Six Carmelite nuns, who came from Kiev, have been welcomed at the St Igancy Loyola Spirituality Centre in Częstochowa. This is an unusual situation if one consider that a retreat house is a place where people come to meet God. From now on, retreatants will be accompanied by the presence of a community totally dedicated to prayer.
The sisters have very good conditions as they have a part of the house that is separated from the rest of the retreat house. The part consist of 7 rooms, a chapel, a dining room and two common rooms. This part of the house used to be occupied by other sisters, which however left it few years ago.
Before welcoming the sisters, the space was adapted. Pieces of furniture were rearranged and a fridge and a cooker were bought. The Carmelite Sisters of Częstochowa also took part in the preparations, donating a washing machine.
As Fr Artur Wenner SJ, director of the retreat house, points out that the situation in Częstochowa is unusual:
Now we have three Carmels around Jasna Góra: one motherhouse from Częstochowa, one from Kharkiv and one from Kiev. The sisters have found a shelter here and we have found prayerful protection for the work of the retreats.
