The Order of Discalced Carmelite Seculars (OCDS)
is a worldwide Order, called to “holiness to walk with prophetic determination towards ‘the summit of the Mountain which is Christ’ as ‘witnesses of the presence of God’ among his people” (Father General Cannistra quoting the OCDS Constitution, March 2018 Letter to OCDS). Our primary spiritual guides are the founding saints of the Discalced Carmelite Order, Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross.
Contributing Discalced Carmelite Seculars
Teresa Linda is the President and former Formation Director of the Infant Jesus, Santa Clara, California Order of Discalced Carmelite Seculars (OCDS). She has four children, has been married for close to thirty years, and is a middle-school English instructor. As founder of the non-profit company, Prophet Elijah Media, Teresa Linda edits and publishes works on The Speakroom, and edits and produces podcasts for The Mystical Life.
Maria Diaz is a mother of five and has been a member of the OCDS Infant Jesus community in Santa Clara, California since 1991; she is a current Council member. Her contributions come from a community-organized Day of Recollection presentation on Saint Teresa of Avila.
Erin Foord has been a Discalced Carmelite Secular (OCDS) for over 40 years, where he was a Council member for several years. He served as President of the California-Arizona Provincial Council from 2014-2017. He gave this conference as part of an Ongoing Formation class for the Infant Jesus, Santa Clara , California OCDS community.
Lorelei Low is a Council member at the Saint Joseph, San Francisco OCDS community. She also heads the UNBOUND-San Francisco healing ministry in her local parish church.
Charles Seagren was a Formation Instructor and Council member in the Infant Jesus Santa Clara, California Secular Community. His submissions were been taken from his homilies at Saint Raymond Church, Menlo Park, where he served as a Deacon. He is currently a member of the Santa Cruz OCDS community.
The Call to Discalced Carmelite Seculars
Father Saverio Cannistra, the Discalced Carmelite Superior General, requested in his March 2018 letter to Discalced Carmelite Seculars throughout the world that “communities must make constant effort at aggiornamente and adaptation to the times and locations in which they are located.” Cannistra adds, “In order to be faithful to the true purpose of your communities, it is important to find ways of making Teresian Carmelite spirituality relevant for today. It means being courageously responsive to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.”
As such, The Speakroom is an attempt to be faithful to this calling, and is an independent apostolic ministry that is subject to the authority of the Order of Discalced Carmelites.
Submissions
The Speakroom is edited by Teresa Linda, the Formation Director of the Discalced Carmelite Seculars of the Infant Jesus, Santa Clara in the California-Arizona Province of Saint Joseph.
Most of the entries on the site come from Discalced Carmelite Seculars from the Infant Jesus community in Santa Clara and Friars who have resided in the Mount Saint Joseph Carmelite Monastery in San Jose, California.
Submissions from other Discalced Carmelite communities are welcome. Contact thespeakroom@prophetelijahmedia.org
Contact information
If you are interested in learning more about the spirituality of Discalced Carmelite Seculars, visit
California-Arizona Province: (Western United States) http://www.ocds.info/
Washington Province: (Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, Northeast, Florida) http://www.ocdswashprov.org/
Oklahoma Province (Central United States) http://www.thereseocds.org/
International (Rome) http://www.carmelitaniscalzi.com/en/
OTHER SITES THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST
The Mystical Life a Carmelite podcast collection introducing our modern world to the most ancient roots of mysticism and spirituality – the teachings of the desert Fathers.
By Carmelite saints expert, Dr. Anthony Lilles, https://spiritualdirection.com/author/dr-lilles
By St. Therese of Lisieux and the Martin Family scholar, Maureen O’Riordan, http://www.thereseoflisieux.org/about-maureen-oriordan
By author, Carolyn Humphreys, OCDS – https://contemplativechristianityorg.wordpress.com/