Carmelite Study Group

Join St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face Secular Discalced Carmelites (OCDS)

Who are we?

We are Discalced Carmelite Seculars who 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 Lord Jesus Christ calls us to live in the world as contemplatives, under the patronage of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, to follow the spiritual tradition of St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila) and St. John of the Cross, founders of our order, spiritual masters and Doctors of the Church. We also follow the teachings of another Doctor of the Church and spiritual master member of the Discalced Carmelite Order, St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Our formation includes studying other saints and spiritual masters such as St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, St. Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), and many others.

What is our apostolate?

Our apostolate is to live in the midst of the world, but as we are not of the world (Jn 17), we are called to live an active life engaging in daily contemplative prayer. We also are called to bring and teach the practice of contemplative and mental prayer to the world. 

What does our life look like?

We live in the world as married or single, as well as ordained diocesan priests or deacons, fulfilling the Lord’s calling of bringing the spirituality of Carmel to the parish, the family, the school, the university, and the community as a whole. As part of this calling, to live a life of allegiance to Christ and as sons and daughters of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, we are required to frequent sacrament of the Eucharist (daily Mass) and Reconciliation to pray Morning and Evening Prayer (and if possible Night Prayer) of the Liturgy of the Hours, to live according to the teachings of the Catholic Church, to fulfill the calling of Carmel in our apostolate, to attend once a month the community meeting (includes Morning Prayer, Mental Prayer, formation class by level and as entire community, socializing time during lunch and breaks, and business meeting). We also attend at least once a year a spiritual retreat led by a Discalced Carmelite friar and an Advent Celebration in December, joining in Mass, prayer, and lunch with the other OCDS communities in Houston.

Contact us: 

If you are eager to learn more about the profound beauty of Carmelite spirituality and join our vibrant study group, please contact our President, Gardo Blado, at [email protected] or 832-239-7501. We welcome all who seek to deepen their spiritual journey and embrace the transformative power of Discalced Carmelite wisdom.

Obtain more information at these websites:

• St. Therese Secular Discalced Carmelite Study Group website: climbingmtcarmel.homesteadcloud.com

• Secular Discalced Carmelite order website: thereseocds.org

Visit us at St. Theresa Catholic Church at Memorial Park: 

Every third Saturday of the month at the St. Theresa Catholic School Library. (Except during the annual spiritual retreat and December Advent Gathering).
Annual July Celebration of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Open House at St. Theresa Catholic Church. 
Other events are open to guests and those inquiring about the Discalced Carmel.

To arrange a visit to any of our meetings or events, please contact Gardo Blado, President of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face Study Group, at [email protected] or 832-239-7501.

Our Vocation: A Call to Carmel

There are more than 45,000 Discalced Carmelite Seculars worldwide and over 6,000 in the United States. We gather in canonically erected communities or recognized Study Groups under the guidance and leadership of the Order.

Discalced Carmelite Seculars are practicing members of the Catholic Church who, under the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and inspired by St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross, make the commitment to the Discalced Carmelite Order to seek the face of God for the sake of the Church and the world.

What is the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order?

Discalced Carmelite Seculars are members of the Carmelite family of the 16th-century reform of St. Teresa of Jesus. Discalced means unshod.
St. Teresa’s followers wore sandals rather than shoes, distinguishing them from Carmelites of the Ancient Observance. These followers are present in the modern world as friars, enclosed nuns, and seculars. The Discalced Carmelite Order is “nourished by the long tradition of Carmel, expressed in the Rule of Saint Albert and the doctrine of the Carmelite Doctors of the Church and the Order’s other saints.” (Constitutions of the Secular Order of the Teresian Carmel, 2003)

What is required of Discalced Carmelite Seculars?

The following principles of the Rule of Saint Albert, written for the hermits on Mount Carmel in the 13th century, guide Carmelite Secular life today:

• Living in allegiance to Jesus Christ
• Being diligent in meditating on the law of the Lord
• Giving time to spiritual reading
• Participating in the liturgy of the Church, both the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours
• Arming ourselves with the practice of the virtues
• Seeking interior silence and solitude
• Using prudent discretion in all that we do.

What is the timetable for becoming a Discalced Carmelite Secular?

The entire period of initial formation commonly requires about six years.

• Aspirancy: Attendance at 12 monthly community meetings is required, so its members may support the Aspirant as they learn more about secular life and discern whether they have a vocation to the Order.

• First formation period: A minimum of two years is required for study and growth in prayer, the apostolate, and community life. At the end of this time, the community council may invite the candidate to make a three-year First Promise to the Order to strive to follow Christ in poverty, chastity, obedience, and beatitudes.

• Second period of formation: At least three years of further study and growth in the vocation is needed to make the Definitive Promise, which confirms the commitments of the First Promise for the rest of the person’s life. Either period of formation may be extended if the council and the individual in formation agree that doing so is in the best interest of the candidate. After the Definitive Promise, ongoing formation and transformation in Christ is a life-long commitment.