Contemplative Nuns

Discalced Carmelite Nuns

In 1863, during the Civil War, the Carmelites came to St. Louis from Baltimore, Md. Since that time, they have lived lives of prayer and penance following the tradition of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. The Nuns of the Carmel of St. Joseph pray the Liturgy of the Hours as a community and live a life of continual prayer in imitation of Christ's hidden life at Nazareth and in solitary places. Some of the prayer is before the Blessed Sacrament, which is exposed daily both in the Nuns' Chapel and in the public Chapel. 

Rising before the sun can break through the darkness of night, the Discalced Carmelite nuns wake to the sound of a loud wooden clapper and a voice calling them to communal prayer with the words, "Praise be Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary His Mother. Come to prayer sisters, come to praise the Lord!"

The cloistered nuns, wearing full-length habits and veils, make their way to a large, wood-paneled choir room to chant the Liturgy of the Hours, the universal prayer of the Church. It is a duty they will ritually perform seven times each day as they interceed to God with their prayers for mankind, giving special attention to praying for priests.

 

All are welcome - Daily 7:30am & Sunday 8:00am Mass, followed by Eucharistic Adoration all day, then 7:45pm Benediction.

All are also invited to the annual Solemn Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, held in July.

Carmel of St. Joseph, Chapel of the Precious Blood, 9150 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63124

Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters (Pink Sisters)

The Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters were founded on Dec. 8, 1896 in Steyl, Holland by St. Arnold Janssen and his faithful collaborator, Mother Mary Michael.  Mother Mary Michael's first foundation was in Philadelphia, PA in 1915. God blessed the new foundation abundantly, and soon American candidates were applying for admission. As the Congregation continued to grow, Mother Mary Michael founded convents in the Philippines, Germany, and the Netherlands. She was also looking to make a second foundation in the United States. At this time, the Lord also awakened in the heart of Mrs. Theresa Kulage, a wealthy St. Louis widow, the desire to establish a convent of perpetual adoration in her native city. Mrs. Kulage learned of the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters through the Society of the Divine Word and traveled to Philadelphia to meet the Sisters personally. She approached Archbishop John Glennon and offered to found an adoration convent in St. Louis. In October of 1924, Archbishop Glennon wrote to the superior in Philadelphia inviting the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters into his diocese. 

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The Mount Grace Chapel is open daily from 5:30am until 6:25pm for Prayers, 7am Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration.

All are also invited to the annual Novena of Masses and Family Consecration to the Sacred Heart, held in June.

1438 East Warne Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63107

 

Passionist Nuns

The foundation of Passionist Nuns in the Archdiocese of St. Louis dates to February 1948. As cloistered contemplatives dedicated to the Passion of Jesus Christ, the nuns lead lives of prayer, silence and sacrifice centered on the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, intercession for the Church and all mankind, and the preparation of altar breads for numerous parishes.

 

Poor Clare Nuns

In 1212, foundress St. Clare left her home in Italy to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. She was clothed in a poor habit as a sign of her consecration to God. Several others joined her at the Church of San Damiano, just outside of Assisi, and began what was called the Poor Ladies. After St. Clare’s death in 1253, the community became known as the Poor Clares or Nuns of the Order of St. Clare.

The Poor Clare Nuns’ mission is to live the Gospel in total poverty, through a life of prayer and penance. They do so through daily prayer, readings, communing with God and silent meditation. Living in community is another critical aspect of the sisters’ charism. They share responsibilities for the upkeep of the monastery. The order in St. Louis have a specialty of making altar breads for use in the Holy Mass.  They have had a presence in the Archdiocese of St. Louis since 1959.

All are invited to pray in the Monastery of Saint Clare of the Immaculate Conception Chapel during the day.

All are welcome to attend the annual Novena, held in August, ending with the August 11 Feast Day of St. Clare of Assisi.

200 Marycrest Drive, St. Louis, MO 63129

Redemptoristine Nuns

On Dec. 30, 1959, Very Rev John McCormick, CSsR, Provincial of the St. Louis Province of Redemptorists, and his two consultants, Rev. Donald Miller and Rev. Raymond Schmidt, came to our Monastery of the Most Holy Redeemer in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, requesting a foundation of their Redemptoristine Sisters in their Province. Our Council accepted this invitation. A letter was received from His Excellency Archbishop Ritter of St. Louis on Jan. 8, 1960, inviting the Redemptoristines of Barrie to make a foundation in Liguori, MO. 

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Our monastery as a Powerhouse of Prayer reaches the Archdiocese and beyond as is testified by the many prayer petitions we receive each day by phone, letter or e-mail. 

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All are invited to the annual Novena of Masses in honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, held in June.

The Redemptoristine Nuns Monastery of St. Alphonsus, 200 Liguori Dirve, Liguori, MO 63057

 

Sisters of the Good Shepherd (Contemplative)

When St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier founded the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in France in 1831, she envisioned the contemplative community as a “powerhouse of prayer.”  They have been in St. Louis since 1859.

Established as a contemplative community within the Congregation of the Good Shepherd, the Contemplative Sisters of the Good Shepherd are called to live in union with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and to continue his redemptive mission in the Church. Prayer is of the very essence of their vocation. They pray for their apostolic sisters engaged in the ministry of reconciliation, for the Church and for the entire world. Zeal for souls is the special gift bequeathed to them by their foundress.

The contemplative sisters spend time together in prayer five times a day, with additional opportunities for individual prayer and reflection. They generally receive prayer requests via fax, phone calls and emails from the public throughout the week.

For many years the nuns made altar breads for parishes in the St. Louis Archdiocese and beyond.  In 1999, the sisters were chosen to make the altar breads for Blessed John Paul II’s papal visit to St. Louis.

 

Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary

The Visitation Community, serving in the Archdiocese of St. Louis since 1833, blends a contemplative and apostolic way of living, in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal. Sisters pray the Liturgy of the Hours four times a day and share in the community's work, which includes teaching at Visitation Academy.