Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart
and kindle within me the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit, O God.
and renew the face of the earth.

As you have taught all your people by the light of the Holy Spirit,
grant that by the gift of the same Spirit I may find wisdom
and always rejoice in you peace. Amen

*****************
Gracious and holy Father,
give us (me) wisdom to recognise you,
intelligence to understand you,
diligence to seek you,
patience to wait for you,
eyes to see you,
hearts to meditate on you,
and lives to proclaim you,
through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord.

******************
O Lord you search me, and you know me,
You know my resting and my rising,
You discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down,
All my ways lie open to you.

Beofre ever a word is on my tongue
You know it, O Lord, through and through.
Behind and before you besiege me,
Your hand ever laid upon me.

For it was you who created my being
And knit me together in my mother's womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my being,
For the wonders of all your creation. (Psalm 138 (139) vs 1-5, 13, 14)

For further information please contact Carmelite Vocations.

Lord Christ,
you have no body on earth but ours,
no hands but ours,
no feet but ours.
Our are the eyes through which your compassion
must look out on the world.
Ours are the feet by which you may still
go about doing good.
Ours are the hands with which
you bless people now.
Bless our minds and bodies,
that we may be a blessing to others.

St Teresa of Avila - Carmelite

***********************

O Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going,
I do not see the road ahead of me,
I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,
and that fact that I think
I am following Your will
Does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe
that the desire to please You
does in fact please You.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I ill never do anything
apart from that desire to please You.
And I know that if I do this
You will lead me by the right road,
though I may nothing about it.
Therefore I will trust You always
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death,
I will not fear,
for You are with me
and You will never leave me to make the journey alone.

Thomas Merton - Cistercian

************************

O God, you have created us (me)
to do some definite service;
you have given some definite work to us (me)
which you have not given to any other.
We (I) a place in your plan.
We may never know what it is in this life
but we shall be told it in the next.
Therefore we (I) will trust you in all things.
If we are sick, our sickness may serve you.
If we are worried, our worry may serve you.
If we are in sorrow, our sorrow may serve you.
Nothing is in vain:
all things serve your purpose.
We may lose our friends and find ourselves among strangers;
we may feel forgotten so that our spirits may sink;
our future may be hidden from us;
still, you work in all things for good,
and we (I) trust you.

Cardinal John Henry Newman

For further information please contact Carmelite Vocations.

It can be difficult at times to know exactly how to go about making a decision.
Here are some simple steps to guide your decision-making.

Begin by acknowledging who I am before God at this point in my life.
At the start of this time I present myself before God with empty hands.

• Clearly define the choices that lie before you.
• Make a list of the pros and cons of each choice.
• Take some quiet time and pray with this list.
• What motives are drawing you to choose one choice over another?
• Are these motives in line with you value system?
• Are you now experiencing peace with the choice you made?
• If not, share your experience with a trusted friend and ask some input.
• Take some additional time to pray asking the Spirit for guidance.
• When the right decision comes, peace and joy can be signs that the choice is right for you

For further information please contact Carmelite Vocations.

Where are you going?

Do you know how to get there?

Here are four simple steps to help you find direction in your life:

• First, pray for direction, spend time in a quite place.
  
  
• Talk with others, consider your gifts, seek direction from your pastor or priest, a parent, or a spiritual guide.
  
  
• Listen to your feelings - do you know where you find discomfort, or what brings you discouragement? Where do you find satisfaction? What gives you energy for living? What brings you peace and joy?
  
  
• Above all, trust in who you are and know that God loves you and wants the best for you.

  For me prayer is an aspiration of the heart,
  it is a simple glance directed to heaven,
  it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial
  as well as joy.
  Finally, it is something…. Which expands my soul
  And unites me to Jesus.

  St Therese of Lisieux - Carmelite

For further information please contact Carmelite Vocations.

Discernment is experiencing with understanding and commitment
the presence and guidance of God in my whole life….

Ernest Larkin, O.Carm

You are looking into your future, and you are wondering where you should be, what you want to be, what God wants of you.

Because you have contacted the Carmelites, you may be thinking of religious life – and perhaps the priesthood too. But discovering what God wants – discernment – is exactly that: what God wants, whatever God wants. He may want you to be a Carmelite, but he may also want you to be married , or a single person with a career.

Starting a process of discernment demands a willingness to be open to whatever God wants: so it means not deciding before you start! Leave your heart open to God: whatever the decision you and God come to, God will give you the strength and the courage to follow it through.

