About Discalced Carmelite Monastery of the Infant Jesus of Prague & St. Joseph · Dallas, Texas
The Discalced Carmelite Monastery of the Infant Jesus of Prague and St. Joseph is a cloistered, contemplative community of Discalced Carmelite Nuns (OCD) in Dallas, Texas. The nuns live in full papal enclosure, devoted to prayer, sacrifice, and manual labor, and they support the Church through their hidden life of intercession for priests and all humanity. The community was originally founded in Tulancingo, Mexico in 1907 and, after fleeing religious persecution, relocated to Dallas on March 13, 1928, becoming the first Discalced Carmelite monastery in the province. Daily Mass is open to the public, and the community also hosts the Confraternity of the Holy Face for lay faithful.
- Established
- 1907
- Patron
- Infant Jesus of Prague and St. Joseph
- Diocese
- Diocese of Dallas
Why belong here
The Monastery of the Infant Jesus of Prague and St. Joseph offers the public a rare opportunity to attend daily Mass celebrated by the Discalced Carmelite Nuns at 7:00 a.m. and to join the Confraternity of the Holy Face, which meets on the first Sunday of every month at 3:30 p.m. for prayer and Benediction in the chapel. Visitors can request prayers from the nuns, support them through charitable donations, or — for women discerning a call — explore a Carmelite vocation. The community's mission is to love Jesus for those who do not love Him, pray for those who do not pray, bring peace to those who do not find it, and seek salvation for those who seek it.
Mass times at Discalced Carmelite Monastery of the Infant Jesus of Prague & St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
About the Monastery
The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Dallas are a reformed branch of the ancient Carmelite Order, whose patron is Elijah, the Old Testament prophet of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. Like St. Elijah, the nuns stand in the presence of the Living God to experience His nearness and to pray for His people. They are a cloistered contemplative community following the reform of Saint Teresa of Jesus (Avila), a joyful expression of total dedication to Christ in a community atmosphere of unity and constant prayer. Their daily life is centered around the Eucharistic Sacrifice of Jesus in daily Mass, from which they receive the grace to live up to their calling. The hours pass in an alternating rhythm between prayer and manual labor. Simplicity of life, the silence and solitude of a hermit, and the support of a loving community all help them as they "journey onto heaven."
- Full papal enclosure cloistered community
- Reformed Carmelite tradition of St. Teresa of Ávila
- Centered on daily Mass, the Divine Office, and manual labor
- Hermit-like silence and solitude within a loving community
History: From Tulancingo to Dallas
The monastery was founded in Tulancingo, Mexico in 1907. After seven years, religious persecutions forced the nuns to live in hidden groups of two or three for over a decade. On March 13, 1928, accompanied by Carmelite Fr. Bernardo Aguilar, the founding mothers arrived in Dallas and became the first Discalced Carmelite Nuns in the province. The statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague was smuggled across the border with them and remains in the chapel choir as "Our Little Founder."
- Founded 1907 in Tulancingo, Mexico
- Fled religious persecution after 1914
- Arrived in Dallas, March 13, 1928
- Six founding mothers made the journey
- Statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague smuggled from Mexico
Daily Mass
Mass is normally celebrated at 7:00 a.m. every day and is open to the public. This is the central act of the nuns' day and the source of the grace that supports their contemplative vocation.
- Daily Mass at 7:00 AM
- Open to the public every day
Confraternity of the Holy Face
The Confraternity of the Holy Face meets on the 1st Sunday of every month at 3:30 p.m. in the Chapel. The current chaplain is Fr. Orosco. Members receive a Certificate of Enrollment, the Manual of the Confraternity, a Holy Face Chaplet, and a booklet of the Holy Face Prayers. International members receive digital copies due to unreliable shipping.
- 1st Sunday of every month at 3:30 PM in the Chapel
- Chaplain: Fr. Orosco
- Open to U.S. and international members
- Includes a Certificate of Enrollment, Manual, Chaplet, and Prayer booklet
Prayer Requests
Visitors may submit prayer requests to the nuns through the monastery's website. The community offers its hidden life of prayer and sacrifice for the intentions of all who ask, especially for Holy Mother Church and her priests.
- Prayer requests submitted online
- Sacrificial intercession for the whole Church
Vocations
The nuns describe a vocation to Carmel as a gift from Our Lord Jesus Christ, a personal call realized within the community one is meant to serve. By imitating her Divine Spouse, the Carmelite learns to surrender all that she is or will be for the glory of God. Formation proceeds through the stages of Pre-Formation, Aspirant, Postulant, Novice, Jr. Professed, and Solemn Professed. Inquiries may be directed to Rev. Mother Juanita Marie, Prioress.
- Stages: Pre-Formation, Aspirant, Postulant, Novice, Jr. Professed, Solemn Professed
- Contact: Rev. Mother Juanita Marie, Prioress
- Affiliated with the Institute on Religious Life
Friends of the Dallas Carmelite Nuns
The Discalced Dallas Carmelite nuns are devoted to a simple, contemplative life of prayer and trust in God's providence alone for all their needs, both spiritual and material. In 2012, friends of the community established a fund through the Catholic Foundation to help with medical care, utilities, building maintenance, and other larger-cost items needed for everyday living, as well as to provide a long-term financial resource. Donations may also be given directly to the nuns.
- Fund established 2012 through the Catholic Foundation
- Catholic Foundation contact: 972-661-9792 / [email protected]
- Online donations via Flocknotes
Contact and Visit
The monastery chapel is located at 600 Flowers Ave., Dallas, TX 75211, in the Diocese of Dallas. Visitors are welcome to attend the daily 7:00 a.m. Mass and the monthly Holy Face Confraternity meeting on the first Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
- Address: 600 Flowers Ave., Dallas, TX 75211
- Phone: 469-243-5801
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.dallascarmelites.com
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Bernardo Aguilar, OCD1928
Carmelite friar who arranged the paperwork and safeguarded the founding mothers on their journey from Mexico to Dallas in March 1928.