LOS ANGELES (RNS) — For nearly a century, the Monastery of the Angels in the Hollywood Hills served as home to a community of cloistered Dominican nuns who devoted their lives to study Scripture and to pray for those who came to them for guidance and penance.But the community dwindled as the nuns aged and some died from COVID-19. In early 2022, the monastery closed, but its chapel, gift shop and beloved peanut brittle and pumpkin bread business have remained open.
Now, the North American Association of Dominican Monasteries, which the monastery was a member of, has partnered with the Dominican Friars of the Western Province as they prepare to launch a public process to explore future options for the restoration and use of the nuns’ nearly four-acre historic property.
A request for proposals is expected to be released in early April.
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“Our sisters loved the Hollywood Hills community, and we look forward to working with the friars, interested parties, and the neighborhood to ensure our beloved monastery can continue to be a blessing to all,” said local prioress Sister Maria Christine, president of the Association of North American Dominican Monasteries, in a statement released Thursday.
Christopher Hanzeli, a spokesperson for the Dominican Friars of the Western Province, said having a public process is crucial “to gather as many creative and in …