The process of discernment consists of four steps. But they are not necessarily sequential; they are interconnected and overlapping and they are on-going. Now that you are trying to find what God wants of you, and throughout your life, you and God will continue on this journey of discovery.

Step One: Getting to Know Me

Knowing myself is much more that knowing what I think. It is being in touch with my thinking, and with my feeling and behaviour. It means being in touch with my life, my experience.

So it is more contemplative than analytic, more receptive than introspective. It is looking honestly at me: what I think about things, what I hold strongly; how I feel, about me and about others; how I act, and what motivates my activities.

Step Two: Getting to Accept Myself

If I apply myself to it, knowing myself maybe a comparatively easy exercise. Where the crunch comes is in looking at what I see and accepting it, all of it.

Accepting myself means owning my whole self – the good and the bad and the ugly. It means loving myself, not in a self-centred and exclusive way, but in the sense of accepting myself as God’s gift. St Paul put it well when he said ‘ we are God’s work of art’.

It means loving the whole me, accepting my reality. And it means beginning to trust myself, basing that trust on the fact that God trusts and loves me, and having a great sense of wonder and gratitude for that.

Step Three: Being Whole and Loved and Loving

As I begin to accept myself as a whole, I can begin to allow myself to be accepted and loved, perhaps especially by God. The first two steps haven’t been walked alone – God has been there, and I have been in touch with God through prayer, asking God’s help.

Now I am beginning to be integrated, beginning to accept my whole self. I am beginning to be open to God, open to what God is asking of me. I am beginning to see what God is asking of me.

I can do all this because I am real before God. I am accepting the real me – that good and bad and ugly – and beginning to love it, and because of this I can be honest with God and open to what God wants. I realise that God does not call the perfect to whatever God wants, but the real – the real me.

I may be encouraged in this realisation if I remember those first friends of Jesus – not perfect, but real.

And so I can be open to God. Herbert Alphonso SJ says:

We are called not to struggle towards God,
but to be receptive to God’s action in us.

Step Four: Checking it Out

Although your discernment is a personal process, it is carried out in context of a living community. Ernest Larkin says that the living community is the place of all discernment.

My living community is my family, friends, my total environment; it is Scripture, the people of God people in the church, people who journey with me through this process – a spiritual director or someone else with whom I have shared my searching.

My living community checks out my decision, and confirms it. And I continue to keep in touch with God, telling God of my decision and asking God to be with me as I seek to be what God wants.

A Gospel text that might help you

Although there are many biblical quotes that can help when you are trying to discover what God wants, perhaps one of the most helpful is from the first chapter of John’s gospel (John 1:35-39):

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!"
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?"
They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying,
and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

For further information please contact Carmelite Vocations.

We do not know exactly when the forbears of the Order of Carmelites first came to Mount Carmel: it was around the year 1200 AD. They settled in a small valley on the western slope of the mountain, near a spring known since antiquity as the "spring of Elijah".

The Carmelites shared many of the spiritual aspirations of the hermits and pilgrims in the Holy Land at the time of the Crusades: the commitment to poverty and simplicity of lifestyle, their desire for spiritual freedom, their intimacy with the Scriptures and their longing to hear the Word of God in the quiet of solitude, the central place given to love, their wish to build a brotherhood in which they could learn to see Jesus in each other.

These values continue to inspire Carmelite life today.

The Carmelite travels the most demanding journey of all … the journey inwards into one’s own heart.

As Prophetic Contemplatives …

Carmelites find inspiration in the persons of Elijah, prophet of Mount Carmel, and Mary, the first disciple of the Lord.

Like them, Carmelites create an open space in themselves in order to recognise God, and so embark on the most demanding of all journeys, the journey into one’s own heart. As prophets they are called to share this experience of God with all people.

In Ministry …

Carmelites work in many and varied ways … Welcoming people to participate in their life and spirituality in…

  parish life   hospitality   education & formation

 spirituality ministry   communications    retreat work

Through Our Life Together…

Carmelites are called to share their commitment to Christ within a community.

They live a common life — sharing their time, their income, their wisdom, their talents, their prayer. The way of poverty, chastity and obedience offer great freedom to live life fully.

Download our pdf vocations brochure .

Finding out what God wants – Discerning My Personal Vocation

Discernment is experiencing with understanding and commitment
the presence and guidance of God in my whole life….
Ernest Larkin, O.Carm

For further information please contact:

Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish is in Zumalai, a sub-district in Covalima Municipality on the south-west coast of Timor-Leste. There is only one main church in Zumalai, so the parish serves all the 8 villages, approximately 15,000 people. Many villages also have small chapels where mass services and prayer groups are held, as well as local youth groups.

