Carmelites celebrate their annual fair
HOLLADAY – Music, action, food, entertainment, fun and tradition were the frame of the annual Carmelite Fair celebrated on Sept. 16 at the monastery in Holladay.
The fair also recognized the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Carmelites in Utah.
"They do so much for us; this is just a little bit of what we can return to them," said Martina Brintt, a parishioner of Our Lady of Lourdes in Magna who, on many occasions, has relied on the nuns’ prayers.
"My dad passed away two years ago, but he went through a lot before God received him, and it was during those tough moments that the prayers of the Carmelites helped all the family to stay strong," said Brintt.
Sunday’s events commenced with the 3rd annual "Run for the Nuns" 5K race, in which more than 125 runners participated. The first-place overall winner was John Cumming of Holladay with a time of 19:30".
Carmelite Sr. Therese Bui, speaking on behalf of the monastery, thanked those who attended the fair. The nuns’ mission, Sr. Therese said, is "to serve the people of Utah through our life of prayer. I thank you, all of you, for supporting all of us for the last 60 years and we assure you of our continuing prayers for you and your families."
The race was followed by the fair, which aimed to raise enough money to cover the living expenses of the monastery’s 11 nuns through the coming year.
The sisters’ vocation is prayer; they worship in their Carmelite Chapel every day and also have an ongoing Adoration of the Eucharist. Members of the public who attend the Mass in the monastery’s chapel can hear the nuns, but can’t see them because they have taken vows to live cloistered lives.
The Carmelite order was founded in 1222. Saint Theresa of Avila reformed the first female monastery in Spain in 1562; a group came to the United States of America in 1790. Then, in 1952, five sisters from California arrived in Utah to found the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Monastery. Their first home was in downtown Salt Lake City; four years later, they relocated to a larger house on Holladay Boulevard. Twenty years later they started building the present monastery.
The Carmelite Fair grew out of a fundraising tea; these days, the annual event draws hundreds from throughout the Salt Lake Valley.
"This is great! My parents used to bring us as kids and now here we are with our kids, thanks to these awesome Sisters," said Fred Richardson, a Cathedral of the Madeleine parishioner.
Entertainment at the fair included the Juan Diego Catholic High School Steel Drum Band, the Utah Pipe Band, Higher Ground Jazz Band, Basque and Greek dancers, and Real Salt Lake’s Leo the Lion. Diverse booths covered the ground of the monastery featured Basque, Greek and Mexican food, along with hamburgers and hot dogs. Craft booths sold various items; the nuns contributed handmade candy and clothing.
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