Notable News

A Sister of Many Talents: Sr. Tanya Johnson, O.C.D.

Golden Jubilee

Tatiana or Tanya Johnson was born on July 6th, in Berkeley, CA. to the parents, Walter Johnson and Susan Harris .  She was the first-born of eight surviving gifted children.  Her family with five boys, worked creatively in outdoor projects which gave Sr. Tanya experience in gardening, landscaping and more recently bee-keeping.  She tends our hives of bees with devotion and has produced honey of the best quality for our use.

Tanya from the age of six had a religious and missionary spirit which moved her to desire the consecrated life.  Though she frequently went to daily Mass with her mother at a nearby Carmel, she first spent some time with the Maryknoll Sisters before coming to Carmel of the Assumption in Latrobe, PA. in 1962.

When she arrived in Latrobe, she immediately used her skills to help clear some of the grounds near our entrance, cutting trees, removing cement work and planting bushes.  Sr. Tanya enjoys working outdoors and providing us with food from a large vegetable and fruit garden, but that work is only a portion of her contribution to our community life.  She has great devotion to Our Blessed Mother and skillfully makes Rosaries to sell in our store.  Formerly she engaged in artwork for which she is also talented.  Sr. Tanya painted the images of the Way of the Cross which are hanging in our Chapel and used for Lenten devotions of the Stations.

Sr. Tanya’s indoor work in the monastery has been packing Altar Breads which we formerly baked but now distribute to our Diocesan parishes and to other parishes in nearby States. Her times of cooking for the community bring forth delicious new recipes, the fruits of her creativity.  There seems to be no end to her interests and the abilities God has given her in so many creative ways. 

Other interests Sr. Tanya has had for many years are archeology and genealogy, most likely influenced by her mother who shared the same fields of interest.  Sr. Tanya has retrieved much data regarding the Johnson and Harris families.  She also has a small collection of archeological artifacts.

We are blessed with a very gifted Sister whose work in community covers many fields.  As we celebrate these fifty years of Sr. Tanya’s profession as a Carmelite, we give thanks to God who has graced her with a call to prayer and service to which she has been faithful and continues to flourish in many ways.  Her fidelity to God and to our Queen of Carmel is manifest in her generosity and self-giving love.

We celebrate God’s infinite mercy in giving Sr. Tanya 50 years of profession as a Carmelite Nun.  With a public celebration of the Eucharist in August followed by a reception, we join her in offering thanks to God and in praising God’s goodness to her and to our community.  May Sr. Tanya have many more joyous and fruitful years ahead, all to the glory of God!

St. Therese Novena

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Mass

The Novena Mass for Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 15th was celebrated by Father John Moineau and Father Lawrence Manchas.  The evening was perfect with the rain coming earlier enabling our friends to gather for the celebration of Mass in honor of Our Mother of Mount Carmel.  Brown scapulars were distributed at the end of the Mass.
          Here are some pictures from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Mass.

         Entrance Procession

Fr. John Moineau and concelebrant, Fr. Lawrence Manchas, as we begin Mass. 

Carmelite Nuns and friends join with the priests for the entrance hymn.

               

                                     
         Readers 

Offertory Procession - Secular Carmelites


The Third Order Carmelites joined us for the Novena Mass.  

Father John offers Mass for the intentions of the Carmelites and friends attending along with all the Novena intentions present before the Blessed Sacrament.

Mass concludes with the final hymn and the distribution of Brown Scapulars for all present.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena 2016

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Christmas Novena

 

 

5th Centenary of St. Teresa of Avila

The Discalced Carmelites of the Carmel of the Assumption 

invite everyone to join them in the closing celebration
of the 5th Centenary 

of the Birth of Saint Teresa of Jesus.

Evening Mass at the Monastery, 7:00 p.m.
October 9, 2015
Celebrant, Bishop Edward Malesic
Bishop of the Greensburg Diocese 

We look forward to having you join us

in prayer during this closing celebration of Saint Teresa!

Carmel of the Assumption

5206 Center Drive

Latrobe, PA 15650 

 

Happy 500th Birthday St. Teresa

Celebration Day

On April 24th our community celebrated the 500th birthday of St. Teresa of Avila by each offering some contribution.  Sr. Theodora watched Sr. Ellen Jane and Sr. Joann with interpretive singing, reading and motions to one of St. Teresa's poems.  Sr Theodora then shared what she had made using a special frame.  Sr. Shirley played the music to Nada de Turba, St. Teresa's Bookmark. Each Sister presented her contribution during the special afternoon recreation.

The entire community had a joyful birthday celebration in honor of St. Teresa of Avila and were amazed at the variety of things offered!

Welcome Visit

Therese

 by

 St. Luke's Productions

On April 20, 2015 we had the pleasure of experiencing the production of the life of Saint Therese given by St. Luke's productions company.  In the picture below is Audrey, the solo actress, and the production manager, Dominique, with our community.

The performance was set-up and given in our Chapel.  Audrey portrayed St. Therese's life so realistically that we felt all the emotions from her struggles in childhood, wanting to enter Carmel and her life in Carmel, then finally her agonizing death and trial of darkness. The acting was magnificent with all the background visuals and sounds orchestrated by Dominique.

Thank you to Leonardo and all those part of St. Luke's Production Company!

Convent Crawl

Convent Crawl Evening

We welcomed Hope Marie as the third House in the Convent Crawl.  Hope arrived around 6:00 p.m. for a quick tour of our "guest quarters" of the monastery.  Dinner was then served and enjoyed with the Nuns in our large parlor.  Hope shared her story and how she came to know of the Convent Crawl. Then some of the Nuns shared their vocation story.

 

Hope was given a tour of the cloistered part of our monastery via large pictures explained by the Nuns. She enjoyed the tour and then asked questions  about religious life.  She also asked regarding the various forms of religious life since she had experienced several during the Convent Crawl.

As the evening drew to a close we shared together Night Prayer, including our traditional Saturday Salve with lit candles around Our Blessed Mother's statue.
Hope then returned home with much to ponder from her blessed day!

Born into Eternal Life

 

Please join us in prayer for and to our Sister Ann who died during a recent illness and we pray Sister is now enjoying the face to face vision of God in His heavenly mansion.