Meet the Community
Seekers of God who live a contemporary expression of the Teresian Carmel in community through solitary and communal prayer.
We believe that our commitment to personal and communal transformation in love embraces others and all creation.
As an expression of these gospel values, we open our hearts in welcome to all who wish to share our contemplative journey.
Sister Claire Sokol
During my years as a professional musician I felt something was missing. When I discovered Carmel I knew I had come home. The life of prayer has served to unlock a world within me that I never knew existed. In this space of vulnerability to the Holy, I am slowly being transformed into a different sort of musician…one whose very life seeks to echo the Beauty of the Divine in our world.
Sister Sa Ra Lee
I am a Carmelite sister, and I want to live not by what I feel or by my experiences gained in day light, but by faith though I walk in the unknowing night. I believe when I see with the eyes of faith and love, I am seeing in the mystery of night in order to be united with God.
Sister Susan Weber
I came to our high desert monastery in 1994, my heart filled with gratitude for the 35 years I had the privilege of being a Sister of Notre Dame. The last 14 of those years I lived and worked among the people of rural West Virginia. This was a life changing experiences that confirmed the importance of caring for the poor, our earth, and all of creation. Many enriching experiences guided me on the journey to Carmel. The contemplative lifestyle I experienced in the Reno Carmel and the inclusive spirit of this community led me to join them. This community along with many friends and our extended community have blessed my life beyond measure. It is with a humble and grateful heart that I continue on this journey doing what I can to leave an imprint of the Gospel upon our earth.
Sister Cecelia Kang
“In the body there is a little shrine.
In that shrine there is a lotus.
In that lotus there is a little space.
What is it that lives in that little space?
The whole universe is in that little space,
Because the Creator, the source of it all,
Is in the heart of each one of us.”
I find these verses from Upanishads describe me quite well as a person and as a Carmelite, what I believe and witness with my life.
My innate attraction to inner life and the urgent longing for liberation from self in order to love freely led me to religious life. I entered Carmel in South Korea in 1981, transferred to Carmel of Clinton Twp., MI, in 2001 and made another transition to Carmel of Reno in 2011. Each step of the journey has been so very enriching. In Reno, I feel at home with myself, with the world, and with God.
So my life of contemplation, love and gratitude goes on . . . toward ever growing integration with the Whole in our evolving world.
Sister Marie-Louise Bishop
“The power of the visible is the invisible”
(“He Digesth Hard Yron”, Marianne Moore)
“The deepest feeling always shows itself in silence;
not in silence, but restraint.”
(“Silence” Marianne Moore)
Sister Carol Sachse
“I have come to cast fire on the earth and how I wish it were already kindled.” (Luke 12:4) This scripture quote is always a driving force in my life.
Sister Maria Ahearn
I will be forever grateful for the legacy of the Carmelite life that had come down to us relatively unchanged over 400 years, and for the priceless opportunity that the Second Vatican Council gave us to renew and adapt our life in our time and place.
Sister Rosalind Forrest
Sister Ann Weber
After living twenty-two joy-filled years as a Sister of Notre Dame, where I was privileged to live and teach with so many wonderful and outstanding women, my path led me to this “monastery on the hill!” The past thirty years here have been so blest, and the joy of living with a community filled with care and compassion, while at the same time always growing, and living what we have envisioned together, knows no bounds. I am grateful beyond words for the friendship of the sisters and all those wonderful friends that are part of our extended community who have helped us in so many ways. I hope to continue to live this Carmelite life, creating a place where all are welcome, and in great care for our world, and those most in need.
Sister Mary Drzewiecki
When you approach the Monastery from almost any road in Reno, the first thing you will notice are the trees which cover the property. When you look up and see the trees, think of Sister Mary. Like a modern day “Johanna Appleseed”, Mary spent years planting, watering, caring for the trees which create a beautiful atmosphere on LaFond Drive. For decades she carried buckets to each of them as, at that time, we did not have linked hoses that would assure their survival in the desert. She regrets that she is no longer able to care for them but they are a lasting legacy to her dedication. Her dedication also extended to tending the Sisters in her capacity as a Registered Nurse. And the supermarkets of Reno will always remember “Mary the Shopper” as she daily made the rounds stocking the Kitchen.
Sister Rosemary Kluepfel
Chris Donovan
Chris Donovan is a frequent speaker on Scripture and Spirituality. She holds a Master of Theology (Th.M.) and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Spiritual Formation from Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, as well as a Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) from Weston Jesuit School of Theology. Chris is an associate member of the Catholic Biblical Association and a member (non-vowed) of the Carmelite Contemplative Community of Reno, Nevada. View Reflections
KNPB DOCUMENTARY
Learn about the making of The Carmelite Virtual Choir
Technology is giving Carmelite Nuns around the world a chance to be unified without ever having to leave their monasteries. A Carmelite Nun from Reno, Sister Claire, wrote music to mark the 500th Anniversary of Saint Teresa’s birth. That music has united these women in a way that they might not have ever imagined.
View it in HD
Virtual Harmony received an Award of Distinction for the 2016 entries in the Communicator Awards, selected by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.
Carmel of Reno
Reno, NV 89509, USA