To be a Carmelite is not just a matter of personal inclination, it is something more mysterious. It is a personal calling from the Lord to follow Him, to live in His presence and to pray in His Name. A Carmelite vocation is above all a grace, a gift from God, to be received with thanksgiving and lived with wholehearted joy.

When all elements of the Discalced Carmelite vocation come together they form a simple unity. That unity comes from the centrality of Christ. It is He who invites us to share His friendship. Through His gift of His Spirit He enables us to follow Him and to be instruments of His grace and truth. With Him our life’s journey becomes a pilgrimage to the Father. In Him we discover ourselves and our destiny. In His love is our beginning and our end. If you seek the meaning of our life, look at the face of the Lord Jesus. We are privileged to know His joy and to celebrate His love and peace.

Life in Carmel is challenging and vital. It is for those who dare to strive for the best in a world satisfied with mediocrity. For those who dare to know and love God in a world unable to see beyond itself. For those who dare to care for others in a world content to look the other way.

Today, as never before, we are called upon to answer ever new challenges. We need men: young, spirited, creative, and strong in faith and love to work in a field neglected by the world. “The harvest is great but the laborers are scarce. Beg the Lord of the harvest to send laborers to gather His harvest” (Matt 9:37-38).

We welcome those who seek to dedicate their lives to this work of the Lord in a life of contemplative prayer united to apostolic zeal. If you feel the Lord might be calling you to share this vision and commitment you are invited to contact the vocation office. The vocation director and his staff are happy help in any way they can.

“The rich spiritual patrimony to which you are heirs underscores the role of the Carmelite as a teacher of contemplation, a person of God, who is capable of arousing in others a thirst for God and of removing the obstacles which hinder the soul, made in the likeness of God, from going forward on the road that leads to Him.”
Pope Saint John Paul II