About Us

A Carmelite is a person who has fallen in love with Jesus and wishes to give her life totally to him. The call to Carmel is an invitation to close friendship with Christ, to prayer and sacrifice for the Church and the world with Mary as a mother and guide.

Carmelites are known as contemplative nuns. As St Teresa of Avila said “Prayer must be the foundation of this house.” But complete dedication to prayer needs an atmosphere of silence and solitude in which to flourish. Hence our enclosure, the “place set apart” where we live in a hermit spirit, alone with God, yet with the companionship of the community and the loving sharing of life in a family.

These two aspects of our life are interwoven throughout the day; periods of solitary prayer, spiritual reading and work alone alternate with times when we come together for mass, to recite the Divine Office (The official prayer of the church), for meals and recreation.

Like everyone we must earn our living and this can include distribution of altar breads, printing, art and craft work. There are all the household duties to be done as well, but prayer and God’s presence continue throughout all our activities.

We are blessed with a lovely garden, a haven of peace and tranquility whilst the world rushes by outside our walls. The school children down the road; the patients in our local hospital, which we can see from our windows; the busy commuters on their way to work; families who live round about; the old people in the home next door; the numberless people who call, phone or write to us with requests for prayers and solace in their troubles; we take them all into our hearts and prayers and lift them up to the loving God who cares for them.

Here in Carmel we

seek God in Solitude

serve him in Community

Strive to live always in 

his Presence

Stand before him in Constant Prayer

Gathering up the needy of the Earth

“We are going to Light, to Life, to Love”