You have come to Thicket Priory
home to Carmel of the Annunciation, York.

Thicket Priory has been home to Carmel since 1955, when the Carmelite community of Exmouth moved here.  Exmouth Carmel was founded from Notting Hill in 1926, at a time of many foundations and new vocations.  By the 1950s it had become clear that the site of the Carmel was no longer suitable and the sisters began to look for a new home.  Mother Mary of St. John - the Prioress at the time - felt drawn to making a foundation in her native Yorkshire, which in medieval times had been a Carmelite stronghold.  After much fruitless searching  Mother Mary of St. John and her companions were taken to see Thicket Priory, a large manor house near York which was for sale.  Though the sisters knew they would never be able to afford to buy the house with its 23 acres of grounds, they loved it immediately.  The house belonged to Lord and Lady Dunnington-Jefferson who generously sold the house to the sisters, taking only the proceeds from the sale of Exmouth Carmel.

 

 

A Cistercian monastery for nuns stood on the site of Thicket Priory from the 12th Century. This was destroyed during the Reformation.  There is also evidence of a devotion to ‘Our Lady of Thicket’ dating from this time. 

 

 

Thicket Priory is situated not far from the city of York, in the Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough.  We have close links with the local Church through the priests of York who celebrate Mass here, and the community of Carmelite friars who also live in the city.  We share in the life of the local villages Thorganby and Wheldrake through contact with the people who come to Mass here.  We are also involved in an ecumenical way with the villages, especially through our annual carol service which is always very well attended.  The local Anglican community are always welcome here and have held services in our chapel.

 

 

Prayer is the heart of our life.  Each day Mass is celebrated in our chapel and we gather together at the appointed times for the prayer of the Church - the Divine Office.  As Carmelites we also spend two hours every day in silent personal prayer.  Even outside of these set times for prayer our lives are spent mostly in silence and solitude, to enable our prayer to continue.  Our work is arranged so that, as far as possible, each sister can work alone.  

 

 

Work is an important aspect of the Carmelite life.  As well as the general upkeep of the house, we produce and distribute altar breads which are sent to different churches and communities all over the UK, and further afield.  Each sister is involved in this work as far as she is able. 

 

 

For our elderly and unwell sisters we have our own infirmary unit, so that they can be well cared for while remaining an integral and important part of the community.  Nurses from the locality are employed here, to ensure that there is round-the-clock care.

 

 

We are fortunate at Thicket to have a large and beautiful garden, with a lake, many different trees and plants and a variety of wildlife.  As mentioned above, we also have a walled vegetable garden where we grow our own fruit and vegetables. 

 

 

 

When a woman has discerned - with the community - that she feels called to enter the monastery, her life in Carmel begins with six months spent as a postulant.  This is an opportunity to get used to the daily routine of the life, learn the different work of the house and get to know the community.  Time is also set apart each day for study and discussion in novitiate.  A formation programme including Carmelite history and spirituality, church history, doctrine, scripture and the theology of religious life is followed throughout a sister‘s time in novitiate.  The next step after postulancy is to receive the habit of the Carmelite Order and the novice’s white veil.  Becoming a novice brings with it more responsibility, which is gradually increased as a sister grows into the life.  After two years of novitiate, the sister may then make vows for three years.  During this time of temporary Profession, the sister remains in the novitiate.  Solemn Profession may be made after these three years, or temporary vows can be renewed, if it is felt that further discernment is needed.

 

 

If you are interested in finding out more please write to :-
Carmelite Monastery, Thicket Priory, Thorganby, York YO19 6DE.  Thank you for visiting, we will keep you in our prayers.

Or visit our own web site by clicking HERE.