Laity form Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites

Friday, May. 15, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY— When most people think of Utah’s Carmelites, they picture the nuns in the monastery in Holladay. However, there are three groups of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, one each in Ogden, Salt Lake City and Cedar City, each comprised of lay people who have heard “a calling from God, a true vocation in and for the Church,” said Kathryn Theobald, the order’s Utah president.

“It takes six years to be professed as a full-grown Secular Carmelite,” said Theobald. “People sometimes make a mistake and think this is another prayer group or like a club or something … [but] this is a way of life.”

Secular Carmelites are Catholic lay men and women who follow a set of rules and meet monthly for ongoing formation in the writings of the Carmelite traditions “and a deepening in awareness of how to live our vocation,” said Theobald.

Those in the Order share the same charism with the religious, but each according to their state of life.

“It’s the same, just that we are not in the monastery – we work and some of us are married,” said Theobald.

Each day the members of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites are committed to pray Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and, when possible, Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, which is the daily prayer of the Catholic Church.

“We also do our best to attend daily Mass,” said Theobald, who explained that the Secular Carmelites follow a rule known as  “the six hymns.”

“Mental prayer, Morning Prayer, Mass, Mary – we have a great devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel – meetings, and our mission, which is living our lives according to the rules of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and sharing that with other people in our lives,” said Theobald.

Under the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and inspired by Saints Teresa de Avila, John of the Cross and Therese of Lisieux, the members of the Secular Order Discalced Carmelites has more than 6,000 members in the United States and more than 45,000 throughout the world.

“There is a lot of discernment involved when determining if you are willing to live the rest of your life according to this way of life,” said Theobald, who said that in Utah there are around 15 members active and 15 more, called extended members, who because of their age are no longer active.

“This is a way of life. Once you make your promise, you have to keep it for life,” said Theobald.

To become a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, people attend the meetings for one year “so that the aspirant may learn more about the OCDS life and discern with the community if this is his/her calling,” said Theobald.

The candidate then must be approved to receive the scapular and begin formal formation.

“After two years he/she may be approved to make a temporary promise of chastity, poverty and obedience for three years. Then they make the Definitive Promise for life,” Theobald said. “It takes a little bit of time to learn what the Rule of Life is, and we do study a lot. Basically you have to be drawn into that prayer of way life.”