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I am seriously thinking about becoming a Carmelite nun. How do I go about it?
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First of all, PRAY for guidance. It is important to try and discern what God's Will is for you, whether it be a call to Carmel or some other vocation in life. Take some time to enter quietly into the depths of your heart and there listen to what God is saying to you in that intimacy within. There are many helpful passages in Scripture which you could use in your prayer. For some examples please click here. |
| Then consult a suitable person, for example your Parish Priest, University or College Chaplain, Diocesan Vocations Director or the Prioress of a particular community (see details below for contacting the Carmelites of Wolverhampton who have produced this web site). They will probably be able to help you distinguish whether you might have a Carmelite vocation or should consider some other course in life. |  |
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More information about Carmel in general, our charism, our history and our saints, and about individual Carmelite monasteries can be found on the web. For a list of some interesting web sites that you may find helpful please click here. |
Are there any helpful books that I could read?
| Yes. You could try 'The Way of Perfection' by St. Teresa of Jesus or 'The Story of a Soul' by St. Therese of the Child Jesus. Both books are obtainable from the Carmelite Book Service, Carmelite Priory, Boar's Hill, Oxford, OX1 5HB (http://www.carmelite.org.uk/acatalog/). No one can explain Carmelite life and prayer as these two great saints of our Order. The works of St. John of the Cross, Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross or any other Carmelite saints may also be of interest. |  |
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"If anyone is
seeking God, know that the Beloved is seeking that person much more."
(St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love 3:28) |
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