WHO WE ARE
“Return to the Source! Return to the monasteries! Yes, all of you, dare to spend a few days in a monastery! In this world of tumult, ugliness and sadness, monasteries are oases of beauty and joy. You will experience that it is possible to put concretely God in the center of his whole life. You will experience the only joy that will not pass.”
A day doesn’t go by
when I don’t thank God for the presence of the Carmelite community in our diocese - a true powerhouse of prayer. I thank God for their presence and I thank God for this sign of newness and growth for the Carmelite community.
Bishop Ronald Gainer, Emeritus
The Mission
The Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph is a papally enclosed Discalced Carmelite community in the farmlands of Fairfield, Pennsylvania. Steeped in the rich tradition of their heritage, these live out the centuries-old rule of their Holy Founders, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. Completely in communion with the Roman Catholic Church and under the approval of the diocesan Bishop of Harrisburg, the Nuns can trace their roots back to sixteenth century Spain and seventeenth century Mexico.
The primary mission of the Carmelite Order is to pray and offer oblation for the Church and the world. The use of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and Divine Office sets this monastery apart and their observance of the Rule and Constitutions is part of an unbroken tradition stretching back from Mexico to Spain to Mount Carmel itself in the Holy Land.
They are the Heart of the Church — beating with continuous prayer and sacrifice, bringing the vital flow of grace to the other members of the Mystical Body of Christ. Their monastery is at full capacity — and their numbers continue to grow.
Just like St. Teresa of Avila and St. Thérèse the Little Flower,
the Nuns practice all the traditional and recognizable aspects of Carmelite and monastic life: the full habit, mental prayer, fasting (the Nuns observe a meatless diet), enclosure (walls, grills), austerity, personal and communal pursuit of virtue, and union with God.
AT A GLANCE
Fully in communion with the Roman Catholic Church and under the approval of the bishop of the Harrisburg, PA diocese
Primarily use the Extraordinary Form of the Holy Mass and the Divine Office and wear the full, traditional Carmelite habit
Observe the Rule and the Constitution just as they were written in the 1200’s and 1500’s, respectively, and use the original Carmelite breviaries of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila
Originate from the thriving Carmel in Valparaiso, NE
Undertake to lead an austere and laborious life, which reduces their needs to the essentials
Trust in Divine Providence for their sustenance, relying entirely on alms and in-kind donations (no funding from the diocese is received)
Choose to live a simple, retired lifestyle largely free of modern conveniences, comforts, and technology
Carry out their monastic life in the context of the farmstead milieu