LAY CARMELITES OF ONTARIO AND NORTH WEST NEW YORK
THE LAY CARMELITES
BLESSED TRINITY LCC (#5815 - Thornhill, ON)
MEETINGS
2nd Saturday, 10 AM
No face-to-face meetings during the pandemic. Optional Zoom gatherings.
Normally at:
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"
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
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (2020), by Ria. Used with permission.
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 link 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)
[Optional] Saturday prayer: every Sat, 10:00 - 11:00 AM
MINISTRY CONTACTS
Council
Director (Interim): Stephen
Councilor 1/Formation Director: Stephen
Councilor 2/Secretary/Treasurer: Bernardine
Ministries
Zoom meetings: Bernardine
Equipment donations: Lourdes
Web group: Daniel
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
In-person events may be canceled due to local COVID restrictions. Please watch your email closer to the date for any changes.
Fri, Jul 16, 2021
Brown Scapular Enrolment Ceremony
St Rose of Lima Church
6:30 PM Arrival, 7:00 PM Mass
This year, our community will be facilitating a Brown Scapular Enrolment Ceremony at St Rose of Lima Parish (3216 Lawrence Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1H 1A4).
Pandemic process:
-
catechesis, 2-3 minutes, by Lay Carmelite
-
blessing of the scapulars, by pastor
-
receive scapulars: parishioners will come forward to take a scapular from the basket
-
procession of a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
If you haven't done so through Eva, you will need to register to attend Mass, due to the numbers allowed in the church during the pandemic.
Bring: mask, Ceremonial Scapular
For more information: contact Eva
Sat, Aug 21, 2021
Community Picnic
Penetanguishene (TBA)
Time: 12:00 PM (noon)
Our August Monthly Meeting has been moved to Sat Aug 21, and will take the form of a picnic.
A flyer with details will be sent closer to the date.
For more information: contact Stephen or Daniel
Sat, Sep 11, 2021
Ongoing Formation
Online
Time: TBA
Although the mini-retreat on Sep 12 will take the place of our September Monthly Meeting, we will still meet online on Sat Sep 11 for Ongoing Formation.
Special guest Fr Dominic Borg, OCD will be joining us today to comment on Fr John Foley's book The Ascent of Mount Carmel: St John of the Cross: Reflections.
Sun, Sep 12, 2021
Reception and Profession Ceremonies
MCSC, Niagara Falls, ON
Time: TBA
Join us for Adrianne's Reception, Pina's Temporary Profession, and Stephen and Bernardine's Final Profession ceremonies. We are hoping for a mini-retreat with lunch at the centre, but details will be confirmed closer to the date. Due to COVID occupancy limits, it appears only community members will be able to attend.
More details closer to the date.
Fri Oct 1 - Sun Oct 3 (or Fri Oct 1) 2021
Annual Regional Retreat
Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre
Jul 10, 2021 Update: With the province going into Step 3 next week, it appears likely we will have an in-person retreat at the MCSC (Plan A) by October.
More details closer to the date.
Plan A
Fri, Oct 1 - Sun, Oct 3, 2021
Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre, Niagara Falls
More details closer to the date.
Plan B
Fri, Oct 1, 2021
St John of the Cross Church, Mississauga
More details closer to the date.
JULY 2021 ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Anniversaries
Happy birthday to: Bernardine and Lourdes!
Jul 12: 8th Reception Anniversary for Eva.
Jul 16: 50th Final Profession Anniversary for Helen.
Jul 18: 29th Reception Anniversary for Daniel.
2. Reception and Final Profession Ceremonies Postponed until the Fall
Adrianne's Reception and Stephen and Bernardine's Final Profession ceremonies have been postponed until the Sun, Sep 12.
More details closer to the date.
3. August Meeting Postponed until Aug 21
Our August Monthly Meeting, originally scheduled for Sat Aug 14, has been postponed until Sat Aug 21. We plan to have a combination meeting/picnic.
More details closer to the date.