Our Work
A new “Mount Carmel” comes to Fairfield County.
Where the secular world meets the spiritual realm. This photo depicts The Carmelites of Mary Ever Virgin praying on the monastery grounds nestled amidst the adjacent residential and commercial properties along Kings Highway.
A “thin line” between heaven and earth.
Our initiative is to beautify and landscape the outdoor grounds of the monastery to provide a more reflective atmosphere for prayer and meditation during those intervals when the Sisters are able to be outdoors for some fresh air and exercise (both spiritual and physical).
A "diamond" in the rough.
Hidden behind the somewhat austere façade of St. Emery’s Church, there lies a jewel of a sanctuary where The Carmelites of Mary Ever Virgin spend several hours a day (and night) chanting in Latin the Litany of the Hours.
Here is where their prayers rise-up to the heavenly heights being offered for the spiritual welfare of the clergy and laity in our diocese. The water damage and peeling paint on the upper walls of the sanctuary and church ceiling will need to be addressed to restore this holy space to its once pristine condition.
“The eye is the lamp of the body.” (Matthew 6:22)
Jesus reminds us that what our eyes view impacts the state of our soul. So we are encouraged to keep our eyes fixed on God. Catholic churches emphasize this truth by depictions of Christ, the “Light of the world,” in beautiful stained glass windows that are a hallmark of its architecture.
The repairs required for some of the stained-glass windows in St. Emery’s Church will further enhance the prayerful atmosphere, not only for the Carmelite Sisters, but for all the faithful who seek respite in the church from a darkening world.
Sacred Spaces.
To symbolize withdrawal from the world to the solitude of the cloister, screens are erected to delineate those sacred spaces reserved for the Sisters.
Yet, the screens allow the faithful to interact with the Sisters for the mutual benefit of both. The faithful bring their spiritual needs to the Sisters for their prayerful intercession, while the Sisters share their physical needs with the faithful who provide for their temporal care.
