SECULAR ORDER OF DISCALCED CARMELITES
England, Wales and Scotland

I caught this news item on Catholic internet sites.  It is a reminder that some of our fellow Carmelites are victims of persecution....

In preparation for the triennial OCDS Presidents’ Conference in Leeds that begins tonight, I have been pondering the impact of the...

A saint who shared the levitation experience with our Teresa, and who suffered for it - St Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663) - whose feast...

Sad news from Tanzania, where four members of the Carmelite Missionary Sisters of St Therese of the Child Jesus were killed in a road...

I am looking forward to the triennial OCDS Presidents’ Conference next weekend at Hinsley Hall in Leeds, although I am not looking...

I see that the current issue of our journal Mount Carmel (produced by the Friars at Boars Hill) is on the interesting theme ‘Carmel and...

Last night in our OCDS community we were studying St Therese’s last conversations before she died and the president of our community...

We held the first meeting of a new Manchester OCDS group last night.  We looked at a few paragraphs of The Story of a Soul.  It’s always...

I came across this quote by St Therese of Lisieux in a letter to her sister Celine: ‘In times of aridity when I am incapable of praying,...

I have been asked to give a talk as part of a Symposium being put on by the Carmelites in October in their monastery in Derry.  The talk...

This is a momentous month in various ways.  On Wednesday I go to Manchester for the launch of a new Secular Group at St Joseph’s church...

How can we not think with delight of St Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whose feast is today?  For those old enough to remember her when she...

There are lovely stories associated with one of the saints of today, St Rose of Viterbo (c1233-1251).  She entered the Third Order of St...

I was interested to discover while surfing online that the celebrated Protestant composer Handel wrote five pieces of music for the...

Today is the Feast of Blessed Frederick Ozanam (1813-1853), founder of the legendary SVP (Society of St Vincent de Paul).  His name is...

This first day of September signals the end of the Summer and the beginning of Autumn – for even though we know we may be blessed with an...

How do you know if you are called to be a lay (Secular) Carmelite?  As an OCDS Regional Representative I have had many conversations over...

On this feast day of the great St Augustine, I am struck by the excerpt from his writing in today’s Office of Readings, because it makes...

Today is the Feast of St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868), a French saint not as well known in this country as he deserves to be.  He...

A fascinating discussion in a recent meeting of a contemplative prayer group in which I am involved.  Our meetings have three parts:...