Monks of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel
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Catholic Carmelite order
The Carmelite Monks during recreation in their monastery.
The Carmelite Monks or Monks of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel are a public association within the Diocese of Cheyenne,[1][2] dedicated to a humble life of prayer. The Wyoming Carmelites claim loyalty to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church and to the Carmelite charism.[3] Their life includes strict separation from the world and the living of the cloistered Carmelite spirituality and way of life established by John of the Cross and Teresa of Jesus. In accord with the Carmelite Rule, they engage in manual labor and the study of Carmelite spirituality in the solitude of the mountains, with the firm hope of attaining to Union with God.[4]
The Carmelite monks are cloistered Carmelite men who dedicate their lives to prayer and the pursuit of virtue so as to be a hidden leaven of grace for the Catholic Church's mission in the world. Their priests are called choir monks since their entire hidden priesthood is devoted to the following: offering daily the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the chanting of the Divine Office in the choir and pursuing the heights of the mystical life through personal holiness and contemplative prayer. Though they are completely cloistered, they also share the fruits of their solitary lives by hearing confessions and giving spiritual direction to people who may come to the monastery.[5]
As cloistered Wyoming Carmelites, they are not active friars, but pray for their fellow Carmelites who have that mission. For this reason they do not belong to either the Ancient Observance or Discalced branches of the Carmelite Order. All Carmelites originated as hermit monks, but the main branches of the order have been mendicant friars[6] since the 13th century.
In one of the first works of the Carmelite Order, The Institutions of the First Monks, written near the beginning of the order,[7] the charism of the Carmelites was laid out as a hidden life of contemplative prayer carried out in the solitary wilderness by a monk. The Carmelite monks follow this same solitary monastic Carmelite charism.[8]
Cloistered Carmelite nuns also consider themselves to be cloistered monastic hermits. Their life and the life of the Carmelite monks' are similar in that both are cloistered Carmelite contemplatives and follow many of the same customs.[9]
Background of the community
The Carmelite monks were founded in 2003 by the authority of Bishop David Ricken in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming, with Daniel Mary Schneider as the first and founding Prior of the community.
Schneider was trained for eleven years in a hermitage of the Ancient Observance and through a close relationship with several houses of cloistered Discalced Carmelite nuns. Schneider was clothed as a Carmelite by members of the order and lived in vows in a house of the order for many years.
The Carmelite monks use the suffix M.Carm. to designate membership in their order, which is the abbreviation of the Latin words Monachi Carmeli. This means 'Monks of Carmel' in English.
Charism
The Carmelite monks' spirituality and life are based on four pillars that are essential to their identity. The first pillar is filial union with the Blessed Virgin;[10] the second, the Rule of St. Albert;[11] the third, the traditional Carmelite Liturgy,[12] and the fourth, the Carmelite spirituality and monastic inspiration of the way of life of Teresa of Jesus and John of the Cross.[13]
The monks live a strict horarium that includes the midnight office, two hours of mental prayer, common rosary, chanted sung mass and manual labor.[14]
A young Carmelite monk, Simon Mary, described his community's charism in this way in a 2008 interview:
Carmelite monks are consecrated to God through the vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty. Our time is spent in prayer and penance for the salvation of souls, interceding for the Church and the world, as well as in the study of Scripture and the fathers and doctors of the Church . . . Our monks live strict constitutional enclosure – we don't leave the monastery at all, . . . with[out] permission from the Bishop.[15]
Traditional liturgy
The Carmelite Monks of Wyoming use the traditional Latin liturgy of the Carmelite Rite, which is similar to the Tridentine Mass.[16] The Carmelite Rite, based on the Rite of the Holy Sepulchre, was used by the Ancient Observance branch of the Carmelite Order from the time of the first hermits on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land in the late 12th century, until Vatican II at which time the Carmelites began to celebrate the ordinary form of the Roman Rite Mass. The first Rule of Carmel was given to the Carmelites by Albert of Jerusalem, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who in that time was exiled in the city of Acre, Israel, from which place Mount Carmel was visible to the south.
