SALT LAKE CITY — On Sept. 15 people of different faiths, cultures and backgrounds will get together to celebrate a good cause, the annual Carmelite Fair, which benefits the nuns living at the Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary monastery in Salt Lake City.
The Carmelite nuns live a cloistered life, away from the day-to-day world. Their vocation and their calling is prayer, and they pray for the local Church, priests and the salvation of souls.
“These 12 spiritual and prayerful women [who range in age from 33 to 92] have no source of income except for this fair,” said Angela Martinez, who has helped organize the Carmelite Fair for some years.
To prepare for the annual fair, volunteers from throughout Utah begin meeting every March, gathering donations from companies and individuals for the fair, the proceeds of which sustain the nuns for the whole year. Donations can be in the form of money, items for the silent or live actions, or “basically anything and all that they can donate,” said Martinez, who considers the nuns her extended family.
Some years ago, when her mother passed away, Martinez met the Carmelites.
“I donated a lot of my mother’s belongings to them. … My mom was a wonderful cook and had wonderful items for the kitchen, so I donated them to them,” Martinez said. Because around that time she also was laid off from her job, she also decided to donate time to the Carmelites.
“I saw that they had a lot of weeds in their yard, so I told them I would weed for them, so I did it,” Martinez said.
Being at the monastery on regular basis gave her the opportunity to get to know the nuns in a personal way.
“I see them as a spiritual fulfillment – the biggest gift for me is to be able to help them,” she said. “If I am able to, I will be there.”
The Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Monastery was founded on Dec. 8, 1952. Two of the foundresses, Sister Margaret Mary of the Sacred Heart and Sister Maureen of the Trinity, still live at the monastery.
“The sisters and I just would like to say that we love the people in Utah and we pray for all; we’re here for all of you. God bless you,” said Mother Therese Bui, the monastery’s current prioress.
The fair itself has evolved over the years. One of the newest additions, the 5K Run/Walk for the Nuns, began in 2010. This year the run/walk will begin at the monastery prior to the opening of the fair.
A golf tournament to benefit the nuns began in 2011; the eighth annual Golf for the Nuns tournament will take place the weekend after the fair at the Crater Spring Golf Course at the Homestead Resort in Midway.
The Carmelite Fair includes live entertainment, food booths, craft tents, live and silent auctions, and children’s games.
The Carmelites have the last monastery in Utah; the Benedictine monastery in Ogden closed in 2013 and the Trappist monastery in Huntsville closed in 2017.
“It is just a blessing to have them here,” said Martinez about the Carmelite nuns as she invited everyone to attend the Carmelite Fair and to participate in the activities.
“We need their prayers. … We need to support them,” she said.
Stay Connected With Us