Walking with the Carmelites on Pilgrimage through Spain and France

Venerating the Carmelites on Pilgrimage

If you have a devotion to any of the great Carmelite mystics, there are beautiful monasteries which house their relics, offering a meaningful opportunity to honor their devotion and sacrifices during your pilgrimage. Consider visiting some of these sacred sites as you explore Barcelona, Montserrat, Paris, or Lourdes!

SPAIN

St. John of the Cross

The remains of the great mystic, St. John of Cross, are preserved within the Monastery of Discalced Carmelites in Segovia. The Monastery of the Incarnation is where he spent his time as the confessor of St. Teresa of Avila. Pilgrims might also want to visit the Oratory of St. John of the Cross in Úbeda, where they can venerate his additional relics, such as manuscripts of his original writings on display within the museum.

St. Teresa of Avila

Pilgrims can visit the place where St. Teresa of Avila was born—there is a small chapel built over her birthplace within the Convent of Santa Teresa. The Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation is where St. Teresa of Avila spent most of her life, and houses many of her major relics. St. Teresa of Avila’s body was declared incorrupt and is preserved in the Basilica of the Annunciation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Alba de Tormes, which is connected to the Convent of the Annunciation.

FRANCE

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

In Lisieux, pilgrims love to visit St. Thérèse's childhood home, Les Buissonnets. Nearby is the Basilica of St. Thérèse where her major relics are housed, including her dresses, toys, and artwork. Finally, many also take time to explore the convent where St. Thérèse and her sisters (Marie, Pauline, and Céline) lived out their vocations together, Carmel de Lisieux.

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

St. Elizabeth loved to write, especially on the topic of the Trinity as dwelling within each of us by merit of our Baptism. Her remains are preserved within the Carmelite Monastery of Dijon in Flavignerot. The cell of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity has been restored to reflect what it would have looked like when she lived in Dijon. Pilgrims are invited to visit the small museum that showcases her personal belongings and enjoy the chapel where they may venerate her relics.

16 Martyrs of Compiègne

During the French Revolution, sixteen Carmelite nuns refused to renounce their evangelical counsels (that is their vow as consecrated religious), so they were considered enemies to the government. Underneath the chapel of the Carmelite monastery of Compiègne in Jonquières, you'll find a crypt, holding the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that the nuns kissed before execution. Additionally, there is a small museum which preserves the personal items of these nuns who witnessed to the Faith until the point of death.