The main work undertaken by people in the area is subsistence farming, followed by small business enterprises and employment by State-based institutions such as the police, military, schools, or local government. Education levels in the community are generally low, with 35% of the population having either never been to school or not completed their education.

Around the Zumalai church there are several buildings and institutions connected to the Carmelite community there. The compound includes Our Lady of Mount Carmel Central Catholic School (a primary and junior high school), the Beato Tito Brandsma boarding house accommodation, two residential accommodation facilities for Carmelite friars and visitors, and a kindergarten currently run by Carmelite Sisters.

Zumalai is also a central part of the Carmelites’ community development work in Timor-Leste. The Carmel Impact charity supports several projects there, including: paying volunteer teacher subsidies; providing teaching resources and school building maintenance; running an annual youth festival; organizing safeguarding children training for local education and parish leaders; offering Community Scholarships for students at senior high school, vocational training courses and university; funding the boarding house; and providing emergency assistance when required, such as after Cyclone Seroja caused storm damage in April 2021.

For further information about the Carmelites in Timor-Leste, please contact:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
75 Wright Street
Middle Park Vic 3205

Telephone: (03) 9699 1922

Fatuhada - Blessed Titus Brandsma Community

Blessed and opened in July 2005, Blessed Titus Brandsma House serves as the main administration centre for the Carmelites. It is the only Carmelite house with a  postal service. It is a 'transit house' for Carmelites and other visitors travelling between the parish of Zumalai and Dili.

Blessed Titus Brandsma Community is also the formation house for the Pre-Novices - young men beginning their formation as Carmelites. The two-year pre-Novitiate is an introduction to Carmelite life and formation and a time of deeper discernment.  During their second year these students take part in an Inter-Congregational programme for young men and women who are beginning their formation in religious life. The daily programme for the Pre-Novitiate includes attendance at Eucharist, community and personal prayer, manual and pastoral work and sporting activities, studies in English, Portuguese, introduction to scripture and theology, and a programme for human development.

The Carmelite sisters “Hermanas Carmelitas” live nearby so the Carmelite priests celebrate daily Mass for them and also at the Mission Centre.

As well as providing accommodation for the Carmelite friars and pre-novices, there are also rooms for male high school students from Zumalai. There are few senior high schools in East Timor. By providing accommodation in Dili for these students, the Carmelites are making it possible for at least some students from Zumalai to complete their secondary or technical education. Most families cannot afford to pay for board and education expenses for their children. The Carmelites are helping these students by providing for their needs while they study. These students with the Pre-Novices also contribute to the daily up-keep of the house and the community.

Fr Carlito Da Costa Araújo looks after the Pre-Novices at Fatuhada.

Hera- Santo Elias Community

In April 2007 Santo Elias Novitiate in Hera was blessed and opened. Hera is a 20 minute drive east from Dili. Santo Elias was built with generous financial assistance from Australia, Rome, Ireland, Britain and USA. It was a two year project that was managed with patience and hard work with those close by. This beautiful building has 20 rooms for students and  novices and 5 rooms for professed Carmelites. Among the rooms there is also a classroom, a small library and a chapel which is large enough to invite the local people to join the community for Mass on Sunday and other feast days. In the grounds a fruit and vegetable garden has been established as well as a soccer field. There are many flowering plants in the internal garden of the Novitiate building, most of which are tended lovingly by our young Carmelite students.

The novitiate is a special time of formation in the Carmelite spirit. During these two years the Novices learn more about the Carmelite Order and its charism and try to grow in a life of prayerful union with God. It is a journey of personal transformation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, supported by the Novice Director and the Carmelite community.

São Nuno House

The Carmelite students in Timor-Leste who are preparing for priesthood study at the Diocesan seminary at Fatumeta, Dili. These young Carmelites now study the Portuguese language and take their seminary classes in Portuguese and Tetum, the other national language.

São Nuno House was blessed and opened by Carmelite Prior General, Fr Fernando Millan, in May 2010. It provides accommodation for twelve young Carmelites and two rooms for formators. It is quite close to the Santo Elias building. The new building is named for the Carmelite, Saint Nuno, known as Portugal's "Father of the Nation" and declared a saint by Pope Benedict XVI on 26 April 2010.

