Former Carthusian Prior Has Sung the Nunc Dimittis

Dom Isidoro Alfonso Maria, one of the last four monks of the Charterhouse of Evora, Portugal, has died, writes CartusiaLover.Wordpress.com.

Born on 16 March 1929 in Santa Gadea del Cid, Spain, he became a teacher and worked in Latin America.

He was nearly forty when he gave it all up and turned to the Carthusian life in Miraflores, Spain, where he professed his vows in October 1971 and was ordained on 7 April 1973.

He spent the next few years in Selignac, France, where he was novice master (1976-1981).

He became Prior of Porta Coeli, Spain (1981-1991), and then in 1991 came to Scala Coeli, Evora, where he was Prior again until 2011. In 1999 he received the Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio (+2021), an atheist, who became his friend.

Due to glaucoma, Dom Isidoro retired as prior. When Scala Coeli was closed, he returned to Miraflores. Completely blind, he spent his last days in the solitude of his cell, where the friars took care of him.

He spent his days praying the rosary incessantly. As he was bedridden, Mass was celebrated every day in his cell. On 29 October he sang his Nunc Dimittis and went "de cella ad coelum".

Picture: CartusiaLover.Wordpress.com, #newsWqcctdlgjk

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Darice Henriques

Dec 10, 2022

May his soul rest in peace

Kenjiro M. Yoshimori

Dec 8, 2022

Everyone pray for the Carthusian Order. Pray before the Blessed Sacrament that God spares them, and blesses them with many new vocations. They are the strictest monastic Order in the Church, and never were huge like the Jesuits or Franciscans, but the issue is that small Orders which are holy and good have suffered along with those that are liberal trash since Vatican II. The Carthusians according to some websites have between 280-350 monks and novices which is fairly good, but they had over 600 before Vatican II. I worry about some of the ancient Orders, because Vatican II has hurt them just like all the others....and the lower they go, the closer some become to extinction. One branch of the Camaldolese...a 1,000 year old Order, is heading that way because they have gone radical liberal even though they only have world wide about 80 members (about 200 before Vatican II). The Trappist monks had close to 6,000 monks before Vatican II, but only about 1,500 today. Before Vatican II, most of their monasteries had at least 55-65+ monks, with some having as many as 250! Today, I researches after work a pdf. sheet from their website. After 50+ years of becoming increasigly liberal, most of their monasteries have 25 monks or less. Not long before most are closed. They have 82 monasteries world wide, of which 80% are down to a handful of monks.
But pray for the good Carthusian Order that the Lord blesses them with vocations. They are still a good Order. They have maintained most of their traditions, (even though they gave up monastic tonsure 25+ years ago). The Church can't afford to have these ancient, noble Orders go extinct. The Carthusians are getting some vocations, but lets all pray they are blessed with many more.
A Carthusian cardinal, or a Carthusian Pope would be a blessing. Impossible probably. But it would be a great grace.

foward

Dec 8, 2022

RIP

Credo .

3 Dec 8, 2022

God Bless this good & Holy man. Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen. > May the souls of the faithful departed through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Kenjiro M. Yoshimori

Dec 8, 2022

Yes, God Bless in Heaven this good monk and priest. I have a great devotion to the Carthusian Order, not to join, but interest in its history and liturgy. Like all Orders, the Carthusians have suffered from the deforms of Vatican II, going from about 625 monka in 1962, to about 300 today. They are among the strictest of Orders, and never were huge like the Jesuits or Franciscans, but before the Reformation, they did have over 3,000 monks.
God bless this good priest in Heaven. And may God bless the Carthusian Order with a rebirth in vocations very soon. If they used the Roman Rite, they would have more enter.