WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

1189-1191 THE PRIMITIVE RULE OF CARMEL

In the twelfth century (perhaps after the third crusade, 1189-1191), a group of penitent-pilgrims who had  come from Europe joined together near the Fountain of Elijah on Mount Carmel. They looked to Elijah,  the prophet, for inspiration. In the Scriptures the prophet is portrayed as one who found God – not in the  wind – not in the earthquake – not in the fire – but in a gentle whisper (1Kings 19: 11-12), the gentle whisper of contemplation. Eventually they asked St. Albert of Jerusalem to write a rule of life for them: 

In many and various ways our holy ancestors have laid down how everyone whatever thestate of life or way ofreligious life chosen -shall livein allegiance to Jesus Christ and serve faithfully with a pure heart and a good conscience…” (The Rule of Carmel) 

1562 THE DISCALCED CARMELITES ARE FOUNDED

In 1535, approximately 100 years after nuns were added to the Order, Teresa de Ahumada (1515-1582)  entered the Carmelite monastery of the Incarnation in Avila, Spain. She was destined to change the  course of history for the Carmelite Order forever. The over-crowded conditions in the Incarnation at that time did not lend itself to the interior journey. Remembering the beginnings of the Order on Mount  Carmel, Teresa envisioned a small community like that of the early hermits – where the sisters could  devote themselves more fully to the original inspiration of prayer, study and simple living. Led by the  Spirit and aflame with mystical love for God, St. Teresa went on to found 17 monasteries of nuns  throughout Spain. They were known as the Discalced Carmelites, the Order to which our Reno  community belongs. Along the way St. Teresa met with innumerable obstacles; being called before the Inquisition to defend her mystical experience of God as a woman, negotiated many intercommunity problems and purchases of property. She faced countless legal and financial worries and was assailed by poor health through it all. After 20 years of intense activity in service to the Church she died on October 4, 1582, at the age of 67.

Through her own experience and understanding, St. Teresa became a gifted teacher and guide in the  spiritual life. She left us the Book of Her Life, the Way of Perfection, the Interior Castle, the Book of Her Foundations, her Spiritual Testimonies as well as poetry and hundreds of letters. In her writings we  experience her intense faith and dialogue with God. Today, Teresa’s writings continue to guide and encourage us on our own journey toward the hidden center of our being where God dwells in sacred  silence.

1954 THE CARMELITES COME TO RENO 

On August 12, 1954, four nuns holding one-way tickets for Reno, Nevada, left the Carmelite Monastery  in Indianapolis. Another four nuns followed a few days later. A small house on North Virginia  Street…just up the block from Circus, Circus…became the first home of The Carmel of Our Lady of the  Mountains. In 1958 we moved to our present location on La Fond Drive. In the 60’s we set about the work of adapting our life according to the signs of the times and the demands of culture as decreed by the Second Vatican Council. In the process, Carmelite life as we had known it, would be forever  changed. We carefully considered old customs, shedding what was un-essential in an effort to return to  the mind and heart of our early hermits and the heart of St. Teresa. Those of us joining Reno Carmel in  the years following were drawn to this community because the sisters had renewed their way of life. We  shared a similar vision for Carmel and wanted to be part of it. We are immensely grateful to the sisters who courageously paved the way before us. And we are committed to continue listening to the Spirit  and evolving into the future. 

For us, the wide-open spaces of Nevada mirror the breadth of vision, silence, solitude and the desert  spirituality of Elijah and the early hermits on Mount Carmel. Since arriving here in 1954 we have become  an integral part of the Church community of Northern Nevada, gathering an extended community around us and establishing a Carmelite presence, once again, as a house of prayer for all the people. From our earliest days on Virginia Street, we began supporting ourselves by means of a printshop, a work  which we continue to this day. But our main purpose and work is in being a spiritual resource for the  wonderful people of this region and our world. We welcome all to join us in holding open a space for  God’s Life/Love in our world through contemplative silence believing that prayer holds the key to  positive transformation in our world and in all creation.