Apostolate

There is no Church ministry that is excluded by the Discalced Carmelite ideal. This is because our apostolate springs from, and is sustained by, our life of contemplative prayer in, and as a community. Our life is at the service of God’s people and prayer is a priority in that service. We are fortunate in inheriting the mystical tradition of St Teresa and St John of the Cross. In our various apostolates, we continuously endeavour to update our methods so that we can more fully and successfully share with others the treasures of our rich spiritual heritage.

Our contribution as Carmelites lies principally in helping people in their prayer, whether they pray regularly or have forgotten how to pray. We try to give our celebration of sacraments or the way we run our parishes a prayerful quality that is distinctive. We invite people to join us in our prayer. We pray with and for people. Though we give individual accompaniment, retreats, and courses on prayer, and are also involved in Parish and School administration, among other things, the communication of prayer experience to others is our chief apostolate as Discalced Carmelites.