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Our Community at St. Teresa's Church - Clarendon St.

Each Religious Order has its own particular spirit and charism. The Carmelite spirit is based on the Gospel call to follow Christ as expressed in the Carmelite Rule and in the writings of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.

In the Carmelite way of life, three elements are of special importance, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, centrality of prayer, and the fruit of prayer, service for the Church.

Prayer is central. As an early tradition expressed it, “Without prayer there is no Carmel”. Community prayer as well as personal prayer form the chief cornerstone on which the Order is built. Carmelite prayer has always had a contemplative dimension to it - inspired as it is by the eremitical tradition, and by the writings of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross.

At present, we have ten members in the Community, ten Priests and one Brother. We are delighted to welcome two Carmelite Priests from India, who are continuing their study at the Milltown Institute. They help in the ministry of the Church in the afternoons and at weekends, and have enriched our community life.

Our day
comprises of Prayer and Service in the Church.

As a community, we gather together in the morning, at noon, and at evening to pray the Divine Office and for personal prayer. Prayer enriches our work and service for the rest of the day. Work forms an important part of our day. In a spirit of solidarity and availability to the people we serve, we make ourselves available for the various ministries in the Church. Each member of the community is also allotted various tasks within the community which helps the smooth running of the Priory.

Our lifestyle is simple, and as Carmelites today we try to contemplate God in all the dimensions of human life, both transcendent and incarnate. We try to hear His word in the cry of the poor, in the voice of the Church and in the voice of our times. We continue to listen to the still small voice in the silence of prayer and try to allow his word to mould us , so that we become His close friends like St. Teresa asked us.