Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth

After a Catholic leader dismissed seven south Arlington nuns from their order, a foundation in support of the sisters is exploring potential legal action.

After more than a year of legal and religious disputes between Fort Worth Catholic Bishop Michael Olson and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Arlington, the sisters have transferred ownership of the monastery to a new foundation.

The Carmelite nuns’ new affiliation with a group once in a schism with the church has prompted warnings from the Fort Worth diocese.

A group of sisters from the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in south Arlington filed for a temporary restraining order on April 22 against Bishop Michael Olson and the Association of Christ the King. A hearing in district court was suddenly cancelled Tuesday, April 30.

When Nancy Eder checked her mailbox on Dec. 26 and saw a letter from Michael Olson, the bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, she initially thought it was a Christmas card.

While a canonical investigation between the Arlington Carmelite nuns and Fort Worth Bishop Michael F. Olson is pending in Rome, tensions remain.

Judge Don Cosby plans to decide next week whether Tarrant County has jurisdiction in a lawsuit filed by Arlington nuns against Fort Worth’s Bishop Michael Olson.

Judge Don Cosby plans to decide next week whether Tarrant County has jurisdiction in a lawsuit filed by Arlington nuns against Fort Worth’s Bishop Michael Olson.