ARLINGTON, Texas (LifeSiteNews) — A Carmelite convent in Texas has officially “associated” itself with the Society of St. Pius X after a lengthy and public dispute between the Carmel and the local bishop.
In an announcement issued September 14, the Carmelite Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington, Texas disclosed its new association with the SSPX. The nuns referenced their growing attachment to the traditional Mass and a desire to adhere more closely to their Carmelite spirituality:
For the past several years we have experienced much joy and spiritual renewal in the re-discovery of the riches of the immemorial liturgical tradition of the Church. In our desire to grow in holiness and an ever deeper fidelity to our Discalced Carmelite charism, and as an appropriate means to better serve Our Holy Mother the Church, in August, following the unanimous decision of the Chapter of the Monastery, and with the agreement of the whole community, we completed the final steps necessary for our Monastery to be associated with the Society of Saint Pius X, who will henceforth assure our ongoing sacramental life and governance.
TEXAS: The Carmelite nuns of Arlington announce their official association with the SSPX @SSPXEN “who will henceforth assure our ongoing sacramental life & governance.”
Also, they have re-elected Mother Teresa Agnes as Prioress – https://t.co/XJNi9BCJJd
Background:… pic.twitter.com/mc0pLRO2kC— Michael Haynes 🇻🇦 (@MLJHaynes) September 14, 2024
The Carmelites wrote they were “profoundly grateful to the Very Reverend Father Superior General and to his delegates here in the USA for their paternal understanding and welcome.”
They cited the motto of Pope St. Pius X – after whom the SSPX is named – which is “To Restore All Things in Christ.” The motto, the community wrote, is applicable for them since they have “over a period of many years, sought to return to the fullness of our Catholic Tradition and to restore all things in Christ, in both our liturgical life and in the way we live our Carmelite vocation.”
The statement, posted also on the SSPX USA website, noted that the Carmel has “an affinity with the Society of St. Pius X in its emphasis on training holy, dedicated priests, willing to sacrifice all for Christ, which coincides with our own vocation of prayer and sacrifice at the heart of the Church, pouring out our lives for the Church and especially for priests.”
In a notable development, the nuns also revealed that they have re-elected Mother Teresa Agnes as Prioress:
Given our formal association with the Society, our triennial elections were held here at the monastery in August, presided over by a representative sent by the Superior General. Mother Teresa Agnes was re-elected Prioress for a three-year term and confirmed in Office with supplied jurisdiction from the Society.
They encouraged participation in their liturgical life by the faithful, emphasizing that the church is open for private prayer and for people to attend the daily traditional Mass.
“And as always, in union with the whole Church, we pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, and Bishop Michael Olson, the Bishop of Fort Worth,” the community closed, signing the statement from “the Prioress, Chapter and Community of the Arlington Carmel.”
Background
This decision by the Arlington Carmel is markedly important given the history of the news cycle in the last 18 months. A rapidly developing dispute between them and Bishop Olson began in April 2023 and has continued. (See LifeSiteNews’ full archive here)
After the case became public, the nuns filed a civil suit against Olson due to what was described as his “illegal, unholy, unwarranted, explicit, and systematic assault upon the sanctity and autonomy of the Plaintiff’s and the Sisters.”
Olson retaliated and made the striking move of revealing to the public in May 2023 that he had “received a report in April 2023” that Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach of the Carmel had “committed sins against the Sixth Commandment and violated her vow of chastity with a priest from outside the Diocese of Fort Worth.”
One day after being appointed as Pontifical Commissary, on June 1, 2023, Olson summarily dismissed Mother Teresa from the Carmelite order, stating that his six-week investigation had deemed her to be guilty of violating the Sixth Commandment with the priest, who was at that time unnamed.
She was given 30 days to appeal the decision with the Vatican, an option to which she availed herself. Olson’s expulsion of Mother Teresa was overturned by the Vatican in May.
Culminating a process of many months, in August 2023 the nuns wrote they “no longer recognize the authority” of Olson, citing the “unprecedented interference, intimidation, aggression, private and public humiliation and spiritual manipulation as the direct result of the attitudes and ambitions of the current Bishop of Fort Worth in respect of our Reverend Mother Prioress, ourselves and of our property.”
After being appointed Pontifical Commissary by the Vatican, Olson was also declared to have “full governing powers” over the community.
On April 18, Olson announced the Holy See’s formal entrustment of the Carmelite Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity to its overarching Carmelite body – namely, the Association of Christ the King in the United States of America.
The Arlington Carmel rejected his decree as being “in effect a hostile takeover that we cannot in conscience accept.”
They added that to accept Mother Marie of the Incarnation, the president of the U.S. Association of Christ the King, as the lawful superior “would risk the integrity of our monastery as a community, threatening the vocations of individual nuns, our liturgical and spiritual life and the material assets of the monastery. This outside authority could easily disperse us, impose its agenda in respect of our daily observance and dispose of our assets – even of the monastery itself — as it wishes, contrary to our vows and to the intentions of those who founded our community and our benefactors.”
With the Carmel now supported by clergy from the SSPX, it appears that the penalty Olson imposed of removing access to the sacraments is now de facto upturned.
The Carmelites have won the support of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò in their struggle with Bishop Olson, though have been clear about their support for Pope Francis as Pope, an issue disputed by the archbishop.