Monastery of Our Mother of Mercy and St. Joseph, Alexandria, United States

What it is

Twelve Discalced Carmelite nuns and a novice in the small prairie town of Alexandria, South Dakota, living in a much-extended former four-plex across the street from St. Mary of Mercy Church, home of the Fatima Family Shrine.

What it needs

The community has outgrown its building. It plans a public Chapel of the Holy Face of Jesus seating about 150, designed around seven stained-glass windows rescued from a burned Chicago church, with a nuns' choir, nine new cells, library, chaplain's quarters, renovated infirmary and a cemetery: about 17,000 square feet of additions for up to 21 nuns.

Before you act. About $2.1 million of the $16 million had been raised by November 2026. The sisters say construction will not begin until the full amount is secured, because they do not want to take on debt, and no date for breaking ground has been set.

Sources

Last checked 9 November 2026. Responsible body: Discalced Carmelite Nuns, Monastery of Our Mother of Mercy and St. Joseph.

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