SECULAR ORDER OF DISCALCED CARMELITES
England, Wales and Scotland

I am talking to someone in Cardiff about the possibility of starting a new Seculars group there. If anyone knows of potential members of...

Lovely meeting with a recently-formed Seculars group on Saturday - such wonderful enthusiasm and readiness to commit. When a new group...

Pondering what to write on this special feast day, I googled 'visitation carmel' in search of inspiration. I was fascinated by the...

Books on Therese continue to flood the market, but among them a title recently caught my eye - Praise for a Warrior. No point looking it...

One of the delights of the Calendar of Carmelite saints is to discover those of them who are less well-known. Today is the Feast of...

I have always felt deeply honoured when another person entrusts me with their private thoughts and spiritual experiences. This is a...

I have just ordered a Spanish book on 'Discalced Carmelite Architecture', which I came across in my researches into the legacy of St...

I recently had a shock when I received a cold message from someone I thought I had been supportive towards. When this kind of thing...

I came across this quote from St Therese, Prayer expands my soul and unites me to Jesus. It was the first four words that caught my...

Today's Carmelite saint - Joaquina Vedruna de Mas (1783-1854) lived an extraordinarily packed life. In the first part of it, she managed...

I was with some Seculars in formation the other day and we were discussing the call to obedience to be found in our Constitutions. I...

I can't resist writing a few lines about the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters, who wear a most beautiful rose-coloured habit which has led...

It has come to our attention that the option for readers of this blog to send comments got disabled. That was not our intention,...

Today is the feast of St Simon Stock - for ever associated with the scapular. He was English and I would love to associate him with the...

Today is the feast of Isidore the Farmer (1070-1130), who has a very special connection with our St Teresa. He was a farm labourer and a...

There are many encouraging and inspirational sites on Facebook (along with the darker side). 'The Friends of the OCDS' is one such site...

I love it that we have such wonderful child saints in the Church. Today in the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima we remember the three little...

Yesterday I blogged about how in younger days I used to envy the disciples and others who actually saw and heard Jesus in the flesh,...

In younger days I would occasionally feel envious of the disciples and those around Jesus. They had the enormous privilege of seeing him...

A good many years ago, I was on a holiday in Sicily, where of course one of the attractions was Mount Etna, which was particularly lively...