What is a Secular Carmelite?
Many of us are called to follow Jesus Christ in the ministerial priesthood; others in one of the religious orders or congregations. But the vast majority of us are called to follow him as lay men and women, married or single, trying to cope with the many demands of a home and job. No matter how one’s life unfolds, it is always possible and indeed necessary to strive to follow the advice of St. Paul: “Whatever you do, whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col 3:17).
However, for many centuries there have been lay people and also some diocesan priests who have felt drawn to associate themselves with a religious order. The monastic orders admit such men and women as oblates while the mendicant orders, following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, have instituted what are known today as “secular orders.” The members of these secular orders try to develop their spiritual life by a closer association with the spirituality of the religious order to which they are attracted.
Discalced Carmelite Secular Order (OCDS)
The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, known as OCDS, “welcomes those of the faithful who, by special vocation, undertake to live in the world an evangelical life of fraternal communion imbued with the spirit of contemplative prayer, in imitation of the Virgin Mary, and animated with apostolic zeal according to the example and teaching of the Carmelite saints.” Secular Carmelites are those lay persons who wish to follow Christ according to the spirit of the Teresian Carmel. Perhaps the best known of the Carmelite saints is St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the “Little Flower,” who died in the Discalced Carmelite Monastery of Lisieux in 1897. Like her, Carmelites strive to be love in the heart of the Church. Saintly Secular Carmelites have included St. Vincent Pallotti, Blessed Josefa Naval Girbes, and Venerable Anita Cantieri (shown in the picture on the right).
The Daily Life of a Secular Carmelite
Secular Order members usually belong to a local community of Secular Carmelites. Practical charity and a hidden life of prayer are supported through membership in a local community. Secular Carmelites strive to develop a spiritual life by fostering a life of prayer through solitary mental prayer for at least a half-hour each day. Members seek to draw strength from the liturgical life of the Church by attendance at daily Mass, if at all possible. They recite Morning and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office). They make frequent use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and observe days of penance prescribed by the Church or by Secular Order rules. They wear the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, who should be present in a special way in the life of every Carmelite. Secular Carmelites participate as much as possible in the apostolic endeavors of the Church.
Membership
The Secular Order Rule of Life states: “Those members of the Church who are called by the Lord, are free from impediments, and conscientiously accept this special vocation and the Rule of Life offered by the Secular Order can apply to be admitted … After sufficient contact … the candidate is admitted for a period of formation, which normally extends for two years before the Temporary Promise, and for another three years before the Definitive Promise.” The Definitive (or Final) Promise is made for life. The Promise is “to tend to evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, obedience, and of the Beatitudes.” Later it is possible to make a similar promise in the form of a vow, but this is optional.
The Promise of Chastity is simply to keep the sixth and ninth commandments according to one’s state in life, married or single. The Promise of Obedience applies only to matters of the Secular Order Rule. The Promise of Poverty is simply to live in a spirit of poverty, to trust in God and not in material possessions. The minimum age is 18 for admittance to the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites.
Secular Carmelite aspirant receiving scapular at her clothing
ceremony prior to entering into formation.
There are Discalced Carmelite Secular communities throughout the United States. If you feel you might have a calling to intimacy with Christ as a secular according to the spirit of the Teresian Carmel, you may write to one of the following for information:
Western Jurisdiction
Peggy Scheerger OCDS
PO Box 3079
San Jose CA 95156-3079
E-mail: pegscheer@sbcglobal.net
Eastern Jurisdiction
OCDS Main Office
2131 Lincoln Rd., NE
Washington DC 20002
E-mail: regisocd@hotmail.com
Central Jurisdiction
Pat Darby OCDS
4600 W. Davis St.
Dallas TX 75211
E-mail: jmjtj33@aol.com
Carmelite Digest, a quarterly magazine published by the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Western Province, invites all OCDS and TOC members to join us in a spiritual journey by subscribing to our publication. As Carmelite Seculars and Third Order Members, your communities may already be familiar with Carmelite Digest; but if not, please take a tour of the rest of our website and see what this fine publication has to offer. The price of a regular subscription to Carmelite Digest is normally $26/yr or $46 for two years, but we are offering all OCDS and TOC members a price break of $22/yr or $38 for two years. Just fill out the form at the bottom of this letter, print it out, and mail it with your payment to our office in San Bernardino, Calif. We ask that you share this information with the members of your community. All members may take advantage of this reduced price as long as they indicate they are OCDS or TOC members and list their community. Members who are already subscribers may renew at any time and still take advantage of this price break.