Discernment Questions
- Are you a Catholic single woman free from obligations to others (debts, dependents, etc.)?
- Do you possess a high school diploma and good moral, physical, and mental health?
- Do you desire to give your life totally in love to God and to the Church?
If you fulfill the above conditions and your heart swells at the idea of total self-gift, God could be calling you to contemplative life. We encourage you to pray and seek what He is calling you to do. Our Lord desires many to follow Him. Be assured of our prayers for you in your discernment.
“If you are seeking Him, know that He is seeking you much more.”
Pause and Pray
Within you dwells your God.
Enter within.
Look at Him.
Talk to Him.
Listen to Him.
Stay with Him in your heart.
“Indeed we have heaven within ourselves for the Lord of Heaven is there.”
~ St. Teresa of Jesus
“Never was the contemplative vocation more precious or more relevant than in our modern restless world.”
~ St. John Paul II
A Message to Aspirants Seeking Carmel
We send you heart-felt greetings and love in Jesus and Mary. We pray for you in your discernment process. We also unabashedly pray God will deign to bring you to our Carmel – this little plot of garden woodland – wherein your spirit may be filled to to its fullest capacity with the Spirit of Jesus, the Spouse of your soul; that your heart may burst (figuratively) with joy and gladness, be filled with peace, and overflow with unbounded love for all souls; that you may never regret having given your whole heart and soul – everything you have and are – to Him Who loved you first, Who will unite you to Himself to be His Bride forever.
For inquiries about our Carmel and the possibility of joining our humble community, please write us or send us a message via the Contact Page, and tell us about yourself. Basic requirements include good health, never married, no children or grandchildren, be a practicing and devout Catholic, age 20-40 (or make a good case otherwise), and, most of all, have a desire to love and serve God totally. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and don’t keep Him waiting!
Our Lady of the Incarnation Monastery
Attn: Novice Mistress
2901 South Cecelia St
Sioux City, IA 51106