Jersey. He noted that it was fitting that the anniversary was celebrated Oct. 14, the eve of the feast of St. Teresa of Avila, who founded the order in the 1500s. 

The Sisters celebrated the Mass from the choir – a screened alcove to the side of the main sanctuary. More than 60 visitors joined the sisters, Father Berry and priests from around the Diocese concelebrating the Mass. The anniversary celebration began with a Triduum on the nights of Oct. 11, 12 and 13, with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and a homily and Benediction by Father Berry. 

In his homily, Father Berry said in many ways, the existence of contemplatives “is a mundane existence, hidden in a monastery, interceding for God’s church and the world.”

“The existence of contemplatives has always been a mystery, as humans are biased toward doing, and the value of what one does is what commands respect,” Father Berry said. “Contemplatives don’t fit that mold. They don’t exist to be useful. Their value is their witness to the Living God, who is wholly worthy of devoting one’s life to worshipping him. …

“Today, we give thanks first to God, but also for the gift of our nuns, who have offered their lives in service to this monastery. What a blessing it is to have you here, in this Diocese, in this ‘city on a hill,’ testifying to the importance of prayer. We pray that more will be drawn in the future. We give thanks to our benefactors and friends who have supported us through the years.”

Those benefactors and visitors lined the hallway following the Mass, enjoying a small reception and patiently awaiting a moment to see the nuns at the “speakroom.” where they could personally extend their prayers and best wishes. 

Among them were a handful of members of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, laypeople who live in fraternal communion with the Carmelite friars and nuns, following the example and teachings of the Carmelite saints.

Wearing the brown scapular of the Secular Order, Melinda Ruiz Walters of Branchburg stood in line to greet the sisters. 

“I had never heard of St. Teresa of Avila until 2017, when I went to Avila, Spain, on a religious pilgrimage,” she said. “I knew I wanted something more in my faith, but I didn’t know what it was. I researched, making many calls, with much prayer. Someone sent me here to the Carmel monastery, and I began my journey on my wedding anniversary in 2019. It was meant to be.”

Concelebrating the Mass with Father Berry were Father John Primich, chaplain at the monastery; Father Anthony Sirianni of St. Helena Parish, Edison, a confessor at the monastery; Opus Dei Father Joseph Thomas, chaplain at Mercer House, Princeton; Father Larry Magdasoc of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Bridgewater; Carmelite of Mary Immaculate Father Sebastian Kaithackal, of Our Lady of Peace Parish in Fords; and Father Dawid Malik, parochial vicar of the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen. 

The original Carmel was established in 1949 on the outskirts of New Brunswick in what was described by Father Berry as a “dilapidated” house, whose living room was transformed into a chapel and dining room into the nuns’ choir after days of cleaning by the sisters. The first Mass was offered there Oct. 15, 1949, the feast of St. Teresa.

The community moved to a location outside of Flemington in 1956. A large monastery had been planned, but as vocations to religious life dwindled, the large property became a heavy financial burden for the community. The current site in Flemington was identified in 1969 and the owner, a Catholic widow, sold the property to the nuns for a price below its value. The sisters moved to their present monastery on Harmony School Road in 1972. 

The Flemington monastery is open for prayer from Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mass is offered on weekdays at 7 a.m., on Saturdays at 7 a.m. and on Sundays at 8 a.m. The community is supported by benefactors and by proceeds from their handmade items sold in their gift shop, including distinctive books and note cards.

The Carmel of Mary Immaculate and St Mary Magdalen is located at 26 Harmony School Road, Flemington. Visit their website at https://flemingtoncarmel.org.