French Carmel with young vocations returns to Traditional Liturgy full time

Yay!  This is awesome!  I tried to better pic than the one here, but Carmelites are pretty shy about having their photos taken.  But great news, another growing Carmel!

The Carmel of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and the Immaculate Conception in Alençon returned to the Immemorial Rite of the Catholic Church.

Already in 2008 the Carmelites made the first step in the direction of traditional liturgy. “We prefer the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite” which the newspaper La Nef reported in 2010 on the religious. The Holy Mass on Sundays and public holidays has therefore celebrated in the traditional form of the Roman Rite for several years. The Holy Mass on weekdays initially remained the ordinary form. Now Bishop Jacques Habert Sées has allowed the complete return to the Immemorial Rite. The Holy Mass will be celebrated in the Old Rite on Sundays and holidays at 9 clock and on all working days at 8 clock in the Carmel. The Chaplain of the monastery is a diocesan priest, assisted by priests of the Fraternity of St. Peter.

The Carmel was founded in 1988 at the request of Bishop François-Marie Tregaro Sées. A first Carmel had already existed in Alençon 1780-1792. It was abolished during the French Revolution, however, which is why the bishop has sought re-foundation. When Pope Benedict XVI. issued the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontiicum in 2007, the sisters were soon agreed to return to the Old Rite. The nuns devote six to seven hours a day in choral prayer.

I have seen this more and more. So many religious communities (and individual souls) with little to no prior experience of the traditional liturgy become exposed to it, and quickly find that is all they want.  It rarely if ever works in the other direction. I think that is more than a little significant.  Such occurred with a pretty large order, the Franciscans of the Immaculate, with many young vocations who had never known the traditional liturgy or the traditional practice of the Faith becoming enraptured with it after coming to know those treasures, and finding that they HAD to have more.  As it stands, the vast majority of the FFIs would like to have an order – a new one, if necessary – dedicated to the traditional practice of the Faith. I pray the Holy Father accedes to their request, that would be a profound work of mercy.

Some scenes from another Carmel in Normandy from long ago: