Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-09
THE CARMELITE NUNS
LIFE OF SILENCE AND OTHER
HARDSHIPS.
Establishment Of q Branch OF the
Order in the United
States.

From the Kansas City Star
Prayer. penance. fast and silence, during
all the 385 days Of the year. Is the manner
OF life OF an order Of women who have just
established another branch Of their institu-
| ton In the United States. They are known
| as the discalceated nuns OF Mount Carmel
| and are followers of the Church of Rome.
Despite the fact that this strange order OF
woman is a relic of the medieval age, and
that the daily routine Of their lives Is en-
tirely contrary to the dictates OF modern
civilization. they are gaining a strong foot
hold In this country, and their converts and
numbers are steadily increasing. In a
gloomy-looking little old house on Poplar
street just west of 18th street, in Philadel-
phia, they have opened or, more properly
speaking. have entered and closed, another
convent of Mount Carmel. In II are cloister-
| ed six young nuns. There are also two lay
sisters who attend to the business of the in
stitution. These six choir nuns, as those
taking the perpetual vows are called. have
never since the day OF their profession en-
the people os the world, save on this one
coca sion, when they travel from their
mother house, near Baltimore, to their new
convent in Philadelphia.
Never Show Their Faces.
NO life known to modern times is to the
average healthy mind so absolutely unnat-
| ural as that of the Carmelite nuns. All the
ab,temious details of their existence are not
known, except to few who have studied
the religious orders of the Roman Catholic
Church. If their lives be unhappy or dis
tasteful in any way their secret is never
known TO the world. From the hour when
they take their final vows their faces are
never seen. Neither father, mother nor
sister may ever look upon them again, and
even their yelled forms may not be seen.
Whea business or some other important
matter demands converse with the world
they speak from behind curtained bars. The
daily life of a Carmelite nun is as barren OF
beauty and luxury, even of what are deem
ed by the very poorest absolute necessi-
ties, as is the existence of doomed convict.
Ihelr bed Is plain, hard board. their
CLONES, winter and summer, are Of the
coarsest wooden. ever spotlessly clean. but
narSn, and IN warm weather uncom Portable
VI recreation and amusement they have alb
solutely none, not even of the most childish
and harmless kind. Their day begins at the
nrst hour when the chapel chimes toll II.
Then they arise from their hard beds and in
Silence enter prayer. They enter their
sanctuary. where an hour is spent in pray
er. Their hour of midnight alteration end
ed, they return to their board couches and
rest until the stars begin to pale, when a
day OF Irk and fast and prayer is begun.
There is another hour before the altar. and
1hen what they very inappropriately call
breakfast.
Bread and Coffee.
Always the first meal of the day consists
OF dry bread and black coffee, except that
In case of illness egg is given. With this
scant nouruishment they start the work
and exacting prayer of the day. After the
toiling Of the midday angelus another re-
past. ironically called dinner. is served.
Dry bread, plain boiled potatoes some othe-
ordinary vegetables and perhaps Goldfish
Dails or some other inexpensive fish consti-
tute the full menu of their midday meal
NO Dutter. no sugar, no coffee. no tea,
never beverage of any kind nor a relish
or dessert. and taste of flesh of any de-
scription is absolutely strange to them But
probably the strangest of all the customs
of the Carmelites is that of placing on the
dlnfGg table before them skull as a re-
minder that death must finally claim them
all. 1t Is said that young novices frequently
give up their scant meals for DAYS before
they can accustom themselves to the grue-
soruely nauseating object before them That
neshless face is always there But the
young girls who enter the CaFmelite con-
vents must become Injured to this sight
The rosary, hung with crucifix is their
only ornament. and a crucifix and perhaps
a skull are the only decora tons in their
narrow, gloomy cells.
Nuns Recreation.
The afternoons Of the Carmelites are
spent in much the same way as in the
mornings. with this exceptior-two hours
are taken from the constant strain of
prayer and devoted to what in the convent
is termed recreation. This time is passed
in sewing. generally in the making of
church vestments. sacred heart badges, Ag-
nus Deis and scapulars for the poor This
is what they call recreation-and yet never
one word is uttered. Think of from six to
twenty women sitting in a room for two
hours. not speaking word, and this
when all the rest of the day had been spent
in silence. And yet this is what the Car
melite n>-ns do every day of their lives. ST.
Observation-Disclosures. always. except when
their lips murmur prayer. and even the
fall of their feet upon the rough wood
floors is almost noiseleSs. No sound breaks
the stiffness of the air, save the soft rustic
of coarse garments the monotonous chant
Of the office, and faint echo from the
busy, bea utiful, sinful world beyond their
SOmber walls
The evening meal of the Carmelite nuns
is as frugal as their breakfast. The early
hours of the cleaning are spent In silent
contemplation and prayer. and darkness
still finds them kneeling with bowed heads
in supplication for courage. faith and
mercy. At 9 o'clock they silently enter
their cells where they rest upon their hard
boards until the midnight hour of prayer
In silence their lives are spent. and even
in their last hours only the creed and con-
f1teOr pass their lips. In silence and alone
save perhaps the presence. of one Of the
nuns and priest of the church, who is
there to administer the last rites Of the
church. to listen to the last confession to
chant the prayers for the dying to absolve
and anofnt.