After a Catholic leader dismissed seven south Arlington nuns from their order, a foundation in support of the sisters is exploring potential legal action.
Six months ago, the Vatican Mother Marie of the Incarnation, president of the Association of Christ the King, as the 鈥渓awful superior鈥� to 鈥渆xercise full governance鈥� over the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Arlington. But the nuns have instead sought to keep Rev. Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach as their leader.
For over a year, Gerlach has been at the center of a series of religious and legal disputes between the Arlington order and Fort Worth Catholic Bishop Michael Olson. Olson has accused Gerlach of violating her chastity vow with a priest. In an audio recording played during a June 2023 court hearing, Gerlach had to violating her chastity vow on two separate occasions. She said the affair only happened by phone at another point of the recording.
In September, the Arlington order announced it reelected Gerlach as their leader and affiliated themselves with the Society of Saint Pius X, a fraternity of priests once in schism with the Vatican. In early October, the sisters also transferred ownership of their monastery to a new foundation. Both Olson and Marie have previously called the nuns鈥� most recent elections invalid.
Marie alleges the nuns 鈥渉ave chosen to break faith鈥� with the Catholic Church by denying the authority of Marie, Olson and the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of the Apostolic Life, a group within the Vatican that oversees matters relating to religious orders.
As she dismissed the nuns from the order, Marie called their association with the Society of Saint Pius X 鈥渦nlawful鈥� and their transfer of monastery ownership 鈥渋llicit.鈥�
鈥淭hese wrongs are exacerbated by their illicit expropriation of the juridic person of the Carmelite Monastery, in which the nuns, utilizing civil law, entrusted to lay people, both Catholic and non-Catholic alike, the patrimony and property of the Arlington Carmelite community,鈥� Marie said in her Oct. 28 , published by the Diocese of Fort Worth at her request.
Marie鈥檚 statements in reference to the Friends of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Arlington Inc., a group made up of supporters and those who have family in the Arlington order, could be legally actionable comments, said foundation chairman Michael J. Mallick.
鈥淎s a real estate investor, I take those types of comments very seriously, because unless Mother Marie is a real estate expert or her attorneys have said that, that is an actionable comment,鈥� Mallick said. 鈥淚t won鈥檛 be tolerated.鈥�
Mallick said the foundation is actively investigating Marie鈥檚 statements to see if there could be potential legal action ahead.
The seven women making up the Arlington monastery are to return back to a 鈥渓ay state,鈥� or a non-ordained member of the church, Marie said in her Oct. 28 statement.
Marie鈥檚 statements follow Olson鈥檚 that the sisters are going 鈥渇urther down the path of disobedience to and disunity鈥� with the Catholic Church. He warned Catholics to stay away from the monastery or they might be accosted with 鈥渟candalous disobedience.鈥� Olson has previously warned that Gerlach could be .
The Carmelite nuns called Marie鈥檚 dismissal statement a 鈥渕oot point鈥� given that the sisters associated themselves with the Society of Saint Pius X. The nuns also denied Marie鈥檚 reasoning for their dismissal, calling the statements 鈥渆gregiously false.鈥�
鈥淕iven 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,鈥� the sisters said in their Oct. 30 .
The nuns continue to invite people to visit the Monastery Chapel for private prayer and Latin Mass.
A dismissal does not always lead up to excommunication, said Matthew Wilson, a professor at Southern Methodist University who specializes in politics and religion. He is also the Kairo Endowed Director of the Center for Faith and Learning at the university.
鈥淭hey could still go to Mass and receive Communion, just like any lay Catholic can,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淏ut what the bishop and Mother Marie are saying is they cannot, rightly, call themselves Carmelite nuns.鈥�
A decree of dismissal does not have effect unless it has been confirmed by the church鈥檚 central governing body known as The Holy See, according to the Code of Canon , a set of rules and policies that the Catholic Church.
After the Report asked for clarification on whether Marie鈥檚 Oct. 28 statement was confirmed by The Holy See, a spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth directed the Report to contact Marie鈥檚 attorney, Michael Anderson. He did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
鈥淭he diocese had no role in Mother Marie鈥檚 decision to issue a statement regarding the Arlington Carmel,鈥� said John Cuccaro, director of communications for the diocese. 鈥淏ishop Olson asks that the faithful of the Diocese of Fort Worth continue to pray for all involved and for the Catholic Church in North Texas.鈥�
The 72-acre south Arlington property, currently appraised at a value of , has been a focal point in the ongoing tension between the nuns and Olson. Supporters of the Carmelite order have accused Olson of seeking to gain control of the monastery, which Olson and the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth have denied in the past and in an Oct. 28 .
The feud began in April 2023, after Olson into Gerlach over accusations she broke her chastity vow with a priest. Civil lawsuits filed by the nuns accusing Olson of illegally accessing electronic communications have since been dismissed by a judge or by the sisters.
Looking ahead, the Arlington Discalced Carmelite Nuns have not been formally excommunicated, but Olson could do so in the future, making the sisters ineligible to receive the sacraments, Wilson said. The sisters could also repent and ask for reinstatement, he said.
鈥淭hey can always ask for that,鈥� Wilson said. 鈥淏ut until and unless they do that, nothing鈥檚 really going to change in this situation.鈥�
Editors note: The story has been updated to include a statement from the Discalced Carmelite Nuns.
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org or . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
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