Monastery Belltower

Saint Teresa of Avila

regarded herself as a

“daughter of the Church”

and desired her Nuns

to be the same. 

Therefore, in union

with the Church,

we have adapted our life

according to the mandates

of the Second Vatican Council

The call by the Council for renewal was taken seriously by Carmelites. The externals such as the habit and schedule were the most noticable signs of change. While these were not the most important elements of renewal, for some they were the most traumatic. True renewal is much deeper and is ongoing. It is saying ‘yes’ to both personal and communal conversion and is, therefore, a life long commitment.

The mandate by the Council to be faithful to our roots, that is, to our founders' charism and spiritual heritage was much easier. Carmel has always drawn upon the rich spiritual legacy of our founders--Saints Teresa of Jesus and John of the Cross. Our vocation is to a life of prayer and contemplation and we have been given excellent guides for our journey.

While we have adapted some external signs, our life remains rooted in the essentials: prayer and community life. Only those willing to take a risk and go deeper into the life of God will have what it takes to persevere. In this monastery we are women “on our way” and this journey is made easier by our life of shared prayer and community. St. Teresa wanted her Sisters to form a family and support one another. While we are serious about our life, one of the best gifts a candidate can bring is a good sense of humor and the ability to laugh.