Members of the Carmelite Secular Order (OCDS), together with the Friars and Nuns, are sons, and daughters of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and St. Teresa of Jesus.
As a result, they share the same charism, each according to their particular state of life. It is one family with the same spiritual possessions, the same call to holiness (cf. Eph 1:4; 1Pet 1:15) and the same apostolic mission. Secular members contribute to the Order the benefits proper to their secular state of life.
“The origin of The Discalced Carmel is to be found in St Teresa of Jesus. She lived with profound faith in God’s mercy which strengthened her to persevere in prayer, humility, love for her brothers and sisters, and love for the Church, leading her to the grace of spiritual matrimony. Her evangelical self-denial, disposition to service and perseverance in the practice of the virtues are a daily guide to living the spiritual life. Her teachings on prayer and the spiritual life are essential to the formation and life of the Secular Order.” (OCDS Constitutions I:7)
They respond to the call of the Church to the lay faithful; “to seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and ordering them according to the plan of God.” (OCDS Constitutions 1)
As lay faithful, they learn to embrace the mission that God has given them and thus they begin to discover ‘heaven on earth’.
With over 45,000 members in 74 countries, the OCDS transforms lives through contemplative prayer and Carmelite spirituality.
Do you feel called to embrace the life of a Secular Carmelite? Feel free to inquire and learn more about the daily life, the constitutions and formation process by visiting the website or by email
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“The deeper one is drawn into God, the more one must ‘go out of oneself’; that is, one must go to the world in order to carry the divine life into it.”
-St. Edith Stein