Life in Our Carmel
Our life in Carmel is a constant seeking of union with God in friendship with Christ, under Our Lady's guidance and protection. We live this through a beautiful blending of solitude and silence, prayer and work, and simple sisterly communion as a family within the enclosure, which St Teresa loved to call a “little College of Christ”, where everything is focused completely on love for the Lord and His Church.
Understanding Carmel
St. Joseph’s Association
We are members of the St. Joseph's Association, an Association of Discalced Carmelite Nuns of both the 1990 and 1991 Constitutions in a common endeavour to be true daughters of the Church and of Our Holy Mother, St. Teresa of Jesus.
“We endeavour to bear joyous, faithful and united witness to the primacy of God, living the evangelical counsels in a purely contemplative life of prayer and penance after the example of our Holy Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus (Avila, Spain 1515-1582.) In all the member monasteries of the Association papal enclosure is observed, the full Carmelite habit is worn, and the traditional austerity of the Order is joyfully embraced.
The principal aims of the Association are:
to manifest loving obedience to the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Church;
to foster fidelity to the Rule and Constitutions of the Order, and other documents issued by the Holy See, especially concerning contemplative life and enclosure;
to support and strengthen each other in living the cloistered life of Carmel and to give clear witness that prayer is its primary apostolate.”
A Day in Our Carmel
(Horarium)
5.25am Rise
5.40am Lauds
6.00am Silent Prayer till 7am
7.30am Holy Mass
Silent Thanksgiving
Terce
Breakfast
Work
11.00am Sext
Dinner
11.45pm Recreation till 12:45pm
12.45pm Work
2.00pm None
2.15pm Spiritual Reading in cell until 3pm
3.00pm Work
4.30pm Vespers
5.00pm Silent Prayer till 6pm
6.15pm Supper
6.45pm Recreation
7.45pm Compline
9.00pm Matins
Retire (lights out by 10.45pm)
Our cloistered vocation as St Teresa understood it.