SECULAR ORDER OF DISCALCED CARMELITES
England, Wales and Scotland

I usually try to keep a Carmelite focus in these blogs, but today I cannot forbear from telling the hugely dramatic story of a...

We met, just the three of us, at the beautiful Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour in Northampton yesterday.  We are putting heart...

On this solemn Remembrance Day when our minds turn towards the terrible wars of the twentieth century, it is good to be reminded too of...

On this Feast of St Elizabeth of the Trinity OCD (1880-1906), I will content myself with presenting a couple of quotes from her.  First,...

More about the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother whom I wrote about yesterday in connection with Sister Clare Crockett.  On...

Today news reaches us of a potential new young saint, and a British one (from Derry) – Sister Clare Crockett (1982-2016), whose cause is...

Today's contribution comes from Andrea Cope OCDS: 'Our Holy Father Elijah’s motto and for the Carmelite Order is “with zeal have I been...

I first encountered St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) whose feast day is today before I became a Catholic.  I was particularly struck by...

I owe an incalculable debt to the saints of the Church.  In my younger days I was mostly aware of the legendary figures of earlier times...

St John Paul II, whose feast day was just recently on 22 October, loved Carmel and wanted to become a Carmelite.  With the benefit of...

Today’s saint caught my attention as a near contemporary of Teresa of Avila whose life could not have been more different from hers. ...

As the leaves turn brown and yellow, and the trees create their beautiful autumnal displays, it is easy to feel a little melancholy.  I...

On today’s Feast of St Simon and St Jude I am reproducing an entry in a website for the Shrine of St Simon and St Jude at Faversham,...

My attention was caught this morning by learning that alongside our wonderful Welsh Martyrs, we celebrate today another saint but one who...

I am grateful to Louise Aldred for the following reflection on an experience of Carmel. 'A while ago the Nottingham and Lincoln groups...

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s blog about keeping in mind the wider picture beyond our local OCDS groups and communities comes the...

I suffered from the disease of extreme isolationism in my early years in Carmel.  What I mean is that I only considered myself and the...

Just back from a lightning visit to Compostela. We did not have the time to do the proper Camino, we did it by boat from Plymouth to...

I will be going to Compostella for a few days next week.  Not on foot but by the car ferry to Santander and then on four wheels.  I have...

In a book ( Women Mystics) by the French convert Lutheran minister and theologian Louis Bouyer (1913-2004), a priest of the Oratory, he...