About Us
What is the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order?
Discalced Carmelites Seculars are members of the Carmelite family of the 16th-century reform of St. Teresa of Jesus. Discalced means shoeless. St. Teresa’s followers wore sandals rather than shoes, a practice which distinguished them from Carmelites of the Ancient Observance. These followers are present in the modern world as friars, enclosed nuns and Seculars.
“A direct and intimate experience of God is the basis of Carmelite spirituality…A contemplative spirit and a deep sense of God are required of those who wish to lead the life of Carmel…[By]the soul of Carmel, we mean the divine current that reaches the depths of our being and impels Carmelites to return constantly to their center. This search for God, so essential and so secret, leads of itself to simplicity and spiritual poverty. Instinctively, the soul seeking God longs to be disencumbered, to be delivered from all things spiritual and material, in order to think of God alone, to be free from things of the flesh in order to attain to life in the spirit, and to become altogether spiritual.” Page 17 of Carmelite Spirituality in the Teresian Tradition by Paul-Marie of the Cross
Who are we?
Discalced Carmelite Seculars come from all walks of life, from every level of education and from every type of work. They are Catholic laypersons over the age of 18 (married or unmarried) or ordained diocesan priests or deacons.
There are more than 45,000 Discalced Carmelite Seculars worldwide and more than 6,000 in the United States. They gather in canonically erected communities or recognized study groups under the guidance and leadership of the order.
Here is a link to a description of someone called to Carmel: https://www.ocdswashprov.org/profile-of-an-ocds
What is the foundation of Carmelite life?
The following principles of the Rule of Saint Albert, written for the hermits on Mount Carmel in the 13th century, guide Carmelite life today:
Living in allegiance to Jesus Christ
Being diligent in meditating on the law of the Lord
Giving time to spiritual reading
Participating in the liturgy of the church, both the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours
Arming themselves with the practice of the virtues
Seeking interior silence and solitude
Using prudent discretion in all that they do
(from “Constitutions of the Secular Order of the Teresian Carmel” 2003)
What is required of Discalced Carmelite Seculars?
The Secular’s obligations can be summarized by the “6 Ms”:
Meditation. A suggestion is 30 minutes each day.
Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and, if possible, Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours.
Mass. Daily, if possible.
Mary. Every day, Seculars express devotion to Mary. Their primary devotion is to imitate Mary in “reflecting on [all these things] in her heart” (Luke 2:19).
Meetings. Seculars are called to communities whose members have made a commitment to one another. Meetings consist of formation, information and fellowship.
Mission. Seculars share in the Carmelite mission of knowing God so God can be known.
What is the timetable for becoming a Discalced Carmelite Secular?
The entire period of formation commonly requires about six years.
Aspirancy
Attendance at 12 monthly meetings of the community is required, so the Aspirant may be supported by its members as he or she learns more about Secular life and discerns whether he or she has a vocation to the order.
First period of formation
A minimum of two years is required for study and growth in prayer, the apostolate and community life. At the end of this time, the council of the community may invite the candidate to make a Temporary Promise of poverty, chastity and obedience to the order.
Second period of formation
At least three years precedes the Definitive Promise. Either period of formation may be extended if the council and the individual in formation agree that doing so is in the best interest of the candidate.