THE LAY CARMELITES
BLESSED TRINITY LAY CARMELITE COMMUNITY (#5815 - Thornhill, ON)
MEETINGS
2nd Saturday, 10 AM
No face-to-face meetings during the pandemic. Optional Zoom gatherings.
St Luke’s Catholic Church
39 Green Lane
Thornhill, ON L3T 6K5
CONTACT US
"We are a community of Catholic laity and belong to the Lay Carmelite Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our mission is to follow Christ in love, to seek the kingdom of God, to sanctify and to transform the secular world through the participation of Carmelite charism of contemplative prayer, community and ministry.
Our community was formed on November 30, 2010. Lourdes and Daniel are our founding members. To date, our community has grown to sixteen members.
We meet on the second Saturday of the month at St. Luke's Parish, 39 Green Lane, Thornhill, for prayers and ongoing formation.
If you feel you may have a vocation in Carmel, please browse this site, read our information pamphlet, join us for an online meeting, and contact us.
Blessings,
Eva
Community Director"
The Annunciation (cropped), by Leonardo da Vinci. License.
CALL TO CARMEL
"Then Mary said, 'Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.' "
- Luke 1.38, NRSV
"I wanted Carmel as soon as I knew about it. I find all the aspirations of my soul are fulfilled in this Order."
- St. Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul, Manuscript A, 54v
Many and varied are the ways (Rule, 2) in which God calls people to follow Jesus Christ. Read about the Carmelite journey of some of our members.
Read about the Carmelite journey
St Albert Presents Rule, (cropped) by Pietro Lorenzetti. License.
THE CARMELITES
"Now therefore have all Israel assemble for me at Mount Carmel."
- 1 Kings 18.19, NRSV
"All must be friends, all must loved, all must be held dear, all must be helped."
- St Teresa of Avila, The Way of Perfection (ICS) 4.7
The Carmelites are an 800-year old religious family whose members include revered doctors and saints of the Church, such as St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, Bl Titus Brandsma, and others. In North America, the Third Order Secular branch of the Order is commonly known as the Lay Carmelites.
Learn more about the Lay Carmelites
For Members...
MEETING SCHEDULE
LCO, Feb 1, 2021: Follow state, local, and diocesan mandates regarding public gatherings. Virtual Monthly and formation meetings are permitted. Percent attendance adjusted if member is unable or uncomfortable with virtual meetings. No new Phase I candidates (see exceptions in Notice) until face-to-face meetings resume. For more information, see the Notice below:
We are holding meetings online via Zoom. We welcome Lay Carmelites from other communities to join us (use the Contact Us form above).
Monthly: 2nd Sat, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Inquiry: postponed until after pandemic
Phase I: 2nd Mon, 7 PM (may vary)
Phase II: 2nd Thu, 7 PM (may vary)
Saturday prayer: every Sat, 10:00 - 11:00 AM
MINISTRY CONTACTS
Council
Director: Eva
Councilor 1/Formation Director: Stephen
Councilor 2/Secretary/Treasurer: Bernardine
Ministries
Computer donations: Lourdes
Zoom gatherings: Bernardine
Web group: Daniel
Butterfly cards: Lourdes
QUICK LINKS
Christian Prayer and Lectio Divina:
Regional Ordo and Events (Google calendar)
Rubric for Morning Prayer (PDF)
Rubric for Evening Prayer (PDF)
Rubric for Lectio Divina (PDF)
Saturday Prayer:
Structure for Online Community Meetings (PDF)
10th Anniversary:
UPCOMING EVENTS
[Optional] Wed, Feb 17 - Sun, Apr 4, 2021
Lenten Gratitude Prayer Journal
Group 1: weekdays, Group 2: Sat 10 AM
Online, via Zoom
Mary Jean will be facilitating Lourdes' Lenten Gratitude Prayer Journal for two groups: daily and weekly. The weekly reflection will take place at the end of our Saturday prayer.
For more information on the daily prayer group: contact Mary Jean.
[Optional] Wed, Feb 17 - Sun, Apr 4, 2021
Prayer Guides for the Lenten Journey
Anytime
Online Videos
"Pray each day of Lent with the Carmelites - beginning Ash Wednesday, visit Carmelites.net every day of Lent for a Lenten reflection on the day's Gospel and then to CarmelPrays.com to pray Sant’Angelo-Style night prayer with the Carmelites around the world."
For more information: visit carmelites.net
[Optional] Wed, Feb 17 - Apr 4, 2021
From Exodus to Ecstacy: Lenten Reflection
Anytime
Online Videos
Sponsored by the Carmelite Institute. Join Fr Christopher LaRocca, OCD, for daily Lenten reflections in From Exodus to Ecstacy: A Pilgrimage into the Transforming Desert of Lent. The series is also available in the Carmelite Institute app for iOS (App Store) and android (Google play).
[Optional] Mon, Feb 22 - Mon, Apr 26
St Therese of Lisieux Spiritual Life Series
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Online
Feb 22, Mar 8, Mar 22, Apr 12, Apr 26
"All are welcome to attend a new spiritual life series based on the book The Story of a Soul by St Therese of Lisieux. The new series will begin on Monday, February 22 and will be presented in several bi-weekly segments by Fr. Peter Turrone, pastor of the Newman Centre. Participants will need to purchase the Study Edition of Story of a Soul by Fr. Mark [sic] Foley for the class."
Register: https://thestoryofasoul.eventbrite.ca/
Contact: lenita.lopes@newmantoronto.com
Website: newmantoronto.com
[Optional] Sat, Mar 13, 2021
Searching for the Divine in One Another
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST
Webinar
Presented by Fr Rijo Jose, OCarm, sponsored by the Carmelite Institute. "This webinar explores the Carmelite identity, as Edith Stein would have responded to aggression from a dynamic human-divine relational perspective, and how this relationship is a prerequisite for harmonious coexistence. The task, then, is to love each other while realizing our personal-divine nucleus."
Cost: $10 USD
To register, and for more information:
[NEW] [Optional] Fri, Mar 19, 2021
Stations of the Cross with the Carmelite Saints
6:00 PM
Online
Local Lay Carmelites will be running an online Stations of the Cross with reflections from the Carmelite Saints.
For more information: contact Lourdes
[UPDATED Mar 15/21] Sat, Mar 20, 2021
Annual Regional Lenten Day of Recollection
TBD
Join Lay Carmelites from around the region for our Annual Regional Lenten Day of Recollection. Our retreat director will be Msgr Pat Stilla, cathedral rector at St Patrick's Cathedral in Thunder Bay, ON. Check your email for the registration form. Registration is limited, and based on a first-come-first-served basis.
Cost: free
For more information: contact the RC
MARCH 2021 ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Anniversaries
Happy Birthday to:
Pam
Mar 9:
Colette, Ken, Martha, Pina, Teresa: Received (2019) ... 2 years
2. Congratulations Lourdes!
Congratulations to Lourdes on publishing her Lenten Gratitude Prayer Journal. 100% of proceeds went to Carmelite Media, in appreciation of their years of effort in publishing Carmelite works (e.g., Carmelite Review). Hundreds of copies were sold.
3. Lenten Gratitude Prayer Journal
Mary Jean will be facilitating Lourdes' Lenten Gratitude Prayer Journal. The daily prayer group will be with the community in Florida and include additional prayers, while the weekly reflection will take place at the end of our Saturday prayer.
For more information: contact Mary Jean.