Carmelite Daughters of the Divine Heart of Jesus

The Roman Catholic religious order of the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus was founded by Blessed Maria Teresa of St. Joseph (Anna Maria Tauscher) in July 2, 1891 [http://www.carmelitedcj.org/foundress.asp] . Mother Mary Teresa traveled to the U.S. in 1912 to establish a congregation [http://www.carmelitedcjnorth.org/default.aspx?G=1&P=2] . The Provincial House was opened in 1917 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and the first American Postulant was received in 1920, right from the Milwaukee area [http://www.carmelitedcjnorth.org/default.aspx?G=3&P=2] .

Patrons of the Order

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Saint Joseph

Saint Francis Xavier

Saint Teresa of Avila

Saint John of the Cross

Saint Thérèse de Lisieux

Prophet Elijah

Areas of concern for the Order

The charism, or spiritual focus, of this order is to offer reparation to Jesus for the denial and unbelief of his divinity [http://www.carmelitedcj.org/life.asp] . This is done through prayer, meditation and especially through weekly adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

The apostolate of this order is to provide "A Home Away from Home" for children and the elderly [http://www.carmelitedcj.org/life.asp] . For this purpose the order has houses in Europe, the United States, Canada, Central America, South America, and Africa [http://www.cmswr.org/member_communities/DCJ.htm] .

In the U.S. the Sisters have cared for the elderly, since 1929, at St. Agnes Home in Kirkwood, MO [http://www.stagneshome.com] ; since 1952 at the Carmel Nursing Home in Owensboro, KY [http://www.carmelhomeky.org] ; since 1917 at St. Joseph Home for the Aged in Kenosha, WI [http://www.carmelitedcjnorth.org/default.aspx?G=3&P=5] ; since 1951 at Saint Ann's Home in Grand Rapids, MI [http://www.stannshome.com] ; and since 1954 at Mount Carmel Home in Corpus Christi, TX [http://www.goccn.org/stc/articles/article.cfm?article=534] .

On the same property in Kirkwood, the Sisters care for children ages 2-5 at their Carmelite Child Development Center [http://www.carmelcdc.org] . They maintain a Residential Treatment Center for boys in Wauwatosa, WI opened in 1917 [http://www.carmelitedcjnorth.org/default.aspx?G=3&P=3] ; a Residential Treatment Center for girls (originally an orphanage opened in 1913) in East Chicago, IN with an Emergency Shelter Care for infants and small children who are victims of trauma, abuse or neglect [http://www.carmelitedcjnorth.org/default.aspx?G=3&P=3] .

The General Mother House is in the city of Sittard, Holland; where the Mother General resides. The General Mother House serves as the highest authority after the Holy Father and the Sacred Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes in Rome as the principal body that regulates religious life in the Congregation [http://www.carmelitedcj.org/convents_motherhouse.asp] .

U.S. states and cities where the order is to be found

Wauwatosa, WI

East Chicago, IN

Kenosha, WI

Grand Rapids, MI

Kirkwood, MO

Owensboro, KY

Corpus Christi, TX

External links

[http://www.carmelitedcj.org/index.asp Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus (Central Province)]

[http://www.carmelitedcjnorth.org Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus (Northern Province)]

[http://www.cmswr.org/member_communities/DCJ.htm Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus]