Who we are
We are Discalced Carmelites – Catholic men (friars) and women (nuns) in religious consecration and lay people, who dedicate themselves to a life of prayer.
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. Unlike monks who live in a self-sufficient community, friars are supported by donations or other charitable support from the people. The Carmelite friars, while following a contemplative life, also engage in the promotion of spirituality through their retreat centres, parishes and churches.
The Carmelite nuns live in cloistered (enclosed) monasteries and follow a completely contemplative life.
Lay people, known as the Secular Carmelites, follow their contemplative call in their everyday activities. Devotion to Our Lady is a characteristic of our life and is symbolized by wearing the Brown Scapular.
Worldwide the Discalced Carmelite Friars are more than four thousand in number. There are approximately twelve thousand Discalced Carmelite Nuns. The members of our Secular Carmelites number around forty thousand.
In Nigeria, we are fifty-four Discalced Carmelite Friars; about twenty-seven Discalced Carmelite Nuns, and many members of the Secular Order.
