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Eight sisters from Kist went on a rather special outing, travelling by coach which, thanks to a special adaptation, was also able to accommodate the sisteres with mobility impairments. Their destination was the “Himmelspforten” (porta coeli - door to heaven) convent in Würzburg, home to a community of Carmelite nuns.  The visit was planned for various reasons:

when Sr Marie-Lu died in December 2024, a relic of St Teresa of Avila was found amongst her possessions: a small piece of wood from St Teresa’s cell, delicately set in a simple wooden frame. It was felt that such a treasure belonged with the Carmelite sisters and should be handed over in person. And so this took place in the church, after Sr Immaculata from the Carmelite convent in Würzburg had given an interesting introduction to the history of the convent and the church.
 

Another reason for the visit was that Sr Stefanie Wilscher has been living there since April this year. Before joining the Carmelite Sisters, she spent several years as a sister with the Oakford Dominicans and knows some of the sisters from Kist. It was only in April this year that she, together with the small community from the Welden convent near Augsburg, moved permanently to the Himmelspforten Carmelite convent in Würzburg. And so many were delighted to see her again after so many years

Sr Anna-Maria of the Carmelites was also very pleased about the visit from the sisters from Kist. For during her period of short-term care, which she spent at the Kist retirement home in the spring, she was glad to be able to take part in the prayers and services of the Dominican sisters and to share experiences with them.
 

And so, following the guided tour of the church, there was a lively exchange between the sisters over coffee and homemade cakes in the convent’s small banquet hall. This hospitable invitation was greatly appreciated as a special treat. This is because the Carmelite nuns have little contact with the outside world and live their daily lives in seclusion, characterised by prayer and silence.

Outside the convent walls, the bus was already waiting to take the sisters back to Kist. The Carmelite sisters were also fascinated by the ‘bus lift’ and tried it out straight away. And so the sisters bid each other farewell with gratitude and joy, as well as an invitation to return the visit in Kist.
 

Photos and text: Irene Schneider