Carmel of Saint Therese
Danvers,
Massachusetts
The Monastery of St. Therese of Danvers, MA had its beginning through the insight and action of our late revered Cardinal Cushing. When he attended an investiture ceremony at the Carmel of Roxbury (Boston) in May 1957, he reminded the guests that this first Carmel in the Archdiocese was filled to capacity, yet there were many young women applying for entrance. He said the proposed foundation of a second Carmel would be a monument of gratitude to God from the priests and people of the Archdiocese of Boston in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Archdiocese to be commemorated in 1958.
Cardinal Cushing offered the first Mass at the foundation on November 21, 1958. In summary, he gave the “raison d’etre” for this Carmel of cloistered religious: “The kingdom of God is not of this earth; it is a spiritual Kingdom. No matter who we are or what we are or what our talents may be, all we can do is serve as tools, as instruments of God…God Himself must bring forth the abundance, and unless we have behind us a powerhouse of prayer for our sanctification, for the fruitfulness and effectiveness of our efforts, little indeed will be the contribution we will make to the spiritual Kingdom of God. Only in heaven itself will we know of the contribution by silence, solitude, prayer and work made by the Carmelite Nuns to the development and prosperity of the Kingdom of God in this world” (Richard Cardinal Cushing, November 21, 1958).
St. Therese's well-known words: "I have found my vocation. My vocation is love. In the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be love," are indicative of the ecclesial dimensions that characterize the life purpose of a Carmelite. Her heart...today and forever". Her heart must embrace the whole world and in doing so she will be called by God to give not less than everything. A Carmelite’s prayer is at once petition, adoration and praise, reparation, thanksgiving, one with the prayer of Christ, “yesterday, today, and forever”.
Our life is a simple one but also a difficult one. Any reading of the Carmelite saints, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila or Therese of Lisieux gives ample proof of God’s purifying, sanctifying action in all the actions and aspects of our life. For this reason, we look for a certain grasp of the principles of spirituality, ability to live together closely with others in community, and maturity in the candidates who apply. It is not easy to live a very ordinary day over and over again, knowing only in faith and hope that the seed that falls into the ground and dies brings forth a rich harvest. This life is a call to love and joy that radiates from a spousal relationship with Christ as St. Therese states, “To be Thy Spouse, O Jesus, and by my union with Thee, to be the mother of souls!” If this life resonates with you, we generally accept young, unmarried Catholic women between the ages of 20 and 40 years old.
Carmel of St. Therese
15 Mount Carmel Road
Danvers, Massachusetts 01923
Email: srbernadette@danverscarmel.com
Web page: https://danverscarmel.weebly.com