Way of the Heart

Carmel is that mysterious activity and work of God that takes place in every human heart.

God takes the person within, where both God and the person reside. The person is then carried into the future of God. When the contemplative yields to the visitation of God,

This gracious action of the Spirit presses on to fulfillment. It will never disappoint.

We are ordinary people, women of Faith, bonded in the spirit of Carmel desiring to bring to the world a new experience of God, even in ordinary happenings and events.

Our vocation as members of the Order of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel is to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to continue His life of prayer on earth. It was November 24, 1975 when the move from Bettendorf, IA to Eldridge, IA was made at the beginning of renewal.

As women of faith, in the Spirit of Carmel, we freely respond to the call of the Holy Spirit by striving to live the Gospel values of Jesus in a contemplative lifestyle of prayer which incorporates a balance of community with solitude and silence.

We hold a lighted candle that points to the hidden light burning within the heart of everyone.

We believe our contemplative life of prayer is both prophetic and apostolic.

Bonded in deep sisterhood we listen with creative fidelity to the signs of the times… ….and strive to witness authentically to the reign of God,

through loving service to God’s people,

to all of creation and to one another.

We pray.

We strive to live simply.

We offer the totality of our lives…

…that others may experience the nearness of God.

We believe even when it is difficult to believe.

The true end, purpose and task of a life of prayer is not really prayer itself. It is a life intended to help the one who prays to grow in relationship in every way. A life of prayer is meant to help a person become fully human.

This religious family is a renewed form of the Carmelite Order. It joins fidelity to the spirit and traditions of the Order with a vision toward ongoing renewal. The Sisters take seriously the words of Holy Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus: “We are beginning now. Let those who come after us strive always to make a new beginning.” - Constitutions Eldridge is located near the banks of the Mississippi River, just minutes from the Quad Cities of Davenport, IA, Bettendorf, IA, Moline, IL, and Rock Island, IL. Eldridge is 165 miles east of Des Moines and 175 miles west of Chicago, IL. The Carmelite Monastery is situated in a lush rural setting, located at th Street, Eldridge, Iowa