Founded by Mother Angelica, the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery and Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament was consecrated on December 19, 1999.


The story of how it all began is inspiring, remarkable and miraculous.


Located in Hanceville, Alabama, the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery is home to an ever-growing group of nearly two dozen Sisters, women of all ages and backgrounds who are at different stages of their discernment period to become contemplative Sisters of the Religious order of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration (P.C.P.A.)


For these women, the spiritual journey to become a Poor Clare Sister P.C.P.A (Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration) extends over an eight-year period of discernment with several stages including: postulant, novice, junior professed and solemn professed. Ultimately, at the conclusion of the discernment period and upon taking their final vows, each woman will don the brown and white Sister’s habit, and in doing so, they become dead to the outside world and thus embark on a new life – hidden behind walls and separated by the cloister grille. They become contemplative, cloistered Sisters.


Their special charism is perpetual adoration and prayer.


The Order originated in France in the mid-1800s. Since the founding more than 150 years ago, the Order has spread from France to Poland to Austria.  The first American foundation was established in 1921 by Mother M. Agnes from Vienna, Austria, in the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio. In 1925 the Cleveland Monastery became one of the first cloistered communities in America to receive the privilege of solemn vows. From this Monastery several foundations were established in Bangladesh and South India as well as other cities in the United States. It was from Cleveland that the new Foundation in Canton, Ohio began.  Then from Canton came the foundation in Alabama of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery.

Mother Mary Angelica entered the Cleveland Monastery at 21 years of age on August 15, 1944.  As a Novice, she was part of the new Foundation (Sancta Clara Monastery) in Canton, Ohio.  It was there that she made her Solemn Profession of Holy Vows in 1953.  By 1962, she was the Abbess of the new Foundation in Birmingham, Alabama:  Our Lady of the Angels Monastery.  In 1981, Mother Angelica founded Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), the first Catholic cable satellite network.  Then in 1987 she also founded an Order of Priests and Brothers, known as the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word to serve the needs of EWTN and also the spiritual needs of the nuns.  

To allow for the growth of both EWTN and the MFVA Friars, Our Lady of the Angels Monastery transferred to a new location in Hanceville, Alabama in late 1999.  Soon it became evident that, even with a larger Monastery, there was not enough room for all of the vocational inquiries.  


Most recently and after much prayer, it was decided that that a new Monastery would be built in the Diocese of  Phoenix, Arizona, which has never had a Contemplative Order of Nuns, and thus, Our Lady of Solitude was born.



**Special Thanks to Sister Genevieve and all of the Sisters of The Our Lady of the Angels Monastery

and the Our Lady of Solitude websites for historical information**

About the OLAM and The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration

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