May 1, 2024 May: Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary By Mary O'Boyle OCDS, Christchurch President Welcome MARY QUEEN OF THE ANGELS QUEEN OF THE MAY Dear Seculars, …The Church, which from the beginning has modelled her earthly journey on that of the Mother of God, constantly repeats after her the words of the Magnificat. From the depths of the Virgin’s faith at the Annunciation and the Visitation, the Church derives the truth about the God of the Covenant: the God who is Almighty and does ‘great things’ for man: ‘holy is his name’. In the Magnificat, the Church sees uprooted ..read more

April 1, 2024 April: Dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament By Mary O'Boyle OCDS, Christchurch President Welcome Dear Seculars, As this is written, Easter is coming, please God we will feel renewed in our love and service of Him who died that we might live. Each year at our first Community meeting following Easter, those of us who have made our Promise to our Secular Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Teresa of Jesus come together to renew that Promise. The journey is long, St Teresa describes it as an Interior Castle, striving to enter each room, seeking the Centre where He, who ..read more

March 1, 2024 March: Dedicated to St Joseph Husband of Mary, Patron of Carmel. Feast Day: 19 March. By Mary O'Boyle OCDS, Christchurch President Welcome Dear brothers and sisters in Carmel, Lent – a time of contemplating the betrayal, suffering, and crucifixion of our beloved Lord and Master. The following prayer, from our holy mother St Teresa of Jesus, you may find helpful as we join Jesus in His journey to Calvary: Most glorious King, You made me in Your divine image and desire that my soul shine brightly like a diamond, gleaming in the bright Sun which radiates from withi ..read more

February 1, 2024 February: Dedicated to the Holy Family By Mary O'Boyle OCDS, Christchurch President Welcome Dear brothers and sisters in Carmel, A new year arrives and we wonder what it brings. The question arises: what do we bring to it? Pope Francis, in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year “Pilgrims of Hope”, has designated 2024 as a “Year of Prayer” with special focus on the “Our Father”. Our Foundress, St Teresa of Jesus, tells us: Prayer is an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us. St Teresa of Je ..read more

December 16, 2023 December: Dedicated to the Immaculate Conception By Mary O'Boyle OCDS, Christchurch President Welcome Dear brothers and sisters in Carmel, ADVENT Advent begins on the first Sunday after 30th November. It heralds Hope, Peace, Joy, Love. This year those symbols, Hope, Peace, Joy, Love have an even greater poignancy. Our world is riven with despair, anger, pain and hate. We have much to pray for. For those who have access to the internet, it offers us any amount of choice in readying ourselves for the birth of our Lord and King. Of course, our prayer does not depend ..read more

November 2, 2023 Places still available for the annual Christchurch OCDS retreat Welcome Where University of Canterbury Rochester & Rutherford Hall When 24 – 26 November, 2023 Retreat Director Fr Michael-Thérèse, CSJ Retreat Timetable Contact Mary O’Boyle (President) Megan Emery (Formator) Start your registration by filling out the form below Leave this field blank Please fill in this form if you wish to know more about the retreat. Feel free to also contact us using the details above. God bless you! Name Email address Please provide your email address so that we can reply ..read more

October 31, 2023 Secular Carmelites featured in the Christchurch Catholic Diocese Inform Newsletter Welcome The Secular Carmelites of Christchurch (OCDS Peace of Christ Community) were recently featured in the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch’s Inform newsletter (138, Spring 2023).  Check it out above or click through to read the rest of the Inform newsletter. Interested in more? Feel free to also browse through other news within the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch here ..read more

November 7, 2023 St Therese of Liseux’s Jubilee Year announced – running until 7 Jan ’24 Welcome Pope Francis says that St Thérèse is a “Doctor of synthesis”, leading the Church to an understanding of the essentials of the Gospel to what is “essential and indispensable”. And the first line quotes the little Saint: “C’est la confiance et rien que la confiance qui doit nous conduire à l’Amour.” It is confidence and nothing but confidence that must lead us to Love. St Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face The bishop of Rome stressed that St Thérèse “lived devoted to G ..read more

November 2, 2023 Spots still available for the annual Christchurch OCDS retreat Welcome Where University of Canterbury Rochester & Rutherford Hall When 24 – 26 November, 2023 Retreat Director Fr Michael-Thérèse, CSJ Retreat Timetable Contact Mary O’Boyle (President) Megan Emery (Formator) Start your registration by filling out the form below Leave this field blank Please fill in this form if you wish to know more about the retreat. Feel free to also contact us using the details above. God bless you! Name Email address Please provide your email address so that we can reply ..read more

November 1, 2023 November: Dedicated to the Holy Souls By Megan O'Boyle OCDS & Megan Emery OCDS, Christchurch President & Formator Welcome Dear Carmelites, Am penning this November newsletter (dedicated to the Holy Souls), with a few thoughts around our upcoming retreat, and some thoughts as your Formator. We joyfully received Catherine, Ann-Marie and Therese into Formation with a Liturgy at our October meeting. Let us continue to pray for vocations to our Community and reflect on how we can examine the quality of our response to our Christian and Carmelite vocation ..read more