THE MONASTERY OF THE DISCALCED CARMELITE SISTERS OF DIVINE MERCY AND THE IMMACULATE HEART OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN KYIV
From the History of the Order
The Kyiv Carmel was established in 1991. Its foundresses, sisters from two monasteries in Poland — one at 40 Łobzowska Street in Kraków and the other in Dys near Lublin — first set foot on Ukrainian soil on the Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, 14 February 1991. It was a time of profound change in our country: perestroika brought the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Ukraine was moving towards independence, which it gained on 24 August that year. This date also has special significance for Carmel.
It was on 24 August 1562 that St Teresa of Ávila began her great work of reforming the Carmelite Order.
The first Carmelites settled in a small chapel at 6 Shepetivska Street, which until then had been the only one in all of Kyiv and even in several regions of Ukraine. Just before the sisters arrived, St Alexander’s Church in Kyiv had been returned to the Roman Catholic Church. The parish and its priest, Fr Jan Krapan, moved from 6 Shepetivska Street to the city centre, making room for the Carmelite sisters. The new monastery’s beginnings were difficult. It proved impossible to adapt the chapel to the requirements of Carmelite life because, with the arrival of the Carmelite Fathers, a parish community formed once again at 6 Shepetivska Street.
Despite many difficulties and obstacles, the sisters sought different ways to put down roots in Ukraine. Divine Providence, which had brought them to this city, did not fail them.
As early as April 1992, the State Council for Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine officially registered, for the first time, the statutes of the religious house of the Roman Catholic Order of Discalced Carmelite Sisters. This was truly a major historical event.
For three years, efforts continued to find land for a new monastery. Just when all hope seemed to be fading, a two-storey residential house unexpectedly became available for purchase in January 1994 in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, Kyiv-Sviatoshyn District. After minor repairs and alterations to meet the requirements of Carmelite life, the first Eucharist was celebrated in the new monastery on 19 March 1994. During the next two years, thanks to Divine Mercy, which always sent the necessary human and material help at the right time, two wings were added to the house.
On 1 May 1996, Stanislav Shyrokoradiuk, Auxiliary Bishop of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, together with Archbishop Antonio Franco, Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, consecrated the newly built monastery.
On 16 March 2000, Jan Purwiński, Bishop of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, formally established the papal enclosure.
The Vocation of a Discalced Carmelite Nun in the Church
The vocation of Discalced Carmelite nuns is a gift of the Holy Spirit, through which they are invited into “mystical union with God”, in friendship with Christ and closeness to the Virgin Mary. In their daily lives, prayer and self-offering are woven together with a deep love for the Church.
Called to live “in allegiance to Christ” and to “serve him with a pure heart and a good conscience”, Discalced Carmelite nuns strive to practise the evangelical counsels as perfectly as possible. To achieve this, their principal duty is “complete and unreserved surrender to him who is all”, “following Christ in everything, conforming their lives to his, upon which they must meditate frequently in order to imitate it”, and “resolving courageously to walk the way of the cross, for this is the way of perfection laid down by the Lord”.
From the Constitutions of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns
Work and Recreation
Outside the hours set aside for prayer, the sisters spend about four hours each day, and more when necessary, on various tasks according to their assigned responsibilities. Our work is very simple and ordinary. It consists above all of household duties: cleaning, washing, ironing, sewing and repairing our clothes, and preparing meals. We also have a vegetable garden, an orchard and park grounds, which require care and hardworking hands. In addition, we make various liturgical items to order. We sew chasubles, stoles, albs and altar linens, make chalice palls and cord rosaries, and bake hosts, communion wafers and Christmas wafers.
Rest and recreation, both communal and individual, are very important elements of monastic life. We observe silence during the day, speaking only when necessary for our duties. Each day after lunch and supper, we therefore have a set time for recreation, when we meet to talk together. We work during recreation, with each sister bringing a task of her own. On Sundays and feast days, we often spend recreation outdoors.
On special occasions, we have what we call “great recreation”, when we may speak with one another throughout the day.
Sometimes on such days, or for a name day or birthday, we put on a play in our own little theatre. Some sisters become actors, while others are the audience. It truly takes talent and skill to bring joy to others and to receive it from them.
Each of us also greatly values her individual retreat. Once a year, every sister has the opportunity to make a ten-day retreat. During this time, she remains in complete solitude apart from the community, joining it only for the daily Eucharist.
Our house has a beautiful hermitage with a chapel where the Blessed Sacrament is permanently reserved.
There, the sister on retreat remains in prayer before the Lord. The whole community supports the hermit in a special way through prayer.
Our Address
Sofiivska Borshchahivka
Kyiv-Sviatoshyn District
31 Mykolsko-Borshchahivska Street
Tel. +38067-725-35-69
Email: karmelkw@i.com.ua
Postal Address
Discalced Carmelite Sisters
P.O. Box 20, Kyiv–194
03194