New Mount Carmel
Separation from the world for contemplative prayer is essential to the life of the Carmelite monks,[17] their monasteries are founded in the mountains to ensure geographical enclosure.[18] In modern times where noise abounds, the monks desire true silence and an atmosphere of natural solitude. The monks explain how the mountains provide this: "In the mountains, often wild and remote, the soul can make a swift journey towards union with God; the beauty of the wilderness alone raises the mind and heart to the Eternal Father who created the things of this world. In the mountains the Carmelite monks will at last be in a place conducive to their life and in keeping with their Holy Rule."[19]
Thus Carmelite monks have founded the New Mount Carmel, where the original Carmelite charism is being lived in the mountains of Wyoming.[20] This reflects the continual effort of Carmelites throughout the centuries to return to the eremitical life of a hermit in the mountains in imitation of Elijah from the Book of Kings in the Old Testament. The Carmelite monks are nearing completion of their Gothic monastery in the Rocky Mountains.[21]
The Carmelite monks are known for roasting and selling gourmet coffee under the name Mystic Monk Coffee. The Wyoming Carmelites' coffee has won awards from famous coffee reviewers and is known for its small batch quality and freshness.[23] The Carmelite monks' Mystic Monk Coffee business was established to help support the Carmelite monks' monastery in the mountains of Wyoming.[24]
In May 2020, Augustine Inferrera, who spent four weeks as a postulant with the community, wrote a 49-page report addressed to the bishop of Cheyenne and had it published by the news website Church Militant in January 2022. The report accused the monastery of abuse and dysfunction that he allegedly experienced and witnessed during his time there, including one instance where a brother, Paul Bennier, pointed a masonry trawl at him, and another where the same brother pushed him against a door while gripping his neck.[citation needed]
Inferrera reported the latter incident to the Park County Sheriff's Office and as a result Bennier was charged with simple assault. He pled no contest to the charge, was found guilty, and was sentenced to six months probation and a fine which was waived due to his inability to pay. Bennier was chastised by the prior for the incident and expressed remorse to Inferrera and to the officer who interviewed him.[25][bettersourceneeded]
Additionally, Inferrera accused the monks of not praying enough.[26][bettersourceneeded] Certain parts of this report were also endorsed by Richard Minson, who has claimed to be a former member of the monastery, and has also claimed to have spent as much as two weeks there.[27][bettersourceneeded]
The bishop of Cheyenne subsequently sent a letter in September 2020 in reply to Augustine Inferrera informing him that he had conducted an investigation of the monastery and had directed the monks to make changes to address certain issues and that he would supervise these changes.[28][bettersourceneeded]
In June 2022, a group of five former postulants and novices began uploading videos to YouTube under the name "Wyoming Carmelite Testimonials," claiming that the accusations of Inferrera and Church Militant against the monks were false.[29] They stated on their website that their main motive for defending the monks was that "young men might not be hindered from discerning their vocations with the monks due to these accusations."[30] They claim that the monks have continued to function as normal since the 2020 investigation.[31] Since the investigation, the bishop of Cheyenne has not released any public statements regarding the monks.
↑ Dale Vree. An Interview With A Carmelite August 29, 2008. Blog Post. – Interview with Brother Simon Mary, 24 years old, about his life story and vocation, his thoughts about the monastic life, the nature and goals of the Carmelite Monks, etc.
↑ The Carmelite monks use the full Carmelite Rite liturgy according to the printed books existent in 1962. They do not simply use elements taken from the Carmelite Rite, as do the Carmelite Hermits of the Blessed Virgin Mary,Archived 2010-01-13 at the Wayback Machine who experiment with the liturgy according to the needs of their hermits.
A list of all the congregations, notable members, priories, churches, and convents of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (Carmelites)
The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a Roman Catholic mendicant religious order for men and women. Historical records about its origin remain uncertain, but it was probably founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel in the Crusader States. Berthold of Calabria, as well as Albert of Vercelli, have traditionally been associated with the founding of the order, but few clear records of early Carmelite history have survived. The order of Carmelite nuns was formalised in 1452.
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may be a chapel, church, or temple, and may also serve as an oratory, or in the case of communities anything from a single building housing only one senior and two or three junior monks or nuns, to vast complexes and estates housing tens or hundreds. A monastery complex typically comprises a number of buildings which include a church, dormitory, cloister, refectory, library, balneary and infirmary, and outlying granges. Depending on the location, the monastic order and the occupation of its inhabitants, the complex may also include a wide range of buildings that facilitate self-sufficiency and service to the community. These may include a hospice, a school, and a range of agricultural and manufacturing buildings such as a barn, a forge, or a brewery.
The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians, are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its own rule, called the Statutes, and their life combines both eremitical and cenobitic monasticism. The motto of the Carthusians is Stat crux dum volvitur orbis, Latin for "The Cross is steady while the world turns". The Carthusians retain a unique form of liturgy known as the Carthusian Rite.
