About Carmelite Monastery · San Diego, California
Carmel of the Trinity is a community of Discalced Carmelite Nuns in San Diego, California, officially known as the Carmelite Monastery at 5158 Hawley Blvd. Founded in 1926 from the Carmel of Santa Clara, the community is part of the worldwide Discalced Carmelite family that traces its reform to St. Teresa of Avila (1562). The sisters live a cloistered, contemplative life of silent prayer, professing vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, and offering their lives for the Church and especially for priests. Daily Mass is open to the public, and visitors are welcome during the monastery's published hours.
- Established
- 1926
- Patron
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Order); Trinity (community name)
- Rector
- Sister Maria Fideles Musiko, O.C.D. (Prioress)
- Diocese
- Diocese of San Diego
Why belong here
The Carmel of the Trinity offers a rare gift in the Diocese of San Diego: a place to draw near to Christ in the silence of a cloistered Discalced Carmelite monastery where daily Mass is open to the public. Faithful can join the sisters in prayer from the public chapel, entrust their intentions to a community whose specific charism is intercession for priests, and step into a centuries-old contemplative tradition that stretches back to St. Teresa of Avila and the hermits of Mt. Carmel. It is a place to encounter the hidden, prayerful heart of the Church in the heart of San Diego.
Mass times at Carmelite Monastery
Weekly Mass schedule
Who We Are — The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of San Diego
The Carmel of the Trinity is a community of Discalced Carmelite Nuns, daughters of St. Teresa of Avila, who profess an allegiance to Jesus Christ by living a consecrated life of silent, solitary prayer in a small community of sisters. Each day the nuns help one another grow in love and joy, depth and devotion as they journey toward their goal of union with God. The vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience are central to their life: by means of these vows, God brings them to purity, emptiness, and responsiveness to His Word.
- Daughters of St. Teresa of Avila
- Constitutional life: chastity, poverty, obedience
- Charism: silent, solitary prayer in a small community
Our Roots — History of the Order and the San Diego Carmel
The Order of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is rooted in the contemplative tradition of the Church. It had its beginnings in the Near East, where on Mt. Carmel a small group of hermits, looking to the prophet Elijah and the Mother of God, came together under the Rule given them by St. Albert of Jerusalem between 1206 and 1214. Migrating to Europe, the hermits adapted their way of life to the new demands of the times. In 1452 a group of beguines were drawn to the Carmelite spirit, and a century later, in 1562, St. Teresa of Avila initiated her reform, which became known as the Discalced Carmelites. The Discalced reform spread worldwide, reaching North America in 1790 and California in 1908.
- 1206–1214: Rule of Carmel given by Saint Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem
- 1562: Beginning of the Reform of Carmel by Saint Teresa of Avila
- 1619: Foundation of the English-speaking Carmel in Antwerp, Belgium
- 1678: Hoogstraet Carmel in Belgium founded from Antwerp
- 1790: First Carmelite Monastery in North America (Port Tobacco, Maryland)
- 1831: Community relocates to Baltimore, Maryland
- 1890: Boston Carmel founded from Baltimore
- 1908: First Carmel in California established in Santa Clara by the Boston Carmel
- June 11, 1926: The Carmel of San Diego (Carmel of the Trinity) founded from Santa Clara
Spirit and Life — Mission and Vocation
The community describes itself as being called to be 'the light of love that must never go out and the heart of love that must not stop beating in and for the world entrusted to our prayer and concern.' Their lives are offered as prayer for the needs of the Church and especially for priests. Day by day, in their daily tasks and simple work within the community, they say yes to Christ — a life of prayer, a life free for love.
- Intercessory prayer for the Church
- Specific intercessory prayer for priests
- Daily prayer offered through work and liturgical schedule
Vocation and Formation
The Carmel of the Trinity welcomes women who feel called to the contemplative life. According to the Institute on Religious Life directory, candidates are practicing Catholics (baptized and confirmed) with a desire to live a prayer life for the Church, a joyous spirit of generosity and love, good physical, mental and emotional health, freedom from dependents and financial debt, and some college study and/or equivalent work experience. The accepted age range is 21 to 45. Formation proceeds through four stages: Aspirancy, Postulancy, Novitiate, and Profession (Temporary Vows leading to Solemn Vows).
- Formation stages: Aspirancy, Postulancy, Novitiate, Profession
- Temporary Vows leading to Solemn Vows
- Province: Queen of Carmel Association, USA
- Age range for applicants: 21 to 45
- Vocation contact: Sister Maria Fideles Musiko, O.C.D.
Visiting Hours and Contact
The monastery has set visiting hours that respect the cloistered life of the sisters. The public is welcome to come and pray during these hours.
- Sunday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Monday, Wednesday through Saturday: 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Tuesdays: closed all day
- Phone: (619) 280-5424
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.carmelsandiego.com
Province and Affiliations
The Carmel of the Trinity is part of the Queen of Carmel Association, USA, and belongs to the Diocese of San Diego within the universal Discalced Carmelite Order (O.C.D.), whose generalate is in Rome.
- Province: Queen of Carmel Association, USA
- Diocese: San Diego, California
- Generalate: Rome