“How great is the joy and prophecy proclaimed to the world by silence of the cloister!”
POPE FRANCIS, VULTUM DEI QUAERERE
Our Way of Life
The Carmelite Order began on Mount Carmel in Israel where in the twelfth century a group of hermits gathered to live a life of prayer inspired by the prophet Elijah and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. At the center of their dwellings they placed an Oratory where the hermits would gather daily to celebrate the Eucharist. Ever since the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, which extends the liturgical celebration throughout the day, have been at the center of Carmelite life.
At the heart of Carmelite life is the abiding Eucharistic presence of Christ which fosters their union with Him and sustains their prayer for the Church and the world. (Constitutions, No.67)
In the sixteenth century, St. Teresa of Avila (Teresa of Jesus) revitalised Carmelite life through a renewed call to contemplation inspired by the first hermits of Mount Carmel. St. Teresa taught her Sisters to live a life of prayer modelled on the filial relationship of Christ with His Father. This life of friendship with God is nourished through liturgical prayer, two hours of meditation each day, time given to daily spiritual reading and the practices of silence and solitude which allows each Sister to live and to work in recollection.
The community lifestyle taught by St. Teresa is that of a small family in which, ‘All must be friends, all must love one another, all must be cherished, and all must help one another.’ To foster this life of mutual support and friendship, St. Teresa established two periods of Recreation each day after the midday and evening meals. Community life is also nourished by times of shared study and reflection along with regular meetings to talk together about matters of importance in the life of the community.
Our vocation as Carmelites consists in prayer and immolation with the Church and for the Church. In the words of St. Therese of Lisieux, our vocation is to be ‘love in the heart of the Church, for it is love which animates all the works of the Church.’
“All must be friends, all must love one another, all must be cherished, and all must help one another.”
- Teresa of Jesus
Single Catholic women aged between 21 and 40 who have a vital relationship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ through the gift of His Holy Spirit, and find they yearn to live a life of profound relationship with God in service to the Church and the world, may find they are being called to live the life of a Carmelite Nun. Our life requires good physical and psychological health to enable Sisters to live harmoniously a dedicated life of prayer and work. Please contact the Prioress of the Holy Trinity Carmelite Monastery if you wish to discern a possible vocation.
“ The papal cloister conforms to the norms given by the Apostolic See and excludes any external ministry.”
POPE FRANCIS, VULTUM DEI QUAERERE
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