Community Profile

Discalced Carmelite Monastery of Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Guadalupe Rev. Mother Prioress Vocation Contact P.O. Box 278 Valley Center, KS 67147 316-744-0715

Community Information

No. in community (professed members) 7 Year founded 1573 Generalate/ motherhouse Autonomous Province/federation Autonomous Represented in US (Arch)dioceses Wichita, KS

About Us

Mission statement/description These sisters' mission is a life of sacrifice joyfully dedicated to consoling the heart of our God, so offended by His ungrateful creatures, and to intercession for the whole world, but especially priests. This is a cloistered community in which the sisters live their lives for God and for His Church. The call to Carmel is a call to serve the Church through prayer and sacrifice. The sisters' charism is guided by their foundress, St. Teresa of Avila, and by St. John of the Cross. The essence of the Carmelite contemplative life is: living in the presence of God, in imitation of their most pure Mother Mary and the prophet Elijah, their spiritual founder who lived 900 years before Christ. Qualifications for entry Must have the mental and emotional maturity that is exhibited by: 1) the capacity to obey; 2) the ability to be responsible and generous in work; 3) acceptance of responsibility for one's own actions; 4) detachment from the things of the world and family and friends; 5) being a person of prayer; 6) being able to live unselfishly in community and the cloister. Formation program Pre-postulancy: some months (nonspecific); postulancy: six months to one year; novitiate: one to two years; first profession: three to six years; solemn profession: until death. Age range/limit 17+ Consider belated vocations? Yes Belated/late vocations explanation There have been some belated vocations to Carmel since the time of our Holy Mother Saint Teresa, but generally they do not persevere.