The Vatican now considers the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington “extinct,” according to a Dec. 2 statement published by the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth.
The Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, known as a group within the Catholic Church that oversees matters relating to religious orders, issued a decree of suppression to the monastery Nov. 28.
The Vatican’s decree means that, in the eyes of the Catholic Church, the Arlington monastery and the order of nuns residing in the building no longer exists, said Fort Worth Catholic Bishop Michael Olson. Olson has repeatedly warned parishioners to avoid receiving Mass or sacraments at the Arlington monastery.
“They are neither nuns nor Carmelites despite their continued and public self-identification to the contrary,” Olson said in a Dec. 2 statement.
The decree, signed by Brazilian Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, comes after a Catholic leader assigned to oversee the nuns dismissed the religious order in October. That decision followed a year-long series of religious and legal disputes between the Arlington order and Olson, who said earlier this fall there was an “odor of schism” that loomed over the order.
The Friends of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Arlington Inc., a newly established group made up of supporters and those who have family in the Arlington order, gained ownership of the 72-acre south Arlington property in September.
Matthew Bobo, a civil attorney representing the Carmelite nuns who now serves on the foundation’s board of directors, said in a statement that the Society of Saint Pius X is addressing Olson’s latest attempts to “harass” the nuns. The order publicly announced its affiliation with the society in September.
“We are confident in that process,” Bobo said on behalf of the foundation’s board. “The Nuns are safe from the efforts of Bishop Olson and continue their devotion to their life of contemplative prayer.”
Six months ago, the Vatican named Mother Marie of the Incarnation, president of the Association of Christ the King, as the “lawful superior” to “exercise full governance” over the monastery. But the nuns instead sought to keep Rev. Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach as their leader.
In September, the Arlington order announced it reelected Gerlach as their leader against the wishes of the diocese and affiliated itself with the Society of Saint Pius X, a traditionalist fraternity of priests once in schism with the Vatican. Both Olson and Marie have previously called the nuns’ most recent elections invalid.
The Carmelite nuns called Marie’s dismissal statement a “moot point” given that the sisters associated themselves with the Society of Saint Pius X. The nuns also denied Marie’s reasoning for their dismissal, calling the statements “egregiously false.”
“Given that we pray every day for the Holy Father, Pope Francis, and our Ordinary, Michael Olson, any claim that we have departed from the Catholic faith is ridiculous,” the sisters said in their Oct. 30 statement.
For more than a year, Gerlach has been at the center of a series of religious and legal disputes. The feud began in April 2023, after Olson ordered an investigation into Gerlach over accusations she broke her chastity vow with a priest. The priest, Rev. Philip G. Johnson, was granted retirement in July and remained in good standing with the church.
In an audio recording played during a June 2023 court hearing, Gerlach admitted to violating her chastity vow on two separate occasions. She said the affair only happened by phone at another point of the recording. Civil lawsuits filed by the nuns accusing Olson of illegally accessing electronic communications have since been dismissed by a judge or voluntarily dropped by the sisters.
The Carmelite order’s property, currently appraised at a value of $3.8 million, has also been a focal point in the ongoing tension between the nuns and Olson. Supporters of the nuns have previously accused Olson of seeking to gain control of the monastery.
“We simply transferred the property from the nonprofit to the foundation to add a very ironclad and certain barrier to any claim Bishop Olson thinks he ever will have on that property,” Bobo previously told the Report.
Olson and the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth have denied any claims to the property in the past and again in the Dec. 2 statement. Olson added that the feud has brought “great sadness” to the local church and himself personally.
“The actions of the former nuns have perpetrated a deep wound in the Body of Christ,” Olson said. “I ask all of you to join me in praying for healing, reconciliation, and for the conversion of these women who have departed from the vowed religious life and notoriously defected from communion with the Catholic Church by their actions.”
Braz de Aviz’s decree, which references the dispute between Marie and the Carmelite order, tasks Marie with executing the decree and informing the Fort Worth diocese. With those duties carried out, her mandate and function as the monastery’s superior will cease.
This article has been updated with a statement from Matthew Bobo.
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org.
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