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HOLLADAY — Preparations are underway for the annual Carmelite Fair, which will help fund the quiet community devoted to prayer and worship.
The fair, scheduled for Sept. 15, will be held on the grounds of the Carmelite Monastery, where community members and volunteers come out to support Utah's cloistered nuns, the Carmelite nuns.
Nestled in the heart of the Salt Lake Valley are 12 Carmelite nuns. Their lives are devoted to worshipping God and praying for global peace, especially the people of Utah.
Sister Peter Marie, 38, said she felt called to God's service as a young woman. When she arrived at the Carmelite Monastery, she knew she was where God intended her to serve.
"I came here to visit. I felt right at home," Sister Marie said. "This is where the Lord leads me. I asked him to take me where he needed me most."
The nuns leave behind secular pursuits in exchange for a life of contemplation and prayer. Following their order, they take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
"I realized the Lord has blessed me with many good things, but I didn't know how to repay him," Sister Marie said. "I thought I should give this religious life a chance."
The nuns have almost no contact with the outside world. Occasional visitors speak with them in a room divided by an iron grille. Sister Marie said the purpose isn't to keep strangers out but to help them focus on the divine.
"We live in the world, but at the same time, we are not of the world. It is a reminder to us," she said.
At the Carmelite Monastery, the sisters also make sacrament wafers, which are later consecrated to become the Eucharistic Host. The wafers are shared with several congregations of Catholic, Episcopalian, and Lutheran denominations in various parts of the U.S.
This time of year, they're also busy in the garden. They'll use the fruits to make a variety of jams, peach, strawberry rhubarb, and plum, to offer for sale next weekend when hundreds of visitors come to the annual Carmelite Fair.
Every year, volunteers and community members hold the fair on the third Sunday in September.
A 5K Run/Walk, "Run for the Nuns- Race for Grace," starts at 8 a.m. with a live auction, food, and outdoor family entertainment run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A golf tournament will also be held on Sept. 9 at the Old Mill Golf Course.
Funds raised by volunteers and community members go to support the nuns in their mission to pray for others.
"God is here. He is always there for you," Sister Marie said.
