100 YEARS OF CARMELITE PRESENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES (DISCALCED CARMELITE NUNS)

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MONASTERY OF OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL AND ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS - JARO CARMEL

Jaro Carmel, the first Discalced Carmelite Monastery in the Philippines was founded from the Carmel of Hue, Vietnam because of the earnest request of Bishop James McCloskey, then Bishop of Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines.

The Carmel of Lisieux where St. Therese of the Child Jesus entered, founded the Carmel of Saigon, Vietnam in 1861. Saigon Carmel founded the Carmel of Hanoi in 1895, Hanoi Carmel founded the Carmel of Hue in 1909 and Hue Carmel founded the Carmel of Jaro in 1923. St. Therese wrote to her spiritual brother, Fr. Roulland about six months before her death (March 19,1897); "...I can assure you that if Jesus does not soon come looking for me from the Carmel of Heaven, I shall one day leave for that of Hanoi; for now there is a Carmel in that city, the Saigon Carmel recently founded it."" Her desire to go to Hanoi Carmel was not realized because of her illness. She said: "After my death I will go very quickly to the Carmel of Hanoi."

Most Reverend James P. McCloskey had a great love for and devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Therese of the Child Jesus. Because of this he desired to have a Carmelite Monastery in his diocese. He dreamt that there would be someone who, by day and by night, would be praying for the needs of his diocese; its bishop and priests in particular, and for the Philippines, in general.

The dream became a reality on November 9, 1923. This day marked the foundation of Carmel in the Philippines. The first Mass was celebrated in Molo, Iloilo City, where the four foundresses were temporarily housed.

Bishop McCloskey was the first member of the Discalced Carmelite Third Order in the Philippines. He donated all his inheritance from the estate of his parents in Philadelphia for the building of Jaro Carmel. He died a saintly death on April 9, 1945. Fourteen years after his death, his brown scapular and his wooden rosary beads were found intact, while his priestly vestments were reduced to dust. These souvenirs are kept in Jaro Carmel.

Archdiocese of Jaro, Commission on Social Communications

 

 

Majority of Discalced Carmelite Monasteries of Nuns in the Philippines can be traced to Lisieux Carmel. However, a few were founded from Carmels in Quebec, Canada, Baltimore, USA, and a French founded Carmel in China who transferred to Naga during the communist revolution.