SECULAR ORDER OF DISCALCED CARMELITES
England, Wales and Scotland

Our Teresa was canonised in 1622 along with three other Spaniards, Ignatius, Francis Xavier, and Isidore the Farmer (1080-1130 – feast day today). These individuals are a wonderful example of the huge expanse of sainthood in the Church. On the one hand Ignatius, the ex-soldier and founder of a movement that was to have a massive influence in the Church and the world, Francis Xavier, a giant in the global mission of the Church, Teresa the great teacher of prayer and foundres

Today on this feast of St Matthias the Apostle I am reminded that St John of the Cross actually took the name John of St Matthias when he was first received into the Carmelite Order, before he met St Teresa. I am wondering why he chose that name? I am not sure whether the answer is known, but I asked Google, and AI tells me that his choice probably reflected ‘a desire for a life of quiet service and devotion to the apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot.’ Great as is my

The Coventry OCDS group has an unusually strong connection with Our Lady of Fatima, whose feast day is today. The group has taken the name of ‘Our Lady of Carmel and of Fatima’. When the meetings began just over two years ago, we grafted them on to the existing First Saturday devotions at Christ the King church in the city. This means that we join with the parish for Holy Mass first and then participate in the Holy Hour that follows in the church, which includes the First

Sometimes I like to google ‘saint of the day’ followed by ‘Carmelites’ or ‘St Teresa’ and it can yield surprising results. Today for example we have the feast of St Pancras, said to have been a 14-year old boy martyred in 304 together with his uncle for refusing to sacrifice to the Roman gods. (A word of warning – there is another St Pancras/San Pancrazio, greatly honoured in Sicily, said to have been sent by St Peter himself to the island). I find that ‘the basilica of San

At the Cardiff OCDS meeting on Saturday we were discussing the problem we often have in relinquishing control over our lives – abandoning the tiller to God, letting Him gently prise it out of our hands. Today I came across a quote from a book by Gerald G May (The Dark Night of the Soul) which is helpful because the author makes explicit how our experience of the dark night can help us to let God lead us. “One of the biggest lessons-and another gift of the dark night-is the

Last night we had an OCDS meeting in Northampton, around forty minutes away from me. We use a parish room in the Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. The church is locked when we arrive and the keys are kept in a coded box. When we leave, we lock up and put the keys in the box. Through a combination of circumstances I forgot to put the keys back in the box and discovered them in my pocket when I reached home. Nothing for it but to make the journey all the way back to

In the News Section on the first page of our website three events are currently announced for this Summer in connection with the big anniversaries of St John of the Cross – 100 years since he was made a Doctor of the Church and 300 years since he was canonised . Two of these events are in the conventional conference style but the third is a concert with a John of the Cross theme: Within God Concert (11 July, 7:30 pm, online and in person) · Five original pieces inspired by

A message from our Provincial, Fr Jim Noonan, brings a reminder of the OCDS World Meeting in Avila, 23-26 July. The message contains a prayer for God’s blessing on the event: Oh God, in your infinite mercy, you have called us to follow you in the family of the Teresian Carmel in allegiance to Jesus Christ, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Joseph and all the Carmelite saints, we ask that the 2026 OCDS World Meeting in Avila may reaffirm our vocation and

So many saints have drawn inspiration from our St Teresa. Today I learn that the Irishman Blessed Ignatius Edmund Rice (1762-1844) was one of them. Born in County Kilkenny, h.e was a successful businessman until his wife was killed and his daughter disabled in an accident. He then devoted his life to the education of the poor and founded two Insititutes: the Congregation of Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers. Carmel is a quiet influence in so many works of g

The Friars of our Province are at the Provincial Chapter where important decisions are made. Individuals are assigned at the gathering to different posts like the Kensington parish or Beaconsfield or Oxford (Boars Hill) or Dublin at this Chapter meeting. It is one of the areas where their obedience is regularly tested. I do not mean that they may be tempted to refuse an assignment, simply that once you become a Friar you are liable to be sent where the Order decides rather

