A viral and emotional video of how the Carmelite nuns receive a sister joining their enclosed monastic life. The Carmelite order traces its origin to the 12th century on Mount Carmel, following the footsteps of the prophet Elijah. Carmelite nuns live in monasteries and are secluded from people. Once you enter the monastery's door, you have entered a different world. You will literally leave father, mother, sister, brother, and in fact your own very self to dedicate your entire life to prayers, s

July 17 Feast of the Carmelite Martyrs On July 17, 1794, sixteen Discalced Carmelite nuns, lay sisters, and externs from the Carmel of Compiègne, France, faced the guillotine at the Place de la Nation in Paris, marking a profound moment of courage during the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. Known as the Martyrs of Compiègne, these women—led by their prioress, Mother Teresa of St. Augustine—were executed for their unwavering Catholic faith and refusal to abandon their religious vows in the fa

Centered on prayer and contemplation, Carmelite spirituality seeks to awaken in its practitioners an intense thirst for an immediate and direct experience of God, from which can grow a deep and loving friendship with Him. Most fully developed by St. John of the Cross (d. 1591) and St. Teresa of Avila (d. 1582) and then enriched by St. Thérèse of Lisieux (d. 1897), Carmelite spirituality flourishes in solitude and silence, nurtured by quieting external noise and turning away from interior distrac