Community Profile

Carmelite Nuns of Ancient Observance, Monastery of St. Therese Sr. Marie Charlette, O.Carm. Vocation Contact 3551 Lanark Rd Coopersburg, PA 18036-9324 610-797-3721

Community Information

No. in community (professed members) 8 Year founded 1931 Generalate/ motherhouse Autonomous Province/federation Autonomous Represented in US (Arch)dioceses Allentown, PA; Fargo, ND; Superior, WI

About Us

Mission statement/description The call to Carmel is a call to serve the Church through prayer and sacrifice. These sisters' apostolate is contemplative prayer for the Church within enclosure. The Order of Carmel dates to its spiritual founder, the prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel, 900 years before Christ. These sisters are cloistered Carmelite nuns, following strict papal enclosure. 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 charism is guided by their foundress, Mother Therese Jesus, O.Carm. (Anna Lindenberg). The sisters pray especially for priests, religious and for all missionaries, and they pray and do penance for the whole world. They maintain their own orchards, bake altar breads and do other labors in cloister to maintain the monastery. Each monastery is autonomous. Qualifications for entry The candidate must not have been married, must have a good mental balance and good physical health. She must be a high school graduate, community minded, with a sense of a sacrifice of self. Formation program This Carmelite monastery is self-sufficient in the area of formation, a process that involves the entire community. Training in all areas is based on the Carmelite Rule and Constitutions, "Ratio Institutionis Vitae Carmelitanae" and other documents from the Holy See, Vatican II, brochures, periodicals of the Carmelite order and Institute on Religious Life. They use a certain amount of audio cassettes, records, etc., but do not have television. Age range/limit 18-38 Consider belated vocations? No Belated/late vocations explanation