BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — After 103 years in North Buffalo, the Carmelite Nuns at the Monastery of the Little Flower of Jesus have completed the move to Florida.
In October 2023, the nuns wrote a letter to the Buffalo community that said in part:
“When this monastery was built, this was a quiet area on the outskirts of the city. Now, however, we no longer have the silence and solitude which are requisite for a cloistered community.”… “Friends have offered to assist us in procuring a spacious property in the territory of the Diocese of Saint Augustine which would be an ideal location for our life of contemplative prayer, and we are confident that this is a blessing coming to us from the hand of Divine Providence.”
Located on Carmel Road, 7 News spoke with neighbors in the area after the planned departure was announced.
“Anytime anything of stress or even happiness happened, we’d come to the Carmelites and get a prayer card, and we had faith it would change the course of things," said Pamela Jacobs, who grew up a few blocks away.
“I feel sad they’re leaving, but I understand everything is shifting nowadays,” said Ann Brighton, who has lived in the neighborhood for 47 years.
READ MORE: ‘I feel sad they’re leaving’: Carmelite Nuns announce plans to move to Florida
In an update on its website, the Carmelite Nuns announced they arrived in Florida. The statement said they left Buffalo on the morning of January 14 and safely arrived in Jacksonville, Florida the following day.
"Thanks to the hard work of many kind and generous friends who prepared for our arrival, our new monastery felt like home from the very first moment, already embellished with many of our beautiful statues and holy images," the statement said.
Bishop Erik Pohlmeier with the Diocese of St. Augustine shared a statement about welcoming the nuns to their area:
“As Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine, I extend my warmest greetings to the 14 Carmelite Nuns who have recently moved from Buffalo, New York, to Jacksonville, Fla. We know that with heavy hearts, they left behind 103 years of community. I am confident that the sisters will find a welcoming and supportive community here, and I look forward to how they will enrich our diocese with their prayer and presence. Our greatest hope is that the Carmelite Nuns will experience the solitude and peacefulness essential to their way of life. May God bless them in their new home, and may they continue to be a source of inspiration and grace to all who encounter them.” Bishop Erik Pohlmeier
You can read the full statement from the Carmelite Nuns below:
"The Peace of Christ!
February 2024
To all our dearly beloved friends,
Praised be Jesus Christ!
Prayerful greetings from sunny Florida! We are happy to report that, sustained by the fervent prayers of so many, we departed from Buffalo the morning of January 14 despite the blizzard, and safely arrived in Jacksonville the following day. Thanks to the hard work of many kind and generous friends who prepared for our arrival, our new monastery felt like home from the very first moment, already embellished with many of our beautiful statues and holy images. But it truly became “home” when Jesus Himself came to dwell among us in His Eucharistic Presence after the first Mass in our lovely little chapel. We were moved to tears and well understood the sentiments of Our Holy Mother St. Teresa, who considered that a new foundation was truly established when the Blessed Sacrament was permanently reserved in the tabernacle. The difference was palpable – our beloved King is now enthroned and dwells among us!
Before we were enclosed, on our first full day in Florida we had the incredible blessing to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche, where our new Bishop, the Most Reverend Erik T. Pohlmeier, welcomed us warmly and offered Holy Mass for us. While there, we were able to tour the “Sacred Acre” where the first parish Mass was offered in what is now the United States on September 8, 1565. Our Lady’s maternal presence is so strongly felt on that site which has such historic significance for the Church in our country!
As we continue to get settled in our new surroundings and wholeheartedly embrace our life of prayer in the heart of the Church, our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for all our friends and benefactors, both near and far, who sustain us by their prayers and material assistance. Please be assured that you have a loving remembrance in our prayers and sacrifices each and every day!
Gratefully yours in Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
The Carmelite Nuns of the Monastery of the Little Flower of Jesus"
