San Antonio Community

Secular Carmelites

Discalced Carmelite Seculars come from all walks of life, from every level of education and from every type of work. We are Catholic laypersons over the age of 18 (married or unmarried) or ordained diocesan priests or deacons.

The San Antonio community (Community of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Therese) is part of the Semi-Province of St. Therese.

We begin at 10:30 am with a business meeting, then gather for 12:00 noon Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower. After Mass, we have refreshments and social time, followed by a talk by our spiritual assistant. We then break out into our study groups for approximately one and a half hours. Studies range from the basics of Carmel and the Liturgy of the Hours to Church documents and the writings of our Carmelite saints. After study group, we end with Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours at approximately 4:00 pm.

Community History

Sometime in the early 1950’s, a small group began to form in San Antonio to study Carmelite spirituality. After several years of instruction, the community was canonically erected on May 27, 1956. At the time, there were 16 members eligible to vote.

The community has grown through the many changes over the years — going from a Rule of Life to Constitutions and statutes; learning to pray the Liturgy of the Hours instead of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the declarations of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. Therese of Lisieux as Doctors of the Church; hosting various Congresses that gathered Secular Carmelites from all over the province and the country. Three themes have been part of the community since the beginning: building community, learning the teachings of the Carmelite saints, and devotion to prayer.