21ST CENTURY CARMELITES
Carmelites in the 21st Century A.D. share an 800-year-old foundation and tradition.
Today Carmelite communities represent a network of 'living stones' throughout the world.
Like our Carmelite ancestors on Mount Carmel, Discalced Carmelites today participate in the same active charism of prayer by following the 800-year-old Rule of St. Albert as well as by learning from the example and writings of our Holy Mother St. Teresa of Avila and Holy Father St. John of the Cross, and other Carmelite saints. As present day Secular Carmelites we too are organized into groups of communities, each accountable to the Superiors of the Order and Province, to our brothers and/or sisters within each local community, and are guided by OCDS Constitutions under the Patronage of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
In recent years, God has blessed the Washington Province with an abundance of vocations to the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites. Ten years ago (1999) there were 110 communities. At the present time (2009), the Washington Province has a total of 151 communities within four Regions: the Mid-West (48), Northeast (38), Mid-Atlantic (47) and Florida (18). Our Province currently has more than 4000 OCDS members.
One of our Congress goals is to get to know one another better and to begin networking between communities that share common interests and challenges. Watch for our 21st Century Carmelites Campaign later this fall. We will be encouraging all to share a community picture and/or a description of its apostolate, for each is a "living stone" of the Order. This Congress is being planned not only for those attending , but also for each and every OCDS community which will benefit from the information we share with one another following the Congress.