The Carmelite Constitutions (no. 91) speaking of the apostolic mission of the Order in the Local Church declare that "the Carmelite mission shares in the mission of Jesus, who was sent to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God and to bring about the total liberation of humanity from all sin and oppression. Our ministry as Carmelites is, therefore an integral part of our charism. We are guided in this by the teaching of the pastors of the Church; by our tradition and by the values it upholds; by the signs of the times; and above all, by attentive listening to the Word, having regard also for its interpretation from the perspective of the poor. We are to evaluate and renew our service (diakonia) in the Church, so that we may better respond to the questions raised by the cultural, social and religious circumstances of the people. In our mission, we must take into account the talents and charisms of the brethren, and be aware of the natural limitations of our contribution."
Parishes
While preserving its universal character, the Carmelite Order endeavours to be fully involved in the life of local churches. This implies close co-operation with the various elements of these churches. Within local churches, we strive to offer the contribution of our charism to the task of evangelisation by fostering a deeper grasp of the contemplative dimension of life, of fraternity, and concrete commitment to justice.
To the extent that it is possible, we undertake - in keeping with the legal and pastoral provisions of the Church and of our Order - various forms of apostolate requested by the Church, in accordance with the needs of time and of place. We achieve this through parish work, service to the faithful in churches, instruction of young people in schools and elsewhere, preaching of retreats, study, spiritual direction, guidance about spiritual problems, and other initiatives.
