Any Male Carmelite Communities Worth Investigating?

[four_waters]

Dear Laeticia Crucis,
Grace and peace be with you.

Thank you for the recommendation. Indeed the Franciscans of the Immaculate are an admirable institute. However, I have heard it said from persons of high repute for sanctity that one should not enter a community in the hopes of being transfered to a certain location/sub-branch within the order, since the vow of obedience demands total submission to the will of one's superior, and total acceptance of the principle charism and life of the institute. I understand that there have been friars who have requested transfer to the contemplative house, and are still waiting after many years.

Such is the vow of obedience.

Edited November 4, 2009 by four_waters

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='four_waters' date='04 November 2009 - 11:10 AM' timestamp='1257347447' post='1996081']
Dear Laeticia Crucis,
Grace and peace be with you.

Thank you for the recommendation. Indeed the Franciscans of the Immaculate are an admirable institute. However, I have heard it said from persons of high repute for sanctity that one should not enter a community in the hopes of being transfered to a certain location/sub-branch within the order, since the vow of obedience demands total submission to the will of one's superior, and total acceptance of the principle charism and life of the institute. I understand that there have been friars who have requested transfer to the contemplative house, and are still waiting after many years.

Such is the vow of obedience.
[/quote]

Ah, this is a [i]very[/i] good point! Thank you, four_waters!

May our Blessed Mother continue guiding you on your search!

lc

[Thomist-in-Training]

Yes indeed. On that note, there is a very very new men's Benedictine community, started by two monks who left (with permission I believe) Le Barroux, called the "Benedictines of the Immaculate." http://benedictines-immaculate.blogspot.com/ The page is sort of in a mishmash of English and occasional untranslated French, but there's a bit to go by. Right now there are only two of them, unless they've been joined by more, then they might have three. As I know now that I've visited (other) Benedictines, they are surely NOT strictly contemplative, but I thought I'd pass on the name and link anyways in case it caught your fancy.

[four_waters]

Thank you for the great recommendation. If I felt drawn to Benedictine spirituality, this new community would be the first I would visit. However, I am fairly certain I am not called to be a Benedictine.

Perhaps though you could help answer a question I had. I was curious if you could recommend a book which contains compilations of various Carmelites documents, such as the rule (of the reforms of Saint Teresa and Saint John of the Cross) and the constitutions that the male communities follow.

Thank you in advance for any assistance.