Nun who kissed Elvis needs miracle

By STEPHANIE REITZ

Associated Press

BETHLEHEM, Conn.

In the little town of Bethlehem, a cloistered nun whose luminous blue eyes entranced Elvis Presley in his first on-screen movie kiss is praying for a Christmas miracle.

Dolores Hart, who walked away from Hollywood stardom in 1963 to become a nun in rural Bethlehem, Conn., now finds herself back in the spotlight. But this time, it’s all about serving the King of Kings, not smooching the King of Rock ’n’ Roll.

The former brass factory that houses Mother Dolores and about 40 other nuns cloistered at the Abbey of Regina Laudis needs millions of dollars in renovations to meet fire and safety codes, add an elevator and make handicap accessibility upgrades.

Like 73-year-old Mother Dolores, the order’s nuns have taken a vow of stability with the intent to live, work and die at the complex. The order was established in 1947 in Bethlehem, a small burg in Connecticut’s rolling western hills.

Now, the historically self-supporting nuns have launched a fundraiser for the $4 million renovation project dubbed “New Horizons.” They don’t have much money, but they have Mother Dolores: a starlet-turned-supplicant whose unique story might lure the attention and donations of generations of movie fans, particularly those who adore all things Elvis.

“This work may not be in my lifetime that it’s finished, but we’re sure trying,” Mother Dolores said of the upgrades, which are budgeted to run about $2 million for the fire code and accessibility compliance work and another $2 million for improvements to the housing and other facilities.

They hope to break ground in January.

They’re not in imminent danger of needing to move out, but many of the older nuns can no longer navigate the narrow steps to the main building’s third floor and must live in another building. And without adequate fire escapes, the monastery has caught the eye of local inspectors, though they’ve worked closely with the nuns on the improvement plans and haven’t ordered them to close the building.

For Mother Dolores, the monastery has been home since she was a 24-year-old actress in 1963 and walked away from Hollywood for a life of contemplation and prayer as a postulant.

The abbey’s chapel, workshops, livestock pastures and other features are part of her soul now, and its wood-paneled monastery is the only home she’s known for 50 years. Its theater has a special place in her heart, harkening to the former career that landed her on talk shows, in magazines and twice as Elvis Presley’s co-star.

Dolores Hart was a vivacious, quick-witted blond starlet when she charmed Hollywood in the 1950s and early 1960s. She shared a kiss with Presley in the 1957 Paramount film “Loving You” — a modest liplock over which Mother Dolores still fields frequent questions about whether the King was a good kisser.

Hart acted in 10 movies alongside stars including Montgomery Clift, Myrna Loy, Connie Francis and Anthony Quinn.

Tax-deductible donations to New Horizons may be sent to the Abbey of Regina Laudis, 73 Flanders Road, Bethlehem, Conn., 06751. The order will soon offer online donation services at abbeyofreginalaudis.com.