“You know this, for even our call to found here in your midst, you have accepted and received as your call from God. Today, we want to take this moment to thank you for your yes to this call and for all that yes has meant for us.”

–Mother Marie of the Incarnation, O.C.D.

Our Mission

“God called us here to pray. To pray for priests, to pray for the dear, dear people of your diocese who are very obviously close to the heart of Jesus, and to pray for those who have wandered away from God.”

Mother Marie of the Incarnation, O.C.D.

The Guild exists so this hidden life of prayer can flourish — a community of supporters across the Diocese of Fort Worth caring for the Carmel’s practical needs, sustainably and systematically.

How You Can Support

The First Gift Is Prayer

Then, as the Carmel is built — both physically and spiritually — monetary gifts, goods, time, and skilled labor.

Contact Us

Become Part of Their Story

Partner with the Guild, host an informational at your parish, or write to the Carmel with a prayer request or a question of vocation.

Carmelite History

The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel

The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel took canonical shape in the thirteenth century as Latin pilgrims, crusaders, and penitents settled on the slopes of Mount Carmel and entered into the ancient monastic tradition already established there, following in the footsteps of the Prophet Elijah, who they took as their spiritual Progenitor, and dedicating themselves to the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Eventually, due in large part to Saracen invasion, hermits had to abandon this cradle of their religious life and return to Europe, where the Order adopted a mendicant structure and, due to pressures coming from city life and the devastations of the Black Plague, eventually lost some of its original austerity. Consequently, in the sixteenth century, Our Lord raised up a Spanish Carmelite nun, Saint Teresa of Jesus, to reform His Mother’s beloved Carmelite Order, restoring it to its original austerity. Her work resulted in the formation of a new branch of the Order of Carmel, namely, the Discalced Carmelites, characterized by prayer for the needs of the Apostolate.

The Teresian Reform of Carmel

In her Way of Perfection, Saint Teresa of Jesus writes: “When I began to take the first steps toward founding this monastery [San José, in Ávila, the first of her foundations], news reached me of the harm being done [by the religious schisms of the sixteenth century]. The news distressed me greatly, and, as though I could do something or were something, I cried to the Lord and begged Him that I might remedy so much evil. It seemed to me that I would have given a thousand lives to save one soul out of the many that were being lost. . . . All my longing was and still is that since He has so many enemies and so few friends, that these few friends be good ones. As a result, I resolved to do the little that was in my power; that is, to follow the evangelical counsels as perfectly as I could and strive that these few persons who live here do the same. I did this trusting in the great goodness of God, Who never fails to help anyone who is determined to give up everything for Him” (Way of Perfection, Chapter 1).

Thus began the Discalced reform of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. Also known as the Teresian reform, after its Mother-Foundress, the Discalced Carmelites nuns live a life of hidden prayer and penance for Holy Mother Church, especially for priests. Today as in Saint Teresa’s age, “The world is in flames.” Today as in Saint Teresa’s age, Discalced Carmelites nuns are called to spend their life at the foot of the Cross, welcoming redemption for souls who otherwise might be lost, welcoming grace for priests who need support in their supernatural labors, welcoming God’s love in reparation for all those who have rejected it. In the words of the nineteenth-century French Carmelite, Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, the Carmelite nun is to “be love in the Heart of the Church,” our Mother.

Guild for

Carmel of Jesus Crucified

An auxiliary organization developed to support the needs of the Carmelite nuns of the Carmel of Jesus Crucified in a practical and concrete way while at the same time supporting their spiritual mission of prayer, solitude, and silence.

Support the Mission

In Christ, We Support One Another

“The Sisters desire that Jesus Christ Crucified be the bedrock of their foundation. Therefore, the first gift from you upon which they rely is your own prayer and sacrifice for them. In Christ, we support one another.”

In the Carmel’s own words: “The Carmel of Jesus Crucified needs your spiritual and material support. First, we request your prayers for us and for our efforts, that all be done for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. If salt loses its savor it is not good for anything, as Our Lord says. We are laying our foundations now, not just physically, but spiritually. Pray that we, your new sisters, will remain ever faithful to God’s summons. As for our temporal support, both monetary donations and donations of time and skilled labor will be needed as we move forward with building the Carmel of Jesus Crucified.”

