People gather at the Carmelite Monastery at last year’s Silver Tea. The tea, which takes place annually in September, has been canceled this year due to COVID-19. Because the tea was a major fundraiser for the sisters, they are seeking donations.

IRON MOUNTAIN — With the advent of summer, plans for the annual Carmelite Silver Tea normally would be in full swing. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become necessary to cancel this year’s event, the only sponsored fundraiser to support the Carmelite Sisters.

The Carmelite Monastery, at the intersection of U.S. 2 and M-95, was founded in 1951 and is home to 20 cloistered nuns who have responded to God’s call to a life of love, prayer and sacrifice. The women, ranging in age from 20s to 90s, come from many diverse backgrounds and locations, reaching as far as Argentina, the Philippines and Vietnam and across the United States.

Their life is a balance of the eremitical life of the early hermits and a life shared in community. The focus of their prayers is the church, the salvation of souls and the priests, missionaries and teachers of the faith.

They daily take prayer requests for personal needs from anyone who asks, regardless of religious affiliation. The monastery is one of the 800 found throughout the world that follow the ideals of St. Teresa, who founded the first monastery in Avila, Spain, in 1562.

Only two of the nuns are available to the public. The rest keep a busy schedule of work interspersed with prayer while keeping a vow of silence except during their recreation times.

Their daily Mass at 7 a.m., normally open to the public, is closed due to COVID-19. A gift shop is maintained in the lobby and is open from 8:30 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m.

To support themselves, the sisters maintain two large vegetable gardens within the enclosure, they bake and cut altar breads and make articles to be sold in their gift shop. These include rosaries, scapulars, note cards and other craft items. To augment these efforts, the area Catholic parishes of Iron Mountain, Kingsford and Norway/Vulcan have organized an annual fundraiser, the Silver Tea.

This has become a major source of income for the sisters since its inception in the early 1950s. The Silver Tea, which is open to the public, draws hundreds of visitors to the monastery to purchase raffle tickets, bid on silent auction items and purchase craft items, baked goods and the sister’s famous homemade bread.

With this significant source of support as well as the collection received at their daily public Masses not available due to the pandemic, the sisters are in need of monetary support as they strive to continue to carry out their spiritual mission, the support of the people of the Upper Peninsula through their prayers.

Monetary donations can be made directly to the Monastery of the Holy Cross. The address is P.O. Box 397, Iron Mountain, MI 49801.

For additional information regarding the monastery and the opportunities to provide support for the sisters, call 906-774-0561.