Closure of Albergue at Medina de Rioseco

[timr]

After 525 years the Poor Clares (Clarisses) are leaving their convent at Medina de Rioseco due to falling numbers and aging. I discuss it on my post here on Black Friday. The remaining four sisters will move to Valladolid on Dec 8th 2017. It seems the albergue will not function after that.
I guess the Madrid Amigos association will have more information in time. I can't check at the moment as I'm walking. I stayed there two nights ago. Possibly the last person. Ever? Very sad.
I hope someone may take on the job of running it, but it would be a big ask.
Check first if you are planning to stay next year. There is commercial accommodation in the town.

 

[amorfati1]

After 525 years the Poor Clares (Clarisses) are leaving their convent at Medina de Rioseco due to falling numbers and aging. I discuss it on my post here on Black Friday. The remaining four sisters will move to Valladolid on Dec 8th 2017. It seems the albergue will not function after that.
I guess the Madrid Amigos association will have more information in time. I can't check at the moment as I'm walking. I stayed there two nights ago. Possibly the last person. Ever? Very sad.
I hope someone may take on the job of running it, but it would be a big ask.
Check first if you are planning to stay next year. There is commercial accommodation in the town.

thank you for sharing this - very poignant.
and you were there to witness this, and then to share it with the forum community - so, somehow, somewhere this place continues to live on - because now i/we 'carry' it as well.
blessing to these sister and all those who have lived there before, served , laughed, prayed .
thank you Tim - Grazie!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

We have one of the few Poor Clare Colettine nun convents, the Corpus Christi monestary located in Rockford, Illinois, where I live in the USA. The nuns live inside tall brick walls and live by a very strict set of rules and a life of mostly silence. A female author, Abbie Reese, was given permission to write a book about their lifestyle after gaining trust with the mother superior to enter their world and interview the nuns, a task taking six years of gathering information. I have read the book and it was a very fascinating look into the vows taken as a Poor Clare nun and their strict existence. Most live within these walls and rarely leave the premises. They have gardens for food and are buried there, as well. Very few young women are entering this strict order of nuns which threatens its future existence.

There is quite a bit of info online and the authors book, "Dedicated to God: An Oral History of Cloistered Nuns", is about her experiences visiting the Poor Clare nuns at the Rockford monestary, and is available from Amazon if anyone is interested.

 

[timr]

We have one of the few Poor Clare Colettine nun convents, the Corpus Christi monestary located in Rockford, Illinois, where I live in the USA. The nuns live inside tall brick walls and live by a very strict set of rules and a life of mostly silence. A female author, Abbie Reese, was given permission to write a book about their lifestyle after gaining trust with the mother superior to enter their world and interview the nuns, a task taking six years of gathering information. I have read the book and it was a very fascinating look into the vows taken as a Poor Clare nun and their strict existence. Most live within these walls and rarely leave the premises. They have gardens for food and are buried there, as well. Very few young women are entering this strict order of nuns which threatens its future existence.

There is quite a bit of info online and the authors book, "Dedicated to God: An Oral History of Cloistered Nuns", is about her experiences visiting the Poor Clare nuns at the Rockford monestary, and is available from Amazon if anyone is interested.

Thanks Chris. You bring back memories of growing up in Liverpool. There was a Poor Clares Collettines convent just a mile or so away, within the city. The winter of either 60/61 or 61/62 was very severe - I'm not sure which, I was 6 or 7. Somehow we heard that two(?) Sisters had 'frozen to death' in the convent. We also heard that their only heating in their cell was to heat a brick in the kitchen fire and bring it to their room. Ironically, the convent was next to the then bishop's palace - I don't suppose it was very palatial. Both buildings now gone. Anyway we also heard that the bishop had over ruled their 'rule' - this was just before Vatican 2 - and instructed then to install central heating. I hope he paid for it! I'm not sure of the absolute truth versus the mythology! I'll chase it up when I get home. I will also get hold of that book as it sounds fascinating. I am a priest myself.

 

[Stephen B]

After 525 years the Poor Clares (Clarisses) are leaving their convent at Medina de Rioseco due to falling numbers and aging. I discuss it on my post here on Black Friday. The remaining four sisters will move to Valladolid on Dec 8th 2017. It seems the albergue will not function after that.
I guess the Madrid Amigos association will have more information in time. I can't check at the moment as I'm walking. I stayed there two nights ago. Possibly the last person. Ever? Very sad.
I hope someone may take on the job of running it, but it would be a big ask.
Check first if you are planning to stay next year. There is commercial accommodation in the town.

Thank you timr. This is heartbreaking news. I remember the albergue well having stayed there this past May on my camino. It was a beautiful place. The nuns were sweet and kind. And efficient - the albergue was spotless and beautifully maintained. I will never forget my stay there and their kindness,

 

[timr]

Thank you timr. This is heartbreaking news. I remember the albergue well having stayed there this past May on my camino. It was a beautiful place. The nuns were sweet and kind. And efficient - the albergue was spotless and beautifully maintained. I will never forget my stay there and their kindness,

Yes @Stephen B heartbreaking is the word.

 

[Phillypilgrim]

I walked a completely isolated 15 days on the Camino Madrid in 2014. The only Pilgrims I met and spoke with were in this lovely albergue. It is a loss for anyone on this special Camino.

 

[lettinggo]

After 525 years the Poor Clares (Clarisses) are leaving their convent at Medina de Rioseco due to falling numbers and aging. I discuss it on my post here on Black Friday. The remaining four sisters will move to Valladolid on Dec 8th 2017. It seems the albergue will not function after that.
I guess the Madrid Amigos association will have more information in time. I can't check at the moment as I'm walking. I stayed there two nights ago. Possibly the last person. Ever? Very sad.
I hope someone may take on the job of running it, but it would be a big ask.
Check first if you are planning to stay next year. There is commercial accommodation in the town.

Thank you Timr
Indeed sad news as the sisters were most kind when I passed by earlier this year.
A loss for the CdM and Median de Rioseco and its history.
One can only hope that the convent will be reopened in due time.

Lettinggo

 

[Alan Pearce]

Is there another albergue in town now that the convent has closed, or is commercial accommodation the option?

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

There are pensions and a couple of hotels in town.

 

[handzondeck2]

Such a shame I stayed here on both my Camino Madrids and the service was excellent. Such a loss.