About Our Life

Carmelite Spirituality

~ Horarium ~

Our life is simple. We observe papal enclosure, wear the religious habit, and follow a daily schedule that includes prayer, work, solitude, and recreation. Building upon our baptismal promises and grace, the purpose of this life is to enable us to follow Christ more closely, particularly in His evangelical life:

Poverty                   He had nowhere to lay His head

Chastity             ... for the sake of the Kingdom of God

Obedience         My food is to do the will of My Father

Main Aspects of our life:

~ Total oblation of self through solemn vows of poverty, chastity, & obedience
~ Celebration of the holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Sacraments
~ Praying the Liturgy of the Hours, which is the Prayer of the Church
~ Cultivating an interior life of communion with God through continual prayer
~ Fidelity to our Holy Father and the teaching of the Magisterium
~ Devotion to Mary, our Mother and our model
~ Community life where all are sisters to one another, sharing joys and sorrows
~ Manual labor in solidarity with the poor and to support our life of prayer

Discalced Carmelite Nuns
Sioux City, Iowa

4:45 am	Rise, Breakfast
5:30 am	Mental Prayer
6:30 am	Morning Prayer
7:00 am	Mass, Midmorning Prayer
8:00 am	Work
12:00 pm	Midday Prayer, Dinner
12:45 pm	Community Recreation
1:45 pm	Midafternoon Prayer
2:00 pm	Free Hour
3:00 pm	Spiritual Reading & Study
4:15 pm	Rosary
4:35 pm	Evening Prayer
5:00 pm	Mental Prayer
6:00 pm	Supper
6:30 pm	Community Recreation
7:30 pm	Office of Readings, Night Prayer
8:15 pm	Spiritual Reading, Retire