WHERE WE ARE
Our monastery is located on the Mount of Olives
It adjoins the site of the Pater Noster (Eleona).
So close to this biblical site,
we live our spirituality and mission
Elevate the soul
The Carmel of Jerusalem is built on the Mount of Olives, slightly on its eastern side, at an altitude of 787 meters. From the bell tower terrace, on the west side, we can see the Old Town, its ramparts and its monuments: Holy Sepulchre, Synagogue and mosques. To the south, we can look up to the valley of Kidron, the road leading to Hebron. Bethlehem is not far away, behind some hills. To the east, we may contemplate the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea and, on clear days, the Moab Mountains...
" We have the nicest and most ideal position we could wish for a monastery dedicated to the life of prayer. The soul lifts quite naturally to God among such beautiful mountains and with this sea looking very much like a silver lake when the sun or the moon are reflect in it. » Mother Xavier, letter to her mother, November 12th, 1875.
Founded under the Ottoman Empire, the Carmel was in Palestine under British mandate, then in Jordan from 1948 to 1967. Since 1980, the territory is annexed by Israel. We are located in East Jerusalem, well integrated in a Muslim neighbourhood. Some local families still remember how the Carmelite nuns sheltered women and children of the village during the 1967 war.
********
Spiritual guardians
In 1868, after having bought land on the Mount of Olives, the princess Héloïse de la Tour d'Auvergne gave in one part to France and another to the Carmelites. The chapel of the Pater Noster is common to both: belonging to France, it is entrusted to the Carmelites.
We hence have a very special bond with the Eleona site, visited by many pilgrims and tourists. We are the “spiritual guardians” of the Eleona, offering our presence as contemplative nuns, and welcoming pilgrims who wish to celebrate in the chapel. Yet, we do not administer the site. This is the responsibility of the Consulate General of France. Therefore, we do not collect any entry fees. But we are allowed to exhibit our handcrafts, and this is our source of income.
Every year, on October 15th for the feast of Saint Teresa, a solemn celebration in the presence of the Consul General of France, honours this link.
