Carmelite Missions

Although few in number, the mission outreach of the Carmelite Friars, Saint Elias Province, New York, is quite extensive.

For over sixty years, we have been providing manpower and financial assistance to Africa, specifically to Zimbabwe (formerly, Southern Rhodesia).  More recently, we have been aiding Carmelite Missions in Mozambique, Kenya and the Republic of the Congo.  And within the past thirty years, we have been helping the Carmelite Missions in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Argentina, and Colombia.  Our province has also been providing whatever help we can to the Carmelite Missions in Poland and the Czech Republic.  It is not always possible for us to send Friars on a full-time basis, and so we try to help financially through funds raised mostly in the Mission Cooperative Appeal and with whatever part-time help or administrative help we can provide.

Responding to the needs of the church, and the call of the Holy Spirit through the local Bishops, the Carmelite Friars, St. Elias Province, have recently begun our own missions in Trinidad and Vietnam.  Since we have already attracted many vocations in each place, we are also trying to establish formation programs in these countries.  This has placed a considerable burden on our finances and on our ability to continue helping our other missionary endeavors.