In recent days I have been made acutely aware of the damage that persons with personality disorders can cause around them. I use this term to designate a kind of mental issue that lies somewhere in between diagnosable mental illness and the general norm of mental stability (which may itself be accompanied by more or less harmless eccentricities). Those who have to experience personality disorders in their nearest and dearest carry a heavy load of suffering and anxiety. In

This week the Carmelite Sisters have been running an internet convention based on the theme of poverty. There have been talks by Fr Matt Blake OCD and by a Poor Clare Sister and today Professor Karen Kilby of the University of Durham will be addressing the theme. It is truly extraordinary to see all the faces on the screen and to hear voices speaking at question times from the US as well as from Europe. This kind of use of the internet was given a huge boost by the pandemi

“Build a cell inside your mind, from which you can never flee", advised St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380 – feast day today). I guess spiritually-minded persons are obliged to create this inner cell as a defence against an indifferent and sometimes hostile environment. I certainly resorted to it myself from a young age. On the other hand we must not make it a retreat from the wounds and the suffering of those around us. A cocoon that insulates us against the pains of our f

The roots of the spirituality of French priest Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716 – saint of the day) were firmly embedded in the 17th century movement known as The French School of Spirituality. Its moving spirit, Cardinal de Bérulle, profoundly influenced by St Teresa, brought the reformed Carmelites from Spain into France. Historians credit the spirit of Teresa for having sparked a powerful revival of the spiritual life in that country after it had suffered terri

I spent much of the weekend at Boars Hill Carmelite Friary outside Oxford. On Saturday we had a meeting of Secular Group leaders in the Central Region – Northampton, four Oxford communities, and Romsey. The meeting was summoned by Armelle, the Region’s Representative to the National Council – her story is the first one in the ‘Stories’ section of this website. On Sunday morning there was a big outdoor mass to celebrate the recent ordination in Nigeria of two of the Friars.

When I think of St Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad (1870-1957 – feast day today) who restored the Bridgettine Order, I recall visiting Santa Brigida Convent when in Rome some years ago. This ancient building has strong connections with Sweden but came into the hands of a Polish branch of the Carmelite Order between 1889 and 1930, when it was taken over by the Bridgettine Order. During this period St Mary Elizabeth had actually visited the house at some point after her conversion

Yesterday I was having lunch in a pub with a friend who is to be received into the Church at Pentecost. The pub was festooned with St George banners and I remarked on this to the lady serving at the bar. She said that people had been complaining because so much fuss is made over St Patrick’s Day but little attention is paid to St George’s Day – which is of course today. I like to google the saint of the day with ‘Carmelites’ together and this sometimes produces interesting

Discussing the Ascent of Mount Carmel by John of the Cross with a group yesterday. I am a person who has never been in the habit of re-reading books. Once is generally enough for me. I can however read the writings of our great Carmelite saints again and again with delight. How challenging they are and yet how consoling! Always the challenge to trust more, to let go of our self-will, to let slip our tight control of our own lives, but always the accompanying reassurance

I have become aware recently of a problem that not a few Seculars have. They are serial volunteers who become involved in a whole multitude of parish activities and then their time is so squeezed that getting to our meetings becomes difficult for them. I know of no simple answer to this dilemma, but I guess it has to be taken to the Lord in prayer like other problems in daily life. One of my personal weaknesses is that in the past at least I have found it all too easy to e

Fascinated by the story of Agnes of Montepulciano (1268-1317), whose feast day is today. She was born into a noble family. After entering a Franciscan convent in Tuscany aged nine, she became superior of another convent – by special Papal dispensation – aged fifteen! ‘ On her consecration day, a shower of white crosses like flowers fluttered down on all those in the chapel and nearby, showing heaven’s favour. For twenty years, Agnes lived in Procena as a Franciscan nun an