SECULAR ORDER
DISCALCED CARMELITES
Mary Queen of Carmel Community Clearwater,
Florida |
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France in the mid-sixteenth century was in turmoil. The reformation, begun in 1517, was spreading throughout Europe and many French Catholics became Protestant. Western Europe was being divided into Protestant and Catholic lands, and France itself was thrown into a series of civil wars that lasted for over thirty years. Politically, spiritually and culturally, France was in disarray. The Catholic Church itself , laity and clergy alike, was assailed by threats from within and without. Into this cultural milieu was born Barbe Avrillot in 1566. Born to upper class Parisian parents, she was dedicated to Our Lady and grew into a devout, obedient child. Barbe was educated at a boarding school under the direction of Franciscan nuns. She thrived in the atmosphere of convent life and felt herself attracted to the call of a religious vocation, but, as the only daughter of a prosperous family, Barbe’s mother felt that her future belonged to husband, family and societal obligations. Barbe left her abbey school at age 14 and returned home where her mother attempted to redirect her religious devotion to more worldly preoccupations. Barbe married Pierre Acarie at age 16 and took her place as a young wife in Parisian society. By the time she was 19, Barbe had borne two children and was a devoted wife and mother. Four children would eventually follow. As a busy wife and mother, Barbe had little time for reading, but one day she came across a quote from St. Augustine that would change her life: “He is indeed a miser to whom God is not enough.” She was instantly transformed and this marked her entrance into a mystical relationship with God that would be known by frequent ecstacies, raptures and the interior stigmata. Initially, Barbe was distressed and confused by her experiences. Her husband and mother-in-law believed her to be ill. Barbe herself questioned whether her experiences derived from God, the devil, or her own imagination. Being a practical young woman, Barbe went about her household duties as best she could and eventually came under the influence of a spiritual director who was able to reassure her that she had nothing to fear. The Acarie home became a center of religious
life in Paris. Both lay people and clergy gathered there daily for
masses, discussions of doctrine, and spiritual direction and renewal.
One of these people was Francis de Sales, the preacher from Savoy,
who became Barbe’s confessor and lifelong friend. They enjoyed
a reciprocal relationship of deep mutual respect from which both benefited
spiritually. During this time Barbe had her first vision, one of St.
Teresa of Avila, asking that the Discalced Carmelite order be brought
to France. De Sales became an enthusiastic supporter of this endeavor
and wrote to the Pope asking for permission to begin the work. By
1604, six Spanish Carmelite nuns, under the direction of Ann of Jesus,
arrived in Paris to begin the work of the order |
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