We welcome you

We are a community of Discalced Carmelite nuns who live a contemplative way of life. We belong to an Order of men and women, religious and lay, which had its origins on Mount Carmel in Palestine at the time of the Crusaders. It came to a new flowering when Saint Teresa of Jesus founded the first monastery of her Discalced Carmelite Nuns in 1562, in Avila, Spain.

Contemplative Prayer

Teresa was very clear about the way of life she wanted us to live. In her words we are committed to ‘giving ourselves entirely to Christ who is everything, imitating him in everything and resolving from the very start to follow the way of the cross, since it is the way of perfection in which the Lord walked.' (C22)

Contemplative prayer is the essence of our lives. It is prayer that reaches out in a special way, as Teresa wanted, to the priests and leaders of the Church, but also to embrace the ‘joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially those who are poor and afflicted'. (GS 1).

Daily Life

Our life has a daily rhythm of prayer and work, of times when we are alone and times when we come together for community acts.  We try to earn our own living, in accord with the injunction of our Rule.  We live in a small community, centred on Christ, trying to love each other and supporting each other on our spiritual journey.

With Mary...

We are part of a religious family dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God. Like her we welcome the Lord's word and ponder it in our hearts. She is a mother and teacher of the ways of the Spirit to us. (C 54)

A Mission of Prayer

We try to share in the saving mission of Christ by prayer and self-denial. Like all Christians we are called to take up our cross daily and follow Christ.