Vatican Orders Texas Monastery to Normalize Relations with Bishop, Ending Yearlong Feud

The Vatican has intervened to resolve a yearlong dispute between a Carmelite monastery in Fort Worth, Texas and Bishop Michael Olson, ordering the nuns to normalize relations with the bishop and be governed by the Association of Christ the King. The feud centered around the dismissal of Reverend Mother Superior Teresa Agnes Gerlach.

Last year, the nuns of the Most Holy Trinity monastery filed a lawsuit against Bishop Olson and the Diocese of Fort Worth after he launched an investigation into allegations that Gerlach violated her vow of chastity. Olson removed Gerlach from her position as prioress. The nuns later dropped the civil lawsuit but continued to challenge the bishop's authority through an internal church legal process.

In a decree issued by the Vatican's Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the monastery has now been placed under the governance of the Association of Christ the King in the United States. The association's president, Mother Marie of the Incarnation, will serve as the nuns' new superior.

The Vatican instructed the nuns to "withdraw and rescind" their August 2023 declaration rejecting Bishop Olson's authority and to "regularize" their relationship with him and the local church. Bishop Olson retains canonical authority over the monastery and will oversee the election of new leadership, as Gerlach's term expired in January 2024.

Why this matters: The Vatican's intervention seeks to restore order and unity within the Catholic Church, addressing the absence of lawful governance at the Texas monastery. The decision has implications for the authority of bishops over religious orders in their dioceses.

In a letter to Bishop Olson, the Vatican dicastery expressed gratitude for his "heroic and thankless service" to the diocese and acknowledged the "hardship and unwarranted public attention" brought upon the local church over the past year. The dicastery emphasized that the nuns' decision to remove themselves from the bishop's lawful vigilance was unlawful.

The Vatican's decree aims to ensure the Carmelite nuns in Fort Worth can be properly cared for and governed within the Catholic Church. Bishop Olson will work closely with the Association of Christ the King to oversee the monastery's governance and the election of new leadership. The nuns have been directed to cooperate fully with the association and the bishop to restore order and unity at the monastery.

Key Takeaways

• Vatican intervened to resolve dispute between Texas Carmelite nuns and Bishop Olson.
• Nuns ordered to normalize relations with Bishop Olson and be governed by Association.
• Nuns' lawsuit against Bishop Olson over dismissal of Mother Superior dropped.
• Monastery placed under governance of Association of Christ the King in the US.
• Vatican seeks to restore order and unity, address absence of lawful governance.