The latest example of a beautiful, centuries-old religious house closing due to a lack of vocations is found in Florence, where the Dominicans have decided to abandon their convent after self-destructing following Vatican II.
Elizabeth Povoledo of the New York Times has an article published in today's paper:
For nearly 600 years, Dominicans friars in Florence, Italy, have inhabited the Convent of San Marco, one of the city's great spiritual and cultural hubs, renowned for its frescoes by Fra Angelico and once home to the fiery preacher Girolamo Savonarola.
But at the end of September, this storied occupation will end, a victim of the dwindling ranks of the Dominican order. The convent's only remaining residents -- four aging friars -- have been told to pack their bags and move across town to the convent of Santa Maria Novella.
Not mentioned is the solution to this problem. Have the Dominicans offer the Dominican rite exclusively at this convent for all conventual and private Masses, restore the use of the Dominican Breviary there, and see what happens with vocations.