Christian monasticism is the devotional practice of Christians who live ascetic and typically cloistered lives that are dedicated to Christian worship. It began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, modeled upon scriptural examples and ideals, including those in the Old Testament. It has come to be regulated by religious rules and, in modern times, the Canon law of the respective Christian denominations that have forms of monastic living. Those living the monastic life are known by the generic terms monks (men) and nuns (women). The word monk originated from the Greek μοναχός, itself from μόνος meaning 'alone'.
The Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel belongs to the habit of both the Carmelite Order and the Discalced Carmelite Order, both of which have Our Lady of Mount Carmel as their patroness. In its small form, it is widely popular within the Latin Church of the Catholic Church as a religious article and has probably served as the prototype of all the other devotional scapulars. The liturgical feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16, is popularly associated with the devotion of the Scapular.
The Hieronymites or Jeronimites, also formally known as the Order of Saint Jerome, is a Catholic cloistered religious order and a common name for several congregations of hermit monks living according to the Rule of Saint Augustine, though the role principle of their lives is that of the 5th-century hermit and biblical scholar Jerome.
The Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also known as the Lay Carmelites, is a third order of the Carmelite Order of the Ancient Observance, established in 1476 by a bull of Pope Sixtus IV. It is an association of people who choose to live the Gospel in the spirit of the Carmelite Order and under its guidance. Its members are mainly lay people.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order, particularly within the Catholic Church. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid-13th century. They built in the midst of their hermitages a chapel which they dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, whom they conceived of in chivalric terms as the "Lady of the place." Our Lady of Mount Carmel was adopted in the 19th century as the patron saint of Chile.
Consecrated life is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by those faithful who are called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way. It includes those in institutes of consecrated life, societies of apostolic life, as well as those living as hermits or consecrated virgins/widows.
The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel or the Order of Discalced Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers. The order was established in the 16th century, pursuant to the reform of the Carmelite Order by two Spanish saints, Teresa of Ávila (foundress) and John of the Cross (co-founder). Discalced is derived from Latin, meaning "without shoes".
The Rite of the Holy Sepulchre, commonly called the Carmelite Rite, is the liturgical rite that was used by the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, Hospitallers, Templars, Carmelites and the other orders founded within the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Enclosed religious orders or cloistered clergy are religious orders whose members strictly separate themselves from the affairs of the external world. In the Catholic Church, enclosure is regulated by the code of canon law, either the Latin code or the Oriental code, and also by the constitutions of the specific order. It is practised with a variety of customs according to the nature and charism of the community in question. This separation may involve physical barriers such as walls and grilles, with entry restricted for other people and certain areas exclusively permitted to the members of the convent. Outsiders may only temporarily enter this area under certain conditions. The intended purpose for such enclosure is to prevent distraction from prayer and the religious life and to keep an atmosphere of silence.
Catholic spirituality includes the various ways in which Catholics live out their Baptismal promise through prayer and action. The primary prayer of all Catholics is the Eucharistic liturgy in which they celebrate and share their faith together, in accord with Jesus' instruction: "Do this in memory of me." The Catholic bishops at the Second Vatican Council decreed that "devotions should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some fashion derived from it, and lead the people to it, since, in fact, the liturgy by its very nature far surpasses any of them." In accord with this, many additional forms of prayer have developed over the centuries as means of animating one's personal Christian life, at times in gatherings with others. Each of the religious orders and congregations of the Catholic church, as well as lay groupings, has specifics to its own spirituality – its way of approaching God in prayer to foster its way of living out the Gospel.
The eremitic Rule of Saint Albert is the shortest of the rules of consecrated life in existence of the Catholic spiritual tradition, and is composed almost exclusively of scriptural precepts. To this day it is a rich source of inspiration for the lives of many Catholics throughout the world.
The Book of the First Monks is a medieval Catholic book in the contemplative and eremitic tradition of the Carmelite Order, thought to reflect the spirituality of the Prophet Elijah, honored as the Father of the Order.
The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, formerly the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and of the Holy Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus, is a third order of Catholic lay persons and secular clergy associated with the Discalced Carmelites.
In the Catholic Church, "A religious institute is a society in which members, according to proper law, pronounce public vows, either perpetual or temporary which are to be renewed, however, when the period of time has elapsed, and lead a life of brothers or sisters in common."
The Hermits of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel is a branch of the Carmelite Order of the Ancient Observance, who originated as hermit monks and have been mendicant friars since the 13th century.
A religious sister in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to prayer and labor, or a canoness regular, who provides a service to the world, either teaching or nursing, within the confines of the monastery. Nuns, religious sisters and canonesses all use the term "Sister" as a form of address.
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