Arlington nuns who sued Bishop now under new authority
ARLINGTON — An order of Catholic nuns in Arlington that has been in a public dispute with the Bishop of Fort Worth for more than a year, is now under the governance of an association of monasteries, with the association president as their new superior.
The Diocese of Fort Worth announced the decision Thursday in a letter from Bishop Michael Olson. It also published a decree from Vatican City, and letters to the Bishop and the Arlington Carmelite nuns informing them the decision was effective as of April 18.
A representative for the nuns did not immediately have a response to the announcement.
Last year the nuns sued Olson and the Diocese after he began an investigation into allegations of a broken vow of chastity and removed Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach from her position as Prioress.
After a court hearing where a judge declined to intervene in the dispute, the nuns dropped pursuit of the civil suit while still working through an internal church legal process.
In August, the nuns stated they no longer recognized Olson's authority over the independent monastery.