Choosing Between Faith and Works

“Opening a Citadel of Prayer” (Aug. 3), about the Indianapolis Carmelite sisters, reaffirmed my belief that cloister orders are a luxury we can no longer indulge. As a wavering Catholic, I found their timid resolve to cross the divide between their contemplative lives in the monastery and our world teeming with needs worthy of a loudly pronounced, “You go, girls!”

In a place where we need every prayer, every kindness, every light, the sisters are now with us. And in the most technologically savvy way too. Welcome back, and may they share themselves here, now--and work along with us.

Victoria Lee-Jerrems

Van Nuys

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Perhaps if the Carmelite nuns still wore their traditional black habits and practiced the faith of their founder instead of mocking the discipline of contemplative life they would have novices and postulants looking to join their order. Instead, these women in “sundresses from Goodwill,” talking to no one at the local strip mall, simply look weird.

Is it a coincidence that there are fewer than half the number of nuns since Vatican II “relaxed” the church’s standards on religious life?

Kenneth J. Wolfe

Alexandria, Va.