Dear TIA,

Hello and many thanks to all of you for your excellent website with informative articles. It is sad to read of the modern day evils in our Holy Roman Catholic Church. I have particularly been interested to see the photos of the "Church Revolution" and, especially regarding Roman Catholic convents.

I firmly believe that the days of Roman Catholic convents are sadly gone. I decided to send you this letter to clarify some things for you. I read your article regarding the Carmelite nuns in Jerusalem. Of course they do not pray for the conversion of the Hebrew people. It is all them inside!

I thought I might enlighten you with all of my experience. I am a cradle, Christian Roman Catholic and, I have been highly interested to join a Roman Catholic convent for the past several years but, my visits to these places, which included five different countries, have proved useless.

Yes, I contacted EWTN a few years ago and I received a blunt, cold rejection. They did give me a list of other convents to try but, as I visited one they mentioned, I decided to leave because there were no novices, I did not like the community of which there were only five older women and, to my shock there was a big star of David and a big gold ornament that said "Jerusalem" in large letters down a hallway. I realized I was in the wrong place! But, it was advertised as Roman Catholic!

To begin with, I can't even find a proper Catholic-type-day where anyone recites the Stations of the Cross at 3:00 P.M, an hour asked by Our Lord to Saint Faustina. Lucky if any convents recite them during Lent! The Holy Rosary is usually "optional" in today's communities. Litanies of Our Lady or others are usually not on the daily prayer schedules. To be brief: Only the "Liturgy of the Hours" is on most community horariums. If one reads the history of the "Divine Office", you discover that it originated as the Jewish form of prayer which was adapted to Christianity. I have felt I was in a synagogue reciting psalms and numerous Old Testament canticles! "So what?" one may say: Well, where does a Roman Catholic fit in here?

As an experienced convent visitor, I can say that I have never been received kindly in these places. The unchristian behavior one receives in these places is known. Ask any ex-nun or read books by them to realize that nuns" are known for unchristian behavior. The things I have experienced on my visits are not even worth mentioning. Also, I have never met a true, cradle Christian Roman Catholic nun on all of my visits. Most women I have met in these places are so-called "converts."I conclude that they are not really Catholic. I believe they are only nominally Catholic.

Probably since Vatican II, they have been destroyed, taken-over. Also, from experience, I conclude that the conventual structure does not provide a truly Christian ethos. The whole conventual system of even becoming a nun has little to do with the New Testament I believe. Concentration techniques plus other unchristian methods are definitely not Christian. And they wonder why there is a "lack of vocations." Would Holy Jesus send people to these cold, unchristian places? The total lack of personal freedom, isolation and also the domination over a person would put anyone off! I personally feel that Holy Jesus would not want that.

One doesn't "live in community" as they purport. One simply lives with a complete group of strangers that you don't know and hardly ever will until death! A bit mad when you analyze it. Often the members do not even have the same spiritual background or understanding.

Incidentally, they are usually big eaters in convents/monasteries. No spirit of Christian mortification. How much food does one need to "pray several times a day''? ... Religious take a "vow of poverty" yet, they usually have: computers, printers, fax machines, photocopiers, TVs, mobile phones, radios, stereos, videos, sometimes cars, satellite dishes, dishwashers, microwave ovens, cooks, cleaners, four meals a day. ... Is this poverty?

I have yet to meet any nuns who make the sign of the cross. I have not been appreciated for doing so in these places. I have had to do the Stations of the Cross in my room so as not to "upset" anyone: Unbelievable in a convent! I have watched nuns in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome (on EWTN) all receiving Holy Communion in their hands - sad.

You simply can't find traditional nuns today. Most spend hours on computers in the modern day convents. Doing what? Lord knows. One Superior I met was learning several applications and she was a "contemplative"! "What do you need that for?" I asked her. No reply. Sad. Anything but proper prayer these days.

I had the misfortune to visit a Franciscan monastery which had been converted from a lodge at the turn of the century. Apparently one of the members daughters wanted to become a nun so, they converted it. I had a sad surprise there as a visiting the Archbishop came to visit the night before I left. He stood up after his talk and shook the hand of the Superior and said Shalom of which she replied Shalom. I was very nervous at this point and overjoyed to return home safely! Someone told me that I had "great courage" to even go there. Lord knows!

Also I went to visit some famous Dominican nuns who supposedly recite the Rosary three times a day. Lord knows what was going on as they were trying to get rid of me even before I set foot inside! It was a very trying experience. We are definitely living in deceptive times. Well, I leave them and all nuns to the Good Lord.

Obviously, since 1960, this just is not the time to be joining communities for "religious life".

To conclude: The Roman Catholic Church was seized upon in the 1960's. "They" took it over. This explains all the articles and photos on your website. "They" did their homework on destroying the Catholic Church and, sadly people just allowed the changes under their noses. ...

No, I am not bitter about my visits. I think the Good Lord has allowed me to learn these things to rest my mind seeing how keen I have been to be a Nun. I just pray and do the best I can.

What else? One is simply not appreciated being "traditional" today. The last convent I visited recently told me, "We think you are looking for something that doesn't exist". I think so too! Sad.

Many thanks for your excellent website with information!

     Yours gratefully,

     T.R.C., Cambridge, England

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