Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Enquirers please e-mail us at this address:
The Order of Carmel Discalced Secular is a
community comprised of Lay Roman Catholics who live in the world while centering
themselves on God and serving Him through the spirit of Carmel. We live under
the constitutions of the Order and are part of the Carmelite family of Friars
and Nuns.
As Carmelites, we seek to hear God in the quiet of our hearts through
contemplation and prayer. We seek an interior union with our Lord while actively
living out the ordinary events of our everyday lives. We take our example of
living from Our Lady as a model for living our life focused on one thing,
serving her Son. She is a woman of faith and obedience to whom we look as a
companion and guide on our journey of faith. She is Mother and Sister as well as
patroness. Her gentle presence pervades our lives. We wear the brown scapular
she gave to us as it is a symbol of our dedication to her and of her motherly
care for us.
As Carmelites, we follow the Carmelite Constitutions which include daily mass,
the Liturgy of the Hours, daily Meditation, and Spiritual Reading. We also meet
monthly in our Community at Wellburn home. We regard our community as a great
blessing and help in living our lives in Carmel. If you are interesting in
learning more about our Carmelite community, please contact Helen at the address
below.
The Carmelite history began on Mount Carmel in Israel in the 12th century. A
group of hermits gathered there under the inspiration of the Prophet Elijah who
had done God's will there in ancient times. The influence of Elijah can be seen
by his words on our Carmelite crest: "With zeal I am zealous for the Lord God of
Hosts". In the early 1200's these desert monastics asked St. Albert of Jerusalem
to give them a rule of life. Within fifty years of receiving their rule the
Carmelite hermits were forced to leave Mount Carmel and settled in Europe. The
Carmelites needed reform in the 16th century and this was led by Sts. Teresa of
Avila and John of the Cross. The new Order was known as the Discalced
Carmelites.
The Order of Carmel Discalced Secular is a
community comprised of Lay Roman Catholics who live in the world while centering
themselves on God and serving Him through the spirit of Carmel. We live under
the constitutions of the Order and are part of the Carmelite family of Friars
and Nuns. 