Were you aware that lay people can be Carmelites? This part of the order is called the Third Order. Members, though not in Religious Life, choose to live out their baptismal commitment according to the spirit of the Carmelite Order. Third Order Members are brothers and sisters in the Carmelite Family and share in the same call to holiness and in the same mission of the Carmelite Order as the priests and nuns! The Third Order influences the spirit and the structure of the entire Carmelite family.

 

The call to Carmel is a vocation. It includes friars, monks, religious sisters, cloistered nuns and lay people. Third Order Lay Carmelites are not a prayer or social group. It is a vocation … a call to live a way of life that is dedicated to prayer, service, and community. For those who are called to this way of life, it becomes a comfort, guide and beautiful source of spiritual strength as one is drawn into union with God. To become a Lay Carmelite, one must be at least 18 years old, a practicing Catholic in good standing and registered with a parish. You must also be searching for deeper spiritual guidance on your life journey.

Might you be called to live by the traditions and spirit of Carmel? We welcome you to learn more by attending a meeting. We meet the second Wednesday of the month in Crystal Lake. Contact the director, Marcie Girolamo at 815.245.0537 or
email: marciegirolamo4@gmail.com –
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, pray for us!