Carmelite Monastery property for sale — but nuns are staying
Archdiocese wants $7.8 million for 12.4 acres following bankruptcy
Nestled in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Carmelite Monastery of Santa Fe has been a place of refuge for those seeking solitude and spiritual fulfillment — not only the cloistered nuns but locals and visitors as well.
While some nuns will remain at the site, the future of the retreat center on the property is uncertain.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe has put much of the Mount Carmel Road compound on the market, with a price listed at $7.8 million for 12.4 acres and seven buildings.
Ana Pacheco of Santa Fe, a local writer and historian who has attended services at the monastery and written about it, said she initially was “heartbroken” to hear the property might be sold. Still, she said she was glad to learn the chapel and quarters housing a handful of Carmelite nuns are not part of the sale.
“That’s good news for us,” Pacheco said. Mother Marie Bernadette of the Santa Fe
Carmelite order confirmed in a voicemail message the archdiocese is not selling the monastery itself. She referred other inquiries to officials with the archdiocese, who did not return a call seeking comment.
Santa Fe Properties listed the compound for sale Friday.
Realtor William “Rusty” Wafer said the archdiocese is selling the property to raise funds related to its Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing in 2018, a process prompted by hundreds of sexual abuse allegations dating back decades.
Among the seven buildings included in property up for sale are a small caretaker’s hut, a large seminary structure used for worship services and other gatherings, a retreat center, a dormitory and a parking lot, Wafer said.
At least three potential buyers have visited the site, he added. Two more showings are scheduled this week.
Wafer, a native Santa Fean who has been working in real estate for over 40 years, said he believes the property will find a buyer.
“It comes out to about $130 per square foot,” he said. “There’s nothing in town you can buy for $130 per square foot.”
The news of property’s possible sale comes as the Carmelite Monastery is celebrating its 75th year in Santa Fe. Mother Mary Theresa, born in Mexico as Gadualupe De Leon, founded the
Santa Fe order with five other nuns in 1945. The monastery grounds became a haven for a community of nuns taking part in near-constant prayer.
In a recent blog post about the Carmelite Monastery of Santa Fe, Pacheco said it follows the Spanish tradition of Carmelites rather than the French tradition. The Spanish order was established in the 16th century, largely through the efforts of St. Teresa de Ávila, a writer and mystic, and St. John of the Cross.
Pacheco, who recalled attending services at the monastery as a child and as an adult, said it is a very “serene” place to visit.
“It’s a place where you would go not just for regular Mass,” she said, “but the silence — the fact that the sisters are cloistered. It has a deep, spiritual feeling.”