Community Profile

Discalced Carmelite Nuns Mother Marie Therese of the Child Jesus O.C.D. Prioress PO Box 67 Alexandria, SD 57311-0067 605-239-4382

Community Information

No. in community (professed members) 13 (9 solemn, 2 first profession, 1 novice Year founded 1997 Generalate/ motherhouse Autonomous Province/federation Represented in US (Arch)dioceses Sioux Falls, SD

About Us

Mission statement/description In the heart of my Mother, the Church, I will be love!" (St. Therese) Like the heart, Carmel is a hidden yet vital part of Christ's Mystical Body. For "should love ever fail, apostles would no longer preach the Gospel and martyrs would refuse to shed their blood." Working in silence and solitude, a Carmelite strives for union with her Beloved, offering her prayers and sacrifices for souls, especially for priests. Living in strict papal enclosure, her life reminds the world that there is another life for which we must now prepare. While no one Order can represent the whole Christ, Carmel has as its model not only Christ in solitude praying on the mountain, but also Christ in His love for His Blessed Mother. How happy it is to dwell in His house, in imitation of and with Mary in Nazareth, as well as at the foot of the Cross, comforting Him through our sacrifices, collecting and disseminating by prayer the grace won by Him through the shedding of His Blood - under her gaze, to leave all to find All and to spend one's life in His Presence! Qualifications for entry Must be a person of prayer, aspiring to Christian perfection, detached from worldly things, of sound character, health and maturity, with intelligence and ability to recite the Divine Office and assist in choir. Those who are 17 must have a high school diploma and parental permission. Formation program Postulancy last for six months, a time to verify suitability for the life of Carmel. The novitiate lasts two years, a time for gaining a more intimate knowledge of one's divine vocation, to experience the monastic way of life, and to be imbued with its spirit. Temporary profession is made for three years, followed by solemn profession. Age range/limit 17+ Consider belated vocations? Yes Belated/late vocations explanation Taken on a case by case basis; good health required with this consideration.