The traditional Redemptoristine Nuns - The holy Madres!

Venerable Maria Celeste Crostarosa.

As some may not know,
before St. Alphonsus founded the Redemptorists
he founded, with Venerable Maria Celeste Crostarosa,
the feminine branch of the Order:
the Redemptoristines,
vowed to Enclosure for a life of prayer and penance.

The incorrupt remains of
Venerable Maria Celeste Crostarosa.
~ "The Great Mystic of the Eighteenth Century" ~

These nuns are our spiritual sisters.
Today, there are very few of them left
who are attached to the old Mass,
the old Rule and even the traditional habit.
The habit had been revealed by Our Lord
to the Venerable Co-Foundress.
It was blue and red in memory of the traditional colours
that He Himself wore when on earth.

The Most Holy Redeemer in Blue and Red.

However, as a special grace,
on the feast of the Holy Family, 1987
we heard that there were traditional Redemptoristine nuns
in the diocese of Campos, Brazil.
During our early years we exchanged several letters with them.

The Archbishop wearing our Redemptoristine chasuble.

The Nuns sent us the beads for our habit rosaries
and also made us a beautiful alb
as well as
a silver and white chasuble
that Archbishop Lefebvre wore for Mass when he visited us in 1989.

1989.

Rev. Deacon Anthony Mary and Fr. Michael Mary.
~ After High Mass, 2 July 1990,
Redemptoristine Monastery, Campos. ~

Twenty years ago, 2 July 1990, we visited them in Campos.

Fr. Michael Mary giving a Conference to the Nuns.

Tragically, the then Mother Superior,
being occupied with her own personal views on the "crisis in the Church,"
was by that stage cutting off contact
with all the true friends of their monastery
including Bishop de Castro-Meyer, all the priests of Campos
and even our own community.
She took solo-control of the monastery
excluding even the spiritual ministry of priests.
It was very strange indeed.
Cruel hardship followed for several years.
The nuns, who take a fourth vow to remain inside their Enclosure,
unjustly deprived of the sacraments by their superior,
held on and prayed.

The Nuns in the Campos Monastery choir.
~ The altar is on the other side of the severe white grate
seen behind the standing nuns. ~

Campos Monastery Enclosure.
~The Nuns had only a small area of confinement
during seven years without the sacraments. ~

The classical Redemptoristine petitential procession
bearing the instruments of the Passion.
~Within the Campos Monastery Enclosure. ~

Finally four nuns resolved to seek help from Bishop Rifan
and the Apostolic Administration of St. Jean Vianney, Campos.

Bishop Rifan
kindly obtained authorisation for the Nuns
to transfer their monaastery away from Campos.

Bishop Rifan, kindly obtained from the Holy See,
an Indult to translate the Nuns to another location.
Thus on 11 January, 2004,
he re-established them in São Fidélis.
The ordeal had lasted nearly seven years.
In all, from a monastery of over twenty nuns,
only four survived to enter the new Enclosure.

The Redemptoristine Nuns of São Fidélis.
~ Our Spiritual Sisters. ~
Two of the Madres have been in the monastery for 54 years,
one for 28 years and the other for 24 years.

What has been our joy these past weeks!
We received a letter from the nuns
and have re-established contact with them.

What they have suffered in order to keep their holy vocation
will only be known on the Day of Judgment!

Inside their new monastery choir.

Dear Friends and Benefactors,
The Redemptoristine Nuns of São Fidélis
truly deserve your spiritual and financial support.

Mother Superior making altar breads.
~ Mother Maria da Penha do Divino Espírito Santo
has been in the monastery for 54 years. ~

Brazil is not an easy country for women.
These sisters rely on our support.
Please support them by sending donations
via the Paypal button labeled
"Please Help the Traditional Redemptoristines."
We will see to it that the money is sent to them
for their support and building works.

Mother Vicar in the Kitchen.
~ Madre Maria Francisca da Purificação
has been in the monastery for 28 years. ~

We have erected a blog dedicated to these Redemptoristines,
there is a button on the right,
or by clicking here.
We will post information as we receive it from the Madres.

To all our friends and benefactors we ask you to be very generous and make a financial sacrifice for these worthy Enclosed Nuns.