By Immaculate Tusingwire, MMS and Benedict Mukoni
In today’s world which is dominated by noise, it is difficult to imagine the quiet and prayerful life of the Carmelite Nuns that is almost completely hidden. Though the nuns are hidden, living apart from the busyness and noise of everyday life, their mission reaches far beyond their cloistered walls. This story takes a closer look at who the Carmelite Nuns are, their rich history, and how their presence continues to be a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church and the world at large.
Who are the Discalced Carmelites Nuns?
The word “discalced” means “barefoot” (or wearing simple sandals), symbolizing a life of simplicity, poverty, and detachment from worldly comforts.
There are different categories of Religious or Consecrated life in the church. The Discalced Carmelite Nuns belong to the contemplative religious life. More specifically, they are part of the cloistered monastic or contemplative orders, whose primary mission is to seek God and intercede for humanity through prayer. Thus, theydedicate their lives entirely to God through a vocation centered on prayer, silence, and contemplation. They do this through living a cloistered (enclosed) life, meaning they remain within their monastery, praying for the Church and the whole world rather than engaging in active external ministries. This enclosure provides the Carmelites with the necessary solitude, evangelical self-denial, and determination to live for God, humankind, and the entire Community of life.
The Story of how the Discalced Carmelite Nuns came to be
The story of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns is rich and long. Here, you will get a glimpse of it. It begins in the 12th century on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, where a small group of men hermits chose a life of prayer and silence, inspired by the prophet Elijah and devoted to the virgin Mary. Forced to leave the Holy Land because of the unrest in the region, they carried this way of life to Europe, where it slowly grew and took root.
As the years passed, women also began to live this same spirituality in monasteries. But with changing times, their way of life also changed. In the 16th century, St. Teresa of Avila felt called to renew this life, bringing it back to simplicity, deep prayer, and total trust in God. In 1562, she started a small convent and with the help of St. John of the Cross, the reformed Discalced Carmelites were born. They lived in silence, poverty, and deep prayer. The name itself reflects their choice to live simply, even wearing sandals as a sign of detachment from comfort.
From there, the Discalced Carmelite Nuns slowly spread to different parts of the world. Despite challenges, their way of life attracted many who felt called to a deeper relationship with God. Today, the Discalced Carmelite Nuns are present across the world, including in Uganda. Though their life is quiet and hidden, their mission and impact remain strong.
Major Discalced Carmelite Saints
St. Teresa of Avila: Founder of the Discalced Carmelite reform and known for her writings on prayer and spiritual life especially the ‘Interior Castle’ and ‘The way of Perfection’. She is also one of the women Doctors of the Church
St. John of the Cross: Mystical theologian and reformer with St. Teresa. He is known for his mystical teachings, especially through his famous books: ‘The Dark Night of the Soul’ and ‘The Spiritual Canticle’. John of the Cross is also a Doctor of the Church.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, fondly known as the little flower. She is mostly known for promoting the ‘Little way’ of simple trust and love of God. Thérèse is also a Doctor of the Church.
Other important Carmelite saints include St. Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross who was killed in a concentration camp during the Nazi persecution in Europe), St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi and St. Teresa of the Andes
Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Uganda
In mid 1960s, the late Archbishop Joseph Kiwanuka travelled to Germany to request the sisters to establish their presence in Uganda. The discernment and process took long, and the archbishop died in 1966 before seeing their presence in Uganda. However, his successor, Archbishop Emmanuel Nsubuga reinforced the request, leading to their foundation in Uganda in 1967, only one year after Archbishop Kiwanuka’s death.
When they came to Uganda, they settled in the then, the Great Kampala Diocese. Today, they belong to the Diocese of Kiyinda Mityana. Their convent is attached to the Diocese’s Cathedral, quite hidden just as their life is. The foundresses comprised of eight members: Sr. Angelika, Sr. Renata, Sr. Klara, Sr. Bernadette, Sr. Celine Sr. Agnes, Sr. Anna Maria and Sr. Ulrike. It is now 59 years since the Discalced Carmelites came to Uganda. Their community, not known by many, is called Our Lady Queen of the Martyrs’ Carmel – Mityana.
Their lives are not only composed of prayer, which is both communal and personal, it is also composed of work, spiritual reading and recreation as a community act.
For work, they sew vestments worn by catechists and Priests during liturgical celebrations. They bake hosts which are used for consecration at Mass and offer hospitality to people who are seeking recollection or prayer in their small, beautiful guest house. Each sister is expected to be concerned for all her sisters in the community. They carry out all their work in silence.
How one Becomes a Discalced Carmelite Nun
Becoming a Carmelite nun is a gradual and demanding journey:
- Come and see, takes 3 Months
- Postulancy for 1 year
- Novitiate for 2 years
- Temporal vows, between 3 – 5 years. After this, they have their Solemn profession, which is the final and lifelong commitment. Like other religious sisters, they too profess the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience
To join the Discalced Carmelites, one needs to be a healthy Catholic female, possessing a sense of being called by God, having a desire to grow in intimacy with God, the capacity to live in the same community with different cultures and backgrounds, and successful completion of either S.4 or S.6 training and good knowledge of English.
Contact the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Uganda
P.O BOX 260, Mityana, Uganda, East Africa
Email: monastcd@gmail.com, mityanacarmelite@gmail.com Tel: +256 772 467 646, +256 783 950 373