Fr Roque Soares da Cruz is the Prior of the community looks after our students in various stages of formation. Fr Fausto Tilman De Araújo is Novice Master and Fr Agostinho Exposto is the Director of our Pre-Novitiate program.

For further information about the Carmelite Formation Programme in Timor-Leste, please contact:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Carmelite Province Centre
75 Wright Street
Middle Park Vic 3206

Telephone: (03) 9699 1922
Fax: (03) 9699 1944

For further information about the Carmelites in Timor-Leste, please contact:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Carmelite Province Centre
75 Wright Street
Middle Park Vic 3206

Telephone: (03) 9699 1922
Fax: (03) 9699 1944

The Carmelite Friars have been in Timor-Leste (East Timor) since January 1999. Two friars from the Indonesian Province, Frs Gheta and Mandius, lived first with the Carmelite Sisters at Maubara about 60 kilometers from Dili. During the final stages of the struggle for independence they witnessed the suffering and hardship of the people and the destruction of the country. In 2000 Bishop Belo asked the Carmelites to go to Zumalai.

In January 2001, the Indonesian Carmelites asked the Australian Carmelites to take responsibility for the Timor-Leste mission and the Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Zumalai. On 15 August 2001, the Australian Carmelites formally took responsibility for the Timor-Leste Mission.

20 years later, the Timor-Leste Mission is now firmly established with a formation program, a parish in Zumalai, and a community development program.

The Carmelite friars work closely with the Carmelite Sisters in providing pastoral care, health and education services and in community building.

Two Carmelite Centres - Dili & Zumalai

Dili

There are two main Carmelite centres in Timor-Leste. In Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste,

Titus Brandsma House in Fatuhada, a suburb in central Dili, serves as the mission centre and a transit house for Camrelites travelling to and fron the parish of Zumalai. As well as providing accommodation for Carmelites, there are rooms for Carmelite seminarians and for several Community Scholariship recipients from Zumalai.

At Hera, just outside Dili, the Saint Elijah community is the main formation house for young Carmelites in Timor-Leste. Here the novices and professed students live, work and study. The professed students preparing for ministry study at the Diocesan Seminary and other technical centres in Dili. The community has a library and a chapel.

In all, there are over 40 young Timorese Carmelites in formation.

Click here for further information on the Carmelites in Dili

The Parish of Zumalai

The Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Zumalai, is situated on the south coast of Timor-Leste, near the regional centre of Suai in Covalima Municipality. The parish comprises 8 villages, each of which have their own locally elected village chief and village council. The population is approximately 15,000 people and the median age in the community is 19.5 years old. The Carmelites visit each of the village centres to celebrate mass and the sacraments for the people. During the wet season it is only possible to visit some of the villages.

Connected to the Zumalai parish are three Catholic schools with over 500 students enrolled, and the Beato Tito Brandsma College boarding house which provides accommodation for 24 students each year from remote areas in Zumalai and throughout Timor-Leste.

Click here for further information about the Carmelites in Zumalai

Carmelite community development projects – Carmel Impact

After nearly 2 decades of consistent project work in Timor-Leste, The Carmelites of Australia and Timor-Leste established Carmel Impact in 2019, a charity organization dedicated to transforming lives and helping to build communities in East Timor – one of the poorest countries in the world. This work for change is achieved together with the help of supporters around the globe.

With a focus on education and youth, the aim is to create lasting, positive change in Timor-Leste. Carmel Impact is proud to build on the Carmelites’ legacy in the region, drawing on experience and a wealth of local knowledge. This long-term commitment has built strong relationships with local Timorese communities. Carmel Impact’s community building programs are designed to provide the people of Timor-Leste with the same fundamental human rights all people deserve.

Carmel Impact implements projects that are largely focused on the local rural communities in Zumalai and Hera. There are currently four key program areas:

• Education = Freedom
• Youth Engagement
• Leadership for Change
• Critical Emergency Response

 
Transforming Lives, Building Communities, Together

Carmelite Mission Support Groups

The Carmelites have established a number of support groups in Australia who are providing friendship and material support to help the people of Timor-Leste.

If you are interested in setting up a group to help the people of Timor-Leste, please use the link below.

For further information about the Carmelites in Timor-Leste, please contact:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
75 Wright Street
Middle Park Vic 3205

Telephone: (03) 9699 1922
Fax: (03) 9699 1944

Australia

Timor-Leste

Nossa Senhora do Monte Carmelo Parish
Zumalai, Timor-Leste