On Nov. 12, six women from the Springfield diocese took their definitive promises as Secular Discalced Carmelites at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Peoria. They are now members of Mary, Mother of the Blessed Sacrament Community in Peoria.
The group included Stephanie Ohnemus and Sherry Kemner from St. Francis Solanus Parish, Quincy; Pat Davis, Willa Wheeler, and Virginia Drew from St. Peter Parish, Quincy; and Margie Kendrick from St. Edward Parish in Mendon.
The main charism of the Carmelites is to live the beatitudes while promising to live the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. "The call to divine intimacy with Christ and praying for priests is also a great part of the Carmelite call," says Ohnemus.
"We were in formation for six years," she says. "We studied St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and St. Therese of Lisieux. We met once a month on a Saturday with the folks in Peoria, because that was the closest place. In the winter we didn't drive but we had a conference call."
The call to become a Secular Discalced Carmelite is a serious commitment, Ohnemus says. "It is the same commitment that a nun or a religious brother would make when entering a monastery." Members follow the rule set down in the 13th century by St. Albert of Jerusalem.
"The friars, nuns and seculars each have their own constitution to live their lives according to the part of the order of which they are members," she says. For example, the constitution for Secular Discalced Carmelites takes into account that they live in the world with jobs and families. Although people of all ages can become a secular member of the Carmelites, all six of the women in Ohnemus' group were women whose children had already grown.
"Like I said, we take our promises very seriously," Ohnemus says. "We pray the Liturgy of the Hours, do some spiritual reading and meditate each day. Mass and the rosary are also included in our everyday life. We continue to meet once a month with the folks in Peoria."
The community that Ohnemus and her friends belong to is part of the Washington Province and is under the direction of the Provincial Delegate, Father John Grennon, OCD. For more information on becoming a Secular Discalced Carmelite, contact Carolyn or Don O'Meara at (262) 670-9989.