"I wanted to be a religious since the dawn of my reason, and I wanted Carmel as soon as I knew about it. I find all the aspirations of my soul are fulfilled in this Order."
- St. Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul
1. Our Way of Life
2. Daily schedule
Our Way of Life
Here, in the Diocese of Providence, there is a community of Discalced Carmelite Contemplative women, who have freely chosen to come apart and live a radical life of simplicity and gospel living. We have said YES, there is another way to true joy and inner peace, the journey into inner space in a life of prayer in community.
Our monastery is a large brick building built in 1957, with the south end facing Narragansett Bay. The setting provides a place for the contemplation of beauty in its many faces. Our Rule invites us to a deep pondering of Scripture and continual prayer alone and in a community. The balance of work, reading, study and leisure provide opportunities for the practice of virtuous living. We live a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ as hermits in community. Our daily liturgical celebration, the demands of inner solitude and apartness, and the challenging aspects of community living connect us to the well spring of God and to all of humanity with its joys and sorrows. Our opting to live together with the same ideals of our Rule supports us on the journey.
In this conscious living of the Gospel message of Jesus Risen in an ever more interior way, we live in confident hope in the midst of a world for redemption and transformation. We believe that this, our life of prayer, is our mission in and for the Church and the world.
Daily Schedule
7:00 am |
Lauds (morning prayer) |
7:45 am |
Mass followed by Thanksgiving |
8:30 - 11:30am |
Flexible time for breakfast, spiritual reading, work, or service |
11:45 am |
Midday prayer, followed by examination of conscience and Angelus |
12:00 - 2:00pm |
Lunch and quiet time period for rest, recreation |
2:00 - 4:15pm |
Flexible time for work, service, or spiritual reading |
4:30 |
Vespers (evening prayer) |
5:00 - 6:00pm |
Private prayer |
6:00 - 7:00pm |
Dinner together |
7:30pm |
Community recreation |
8:00pm |
Office of Readings |
Midmorning and mid afternoon prayer is said in private
Each sister has two hours a day for private prayer
Compline (night prayer) is said in private (except for Solemnities and major holidays)
Breakfast and lunch are pickup meals according to the time and need of each sister's choosing