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The Catholic Church has over 2,000 religious orders, many of which offer a “secular” or “third order” vocation for lay people, that is, people who are not called to consecrated religious life as a priest, brother, or nun. And that’s not to mention the Church’s hundreds of lay groups.
All of these vocations within the Christian life offer a path to holiness with a distinct charism or spiritual family.
These “lay vocations” often come with tightknit communities, helping people find their own personal niche within the whole Church. These help lay Catholics to actively participate in the life and mission of the Church.
Have you ever been curious about a lay vocation? What exactly is it like to be a “lay” member of a religious order, or to join a lay movement like Communion and Liberation or Opus Dei or the Neocatechumenal Way?
Aleteia reached out to members of various lay vocations to hear their stories and shine a spotlight on various lay vocations within the Catholic Church.
Here’s the story of Christine Clardy, a wife and mother in Chicago, who found herself called to the spirit of Carmel in her ordinary life. (You can learn more about the Secular Carmelite vocation here!)
Would it ever be this good again?
As a college student, Clardy was blessed to encounter a vibrant and enriching faith community at her Newman Center. Her faith grew strong during her college years.
But she couldn’t help worrying: What if life after college was nothing like the tightknit and active Newman Center group?
“I was afraid that my faith life would peak in college, because I had such a positive experience with the Newman Center,” she said.
Like many young Catholic women, she discerned during her college years if God was calling her to religious life:
Through prayer I came to the conclusion that I was called to marriage. The year after I graduated college, while engaged to my now-husband, I thought a bit about joining a Third Order. But after reaching out to a few Orders I realized I did not feel called to any of them. The idea just sort of fizzled out.
Called to Carmel
But as the years passed, Clardy noticed her strong interest in Carmelite spirituality:
About six years later, my husband and I were watching some saint movies on Formed and I noticed that I was really drawn to the movies about the Carmelite Saints. The contemplative nature of Carmel really resonated with me.
I remember thinking, “If I had been called to religious life, I would have loved to be a Carmelite!”
So I decided to search online for a lay Carmelite order and found the Secular Discalced Carmelites in Chicago.
Once I reached out to the contact person and started learning more about the Secular Order, I was so excited! Unlike my lackluster experience with discerning Lay Orders in the past, I was really looking forward to my formation with the Carmelites.
Thanks to her experience with the Secular Carmelites, college was not the spiritual peak she once worried it would be: “My faith has only continued to evolve and grow stronger over the years, and I know being a Secular Carmelite has been a huge reason for that.”
What is it like to be a member?
Clardy explained that the vocation rests on six pillars: Divine Office, Meditation, Mass, Mary, Mission, and Meetings. You can read a full explanation of what each of these mean at the order’s website.
It might sound like a big time commitment, especially for a busy spouse and parent like Clardy. But she finds that the time spent is nothing compared to the graces she receives:
The graces and overwhelming sense of peace and joy that I have experienced since beginning my formation as a Secular Carmelite are incredible. My faith gets stronger every day.
I am always so inspired by my fellow Secular Carmelites and I have learned so much. I look forward to our monthly meetings and always leave feeling rejuvenated.
I also feel the graces from my Carmelite Vocation benefit my relationships with my husband and my children. God often gives me the grace to handle difficult situations with a supernatural sense of patience or peace that I know can only be from the Holy Spirit, and not of my own doing.
A serious commitment
Clardy shared a few of the most important things to know about this vocation. “It is a vocation, a serious commitment,” she said. “It isn’t just a casual group of like-minded individuals. It is a way of life. Formation takes six years, and we are constantly discerning during that time.”
She is in her fifth year of discernment and made her Temporary Promise. “I am fairly confident in my call to this Vocation,” but she still continues to honestly re-assess and ask God if He is still calling her to the Carmelite spirituality.
“The peace and joy that I receive from this Vocation give me confidence in my call, but I want to make sure that I am always trying to do what God’s will is for my life, and not just what I want,” she said.
But most of all, she wants to share the beauty of this vocation: “I thank God every day for bringing me to Carmel.”
