Discalced Carmelite Nuns

  • choir all 4

    Celebrating 150 years

    On October 1st 1863, five Carmelite Nuns from Maryland arrived in St. Louis to found the second Carmel in the United States. Through the mercy of God we are still here today, living "in allegiance to Jesus Christ...pure in heart and steadfast in conscience...unswerving in the service of the Master." (Carmelite Rule, 2)

  • Picture1

    The Call to Carmel

    I went "with no other light or guide than the one that burned in my heart. This guided me more surely than the light of noon to where he was awaiting me –him I knew so well– there in a place where no one appeared." -St. John of the Cross (Dark Night Stz.3,4)

  • OLMC cloister

    The Month of Mary

    Throughout the month of May that we dedicate to the Blessed Virgin: "Imitate Our Lady and consider how great she must be and what a good thing it is that we have her for our Patroness" -St. Teresa of Avila (Interior Castle, III, 1, 3)

  • Pope Francis prays with emeritus Pope Benedict XVI at papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo

    Year of Faith

    Faith must be your shield on all occasions, and with it you will be able to quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked one...(Carmelite Rule, 19) "Let us recall what God himself told his people in a time of great anguish: 'this war is not yours, but God's'." - Pope Francis (Letter to Carmelite Nuns)

  • Holy Spirit Nun's Choir

    The Feast of Pentecost

    “Consuming Fire! Spirit of Love! Descend within me and reproduce in me, as it were, another incarnation of the Word that I may be to Him another humanity wherein He may renew His mystery.” - Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, Prayer to the Trinity

We are the Discalced Nuns of the Carmel of St. Joseph, founded in St. Louis in 1863 as a cloistered contemplative community of religious women dedicated to a life of prayer in service of the Church.

The whole life of Carmel is to live in Christ. Then all our sacrifices, all our immolations become divine, for through everything we see Him whom we love and everything leads to Him; it is a continual heart to heart communion.

Day in and day out we seek Jesus as our companion, our friend, the One with whom we live. His love and friendship fills our days and nights.

There is so much to fathom in Christ, for He is like an abundant mine with many recesses of treasures, so that however deep a person goes they can never reach the end but rather in every recess find new veins with new riches everywhere.