Glasgow: nine lay Carmelites professed

Fr Antony praying for God's blessing on the newly-professed Lay Carmelites

Upon hearing the word 'Carmelite' most people picture a nun or perhaps a friar. In fact the first Carmelites who formed a community on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land 800 years ago were lay people, and to this day lay men and women who receive the calling can commit themselves to Jesus Christ as professed members of the Carmelite Order.

Nine people did just that on Saturday, 10 September, making either first or final profession as members of the Carmelite Third Order Secular, within the Glasgow Chapter which has met in the city for over forty years. They gathered at St Aloysius Church on Rose Street for a special Mass celebrated by Very Rev Fr Antony Lester, O.Carm., prior of the Carmelite friars in York.

During the Mass two candidates who have been following a programme of formation in the Carmelite way of life for the last couple of years made their first profession of promises, before being clothed in the Order’s profession scapular, which is a miniature version of the Carmelite habit.

The leader of the Glasgow Lay Carmelite community, Tom Condie, lit candles to symbolise that profession in a religious order such as ‘Carmel’ is a deepening of the baptismal promise to follow Jesus Christ.

A further seven candidates, who have undertaken an additional three years of ongoing formation and discernment, then made their final profession, promising to observe for life the Carmelite Rule and Constitutions.

These Lay Carmelites will now continue to serve the Church through their lives of prayer, community-building, and active service of others, in their everyday lives. A Lay Carmelite has been described as “a Carmelite who works from home”, and there are hundreds of them in Britain alone, serving God in many different ways and in a wide variety of situations. In their prayer, community-building and service, Lay Carmelites take particular inspiration from the saints of the Carmelite Family (such as Thérèse of Lisieux), and spend some time each day in silence and Lectio Divina meditation on the Bible.

During his homily, Fr Antony reminded the Lay Carmelites that the grace of their profession was not simply for their own personal holiness, but was a gift of God for the building up of God’s kingdom on earth.

The Third Order welcomes anyone interested in exploring the rich tradition of Carmelite spirituality to attend meetings at St Aloysius Church, usually at 1.15pm on the first Saturday of every month. For more information about the Lay Carmelite vocation visit www.carmelite.org or contact the community leader, Tom Condie, by calling 07753 800752.


Text & Photography: Johan Bergström-Allen, T.O.C.