A Texas monastery has ceased to exist in the eyes of the Vatican, according to a statement from the Bishop of Fort Worth on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
The announcement comes following a nearly year-long battle between the nuns and Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson.
Nun Accused of Having an Online Affair with Former Priest
The disagreement surfaced in April 2023 after Olson accused their Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach of breaking her chastity vows by having an online love affair with Father Philip Johnson, a former priest from the diocese in Raleigh, N.C., according to Chron.
As a result, Gerlach, Olson and the Arlington order were involved in legal and religious controversies. Then, in May 2023, Gerlach and the Diocese of Fort Worth's six acting nuns and two in training sued the church and its bishop for $1 million. They alleged violations of privacy and harm to the nuns' physical and emotional well-being.
Gerlach Confessed to the Chastity Violation, Nuns Claimed She was 'Under Heavy Medication'
The next month, Olson dismissed Gerlach from religious life, and Gerlach confessed to chastity violation, which she said occurred twice and on the phone. In July, the nuns' attorney, Matthew Bobo, said that Gerlach, who is a wheelchair user, was "under heavy medication from a procedure" and didn't recall giving her statement to investigators.
Additionally, the nuns' supporters have accused Olson of seeking to gain control of the monastery.
Then, in April 2024, the Vatican announced that the monastery would be monitored by the Association of Christ the King in the U.S. During that same month, the nuns disobeyed the Vatican's ruling. The nuns filed a lawsuit in Tarrant County District Court requesting a temporary restraining order against both Olson and the Fort Worth diocese.
In June, the Vatican appointed Mother Marie of the Incarnation as president of the Association of Christ the King, meaning she is the "lawful superior" and has the right to "exercise full governance."
Three months later, Gerlach was re-elected as their leader against the diocese's wishes and the nuns joined the Society of St. Pius, a Roman Catholic priestly group that previously separated from the Vatican.
The next month, Olson and Marie then said the elections were invalid. But the nuns said Marie's dismissal is "egregiously false" and a "moot point" since they are now associated with the Society of Saint Pius X, as reported by Kera News. The nuns issued a statement confirming it is "ridiculous" to claim that they have "departed from the Catholic faith."
Vatican Ordered Dismissal of the Nuns from Catholic Order, Deemed the Church as 'Extinct'
Shortly after, on Nov. 28, the Vatican issued a statement declaring the nuns were dismissed from their Catholic order and religious life. On Nov. 29, the Vatican issued a letter declaring the church was "extinct."
On Dec. 2, Olson responded and issued his own letter, stating that the nuns "are no longer nuns because they have been ipso facto dismissed from the Order of Discalced Carmelites for reasons of their notorious defection from the Catholic faith."
He continued: "Second, the Holy See has suppressed the monastery, so it exists no longer, despite any public self-identification made to the contrary by the former nuns who continue to occupy the premises. Third, the Diocese of Fort Worth has never made any claims to the property of the former monastery, nor do we do so now."
