The Carmelites all together at their monastery on the grounds of St. Stephen Diocesan Center, from left, Sister Mary Francis of Jesus Crucified, Sister Assumpta John Theresa of the Risen Christ, Hawaii Sister Elizabeth DeJesus, Hawaii novice Sister Therese Veronica Wilson, new Sister Mary Elizabeth of the Trinity, de facto prioress Sister Agnella Iu, new Sister Ann Therese of the Immaculate Heart, Mother Rose Ann Manliclic (who accompanied the new sisters traveling to Hawaii but is not staying), and Sister Mary Angelica of God the Father. (Photo courtesy of Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP)
Once on the verge of closing, Hawaii’s only Carmelite monastery now has the numbers to be resurrected anew
By Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
The Philippines came through once again for the Catholic Church in Hawaii. The source for nearly half the priests in island parishes, the mostly Catholic Asian nation has now provided the nuns needed to save Hawaii’s 46-year-old Carmelite monastery from closing.
The last two of five sisters arrived May 16 at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
They join three Hawaii nuns and three other Filipinas who arrived last November. With six of the eight fully professed, there are now enough sisters to re-found the monastery that otherwise would have been shuttered for lack of numbers.
The two new arrivals are Sister Mary Elizabeth of the Trinity from the monastery Carmel of Mati, Mati City, Davao Oriental, and Sister Ann Therese of the Immaculate Heart from the monastery Carmel of Davao, Davao City, Davao Occidental.
Greeting them at the airport were Maryknoll Sister Yoo Soo Kim and Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary Sister Rosario Tuvida and Sister Malia Dominica Wong.
Upon arrival, a jet-lagged Sister Ann Therese said, “I’m thankful to God for sending me here as a missionary. I did not expect to become a missionary, but it was his plan.”
Sister Mary Elizabeth said, “As the plane was about to land, I was so happy to be able to take in the full view of Hawaii. It is so beautiful.”
The two traveled to Hawaii accompanied by a third nun, Mother Rose Ann Manliclic, who will help them get settled in their new community in the convent on the grounds of St. Stephen Diocesan Center in Kaneohe. She will be with them until June 26.
At the Kaneohe monastery, the resident sisters exuberantly greeted the new arrivals.
“We are happy to be together again,” said Sister Assumpta John Theresa of the Risen Christ.
The sisters, all who come from different monasteries in the Philippines, had trained together for the Hawaii assignment at a mission-orientation seminar in Tagaytay City. They had also visited each other’s convents.
“That is how we got to know each other,” Sister Assumpta said.
Sister Mary Francis of Jesus Crucified added, “We are truly like a family and we are so happy to welcome each other.”
Sister Agnella Iu, the last surviving founding member who came from Hong Kong in 1973 and the de facto prioress, sighed gently. “We are grateful to God and to all the sisters,” she said. “We are very grateful.”
Of the three Hawaii nuns, Sister Agnella is fully professed, Sister Elizabeth de Jesus has made temporary vows and Sister Therese Veronica Wilson is a novice. According to Carmelite rules, without at least six perpetually vowed nuns to make decisions, new members cannot receive approval to advance in their vows and the community cannot grow.
Keeping the name
All five new sisters are fully professed. Most are in their 40s. After all the sisters have settled in, the monastery will be re-founded, keeping its original name, “Carmel of the Holy Trinity.”
The sisters will hold a “chapter,” a decision-making meeting, to choose a prioress and adopt a “local rule of life” that will spell out times for prayer, work, recreation and other activities.
The newly chosen prioress, with the rest of the sisters, will form a “formation team” that will decide when Sister Elizabeth will proceed to perpetual vows and novice Sister Therese Veronica to first vows.
The new Carmelites were recruited from five monasteries with the help of Sister Mary Bernard Tescam, a member of Carmel of St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Quezon City, Metro Manila, which has sent sisters to monasteries in Wales, the United Kingdom, Palestine, Belgium and Mississippi.
Those who volunteered for the Hawaii assignment were fully screened and their suitability for the mission discerned, said Sister Mary Bernard, “first by their prioresses and the chapter of the community, then by the Council of the Association of Carmels in the Philippines together with the religious assistant.”
Patrick Downes contributed to this story.
