SECULAR ORDER OF DISCALCED CARMELITES
England, Wales and Scotland

We had an extraordinary meeting in Manchester last week. The group is just one year old and there were fourteen of us - including a member who actually lives in Austria; he attends meetings onscreen via Teams. It’s not often that an OCDS meeting attracts such a large number. Some of them of course were what we call inquirers or aspirants or visitors. What struck me was that the key factor in this is the contagious enthusiasm of the Seculars for the meetings and for the Or

We have received a report from American Catholic broadcaster EWTN on the recent World Meeting of Discalced Carmelites, and I have extracted a few passages from it below: ‘The first world meeting of OCDS Carmelites in the history of the order was held July 23–26, 2026, in Ávila, Spain, where the leaders of the Order of Discalced Carmelites called upon their almost 33,000 Seculars to fully embrace their vocation as coequal members of the order. This historic call was enthusias

I found this inspiring quote on the website of the Australian Carmelites; it is particularly appropriate on today’s Feast of the Transfiguration and it speaks volumes about our Carmelite vocation. ‘Transfiguration means to be shot-through with the presence of God. Being transfigured is about allowing the presence of God to completely transform us; it’s a revolution of mind and heart driven by God’s Spirit and enabled by our open heartedness. Our life as Christians is about

The state of play regarding OCDS in England and Wales is very mixed at the present moment. It is true on the one hand that new groups have been springing up in various areas, but on the other hand some older groups have been shrinking or simply ageing. The fresh shoots are very encouraging but in some cases they do present an appearance of fragility – one of them has been stuck on a membership of only three for a couple of years. However the quality of commitment of those

I came across this delightful story that reminds us of the great love St John Vianney – whose feast day is today – had for the scapular. ‘Abbé Francis Trochu, in his book, ‘The Curé d’Ars’, relates a story of a young lady who, having decided to consecrate her life to religion, sought the holy pastor of Ars, Saint John Vianney, for a general confession. When she finished relating her sins, St. John Vianney asked her if she was not forgetting something. The girl, upon recolle

Although I myself did not have the privilege of attending the recent World Meeting of the Secular Carmelites in Avila, I have heard reports from one or two who were present, and they have been deeply moved by the experience: their excitement is palpable. However, coming back from a period of exceptional inspiration to immerse oneself again in the humdrum realities of daily living can itself be a bit of a struggle. I have never forgotten a beautiful fortnight I once spent in