Following a Call

A vocation to the contemplative life is a call to focus your life more completely on prayer, within a specific community, for the building up of the Church. We respond to this call by loving God more deeply and faithfully each day in the prayerful recollection of our hearts. Carmel’s charism focuses more on union with God through solitary prayer throughout the day. These opportunities for solitary prayer are also combined with periods of recreation and prayer with our Sisters, which allows for a healthy balance of solitude and community life. 

Work is an important aid to prayer in our life. It is part of the rhythm of our daily recollection in God and allows us to be in solidarity with the poor, who work for their daily bread. Generally, our work involves the practical day to day upkeep of the Monastery. This includes duties such as gardening, cleaning, sewing, cooking, laundry, etc... In the Novitiate, especially, Sisters are assigned to simple tasks that are more conducive to prayer. 

The habit is a sign of our total consecration to God alone and that we belong to a specific religious community. It reminds us, and others, that we belong wholly to God in a unique way and are here to witness to His love. It is also an aid to living out our vow of poverty and an aid to simplicity. 

Usually, families who live close visit once a month in the grate room and those living farther away make other parallel arrangements. It can be a challenge for our families to see us so little, and when they do, behind a grill. We still love our families and friends very much and keep them close in prayer, but God has become the center of our lives in a radical way, as He has called. The grill is meant as a sign, and a real separation, reminding us and others that our vocation to prayer and union with God is our main focus in this life, helping us and others homeward to eternal life. 

Please feel free to call, write us, or use our contact form at any time! Mother Mary Therese, our Prioress, will be happy to discuss any questions you may have that can help you in your discernment process. Contacting us does not mean you are making a permanent commitment! There is nothing wrong with simply exploring what God may be asking of you! If you are not called to our community, may we be a stepping stone to finding His will for your life. If there is a possibility you are, we look forward to helping you discern the next steps!

At times we do. We generally have our Mass and the Divine Office in English, as it is much simpler to understand what you are praying when the Liturgy is in your own language. However, we appreciate the beauty that Latin hymns and other works can lend to the liturgy and incorporate them at different times. One example is daily at night prayer when we sing the “Salve Regina”, or another Marian hymn, in Latin.     

A vocation to be an Extern Sister is a beautiful blend of the contemplative and active life within Carmel. An Extern is called to live a deep life of prayer within the community as well as offer hospitality to visitors to the Monastery. By this, she also helps to safeguard the purely contemplative vocation of her Sisters who live completely within the cloister. Her contemplative Sisters, in turn, aid her with their prayers as well as the support of a joy filled community life.