“God has been so good to us. We see His light shining brightly in you, in the charity with which you have welcomed us. . . . As we pray for all of you and thank you for all that you do to help us maintain the solitude and silence proper to our life, we ask you likewise to pray for us to be faithful to our proper calling — faithful to the hidden prayer to which we have been called. In this way, we will support each other and bring abundant fruits of holiness to gladden the heart of Holy Mother Church.”

Mother Marie of the Incarnation, O.C.D.

Building Project

A Worthy Dwelling Place

In December 2025, the Carmel of Jesus Crucified was established in the rolling, wooded hills of Cooke County, in the northwest of the Diocese of Fort Worth. On December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Bishop Michael Olson celebrated the Mass of Foundation and performed the Rite of Enclosure at the monastery’s temporary home near Muenster, Texas.

In a matter of weeks, the people and parishes of Cooke County rose to provide for the sisters: benefactors donated land and a manufactured home; carpenters, electricians, and plumbers transformed the home into eight cells; parishioners cleaned, organized, and sewed curtains. Local farmers now provide eggs, milk, cheese, and produce; a fisherman sends his catch; woodworkers build bookcases and furniture; and students of Sacred Heart Catholic School in Muenster constructed a “speak room” so the nuns can receive a visitor without breaking their enclosure.

The temporary site offers the seclusion so important to the spirituality and vocation of Carmelite life. But it is temporary. Plans are underway for a permanent monastery on roughly forty acres of donated land near the present enclosure. The nuns will remain at the temporary site as long as necessary for the permanent Carmel to be funded and built — and this is where your help is needed most.

“I’ve been praying for years — three or four years at least — asking God what to do with this land to share it with people. ‘This is your land. This is not mine. How do I share it?’”

The land’s donor

Both monetary donations and donations of time and skilled labor will be needed as the building of the Carmel of Jesus Crucified moves forward. To offer either, please give online or by mail, or reach out to the Guild.

Online Giving

Give to the Carmel

Your gift supports the daily life of the nuns and the building of their permanent monastery. Online donations are processed securely through Zeffy, a free platform for nonprofits — 100% of your donation reaches the Carmel.

Vocations

Is God Calling You to Carmel?

The Discalced Carmelites, following in the footsteps of their hermit forefathers on the slopes of Carmel, are called, in the words of St. Thérèse, to be love in the heart of the Church, through their hidden life of prayer and sacrifice, consecrated to the service of God and of Our Lady.

“Contemplate the Lord who hangs before you on the wood, because He was obedient even to the death of the Cross. . . . Before you, the Redeemer hangs on the Cross, stripped and naked, because He chose poverty. . . . Stand before the Lord, Who hangs from the Cross with His heart torn open. He poured out the Blood of His Heart in order to win your heart. . . . The world is in flames, . . . but above all the flames the Cross stands on high, and it cannot be burnt. The Cross is the way which leads from earth to heaven. Those who embrace it with faith, love, and hope are taken up, right into the heart of the Trinity.”

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, O.C.D. (Edith Stein)

Who May Discern

The Carmel welcomes inquiries from single women, typically between the ages of 18 and 35, who believe God is calling them to a life of contemplative prayer within the cloister of Carmel, in the tradition of Our Holy Mother, Saint Teresa of Jesus. Exceptions for belated vocations may occasionally be made where God’s will is manifest.

Formation is tailored to the needs of each sister. Aspirants are invited to write Reverend Mother Prioress to learn more.

Write to the Carmel

Mother Marie of the Incarnation, O.C.D.
Carmel of Jesus Crucified
P.O. Box 308
Muenster, TX 76252

(940) 641-5564

Resources

Share Their Story

Materials for parishes, presenters, and partners who wish to introduce the Carmel of Jesus Crucified to their communities.

In the News

“A Worthy Dwelling Place” — North Texas Catholic
“Building Support: A Guild Forms” — North Texas Catholic
Carmel of Jesus Crucified — Cloistered Life Directory

Contact the Guild

Reach Out

To partner with the Guild, host an informational at your parish, offer goods or skilled labor, or ask a question, write to us below or at guildforcarmelofjesuscrucified@gmail.com.

Prayer Requests & Vocations, by Mail

Mother Marie of the Incarnation, O.C.D.
Carmel of Jesus Crucified
P.O. Box 308
Muenster, TX 76252
(940) 641-5564