Discalced Carmelite Nuns

In 1863, during the Civil War, the Carmelites came to St. Louis from Baltimore, Md. Since that time, they have lived lives of prayer and penance following the tradition of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. The Nuns of the Carmel of St. Joseph pray the Liturgy of the Hours as a community and live a life of continual prayer in imitation of Christ’s hidden life at Nazareth and in solitary places. Some of the prayer is before the Blessed Sacrament, which is exposed daily both in the Nuns’ Chapel and in the public Chapel. 

Rising before the sun can break through the darkness of night, the Discalced Carmelite nuns wake to the sound of a loud wooden clapper and a voice calling them to communal prayer with the words, “Praise be Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary His Mother. Come to prayer sisters, come to praise the Lord!”

The cloistered nuns, wearing full-length habits and veils, make their way to a large, wood-paneled choir room to chant the Liturgy of the Hours, the universal prayer of the Church. It is a duty they will ritually perform seven times each day as they interceed to God with their prayers for mankind, giving special attention to praying for priests.

All are welcome – Daily 7:30am & Sunday 8:00am Mass, followed by Eucharistic Adoration all day, then 7:45pm Benediction.

All are also invited to the annual Solemn Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, held in July.

Carmel of St. Joseph, Chapel of the Precious Blood, 9150 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63124