Carmel D.C.J. Coat of Arms

The Carmel of the Divine Heart of Jesus - like every Congregation - has its own special way of life and its own proper spirit. The Coat of Arms expresses this proper spirit with admirable beauty and clarity.

The Coat of Arms consists of a field of brown, and a field of yellowish white; in the first there is a Silver Star, while in the other field, are two Golden Stars.

The field of brown denotes humility and penance; the silver star denotes the living Members of Carmel who are practicing humility and penance.

The white field symbolizes the Dew of Heaven, the Mother of God. One of the two Golden Stars stands for the Saints of the New Testament (the New Law), while the other for the Saints of the Old Testament (the Old Law) of Carmel.

Saint Teresa added the Cross in order to inflame Carmel to a greater love for the Order and the Cross.

The stars above the crown symbolize the shining virtues of the Mother of God.

The arm and hand is that of the prophet Elias, the "Father of all Carmelites", the sword he is wielding signifies his ardour: "With zeal, I am zealous for the Lord God of Hosts".

The thorns represent the sufferings which the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church, has to endure through the injustices, heresy, atheism, desertion and neglect of its members. These thorns are to awaken new determination in the Carmel of the Divine Heart of Jesus, in order that they may make atonement with the spirit of sacrifice and heroism of the saints of Carmel, not only for the lax and unfaithful members of the Holy Church, but also for those torn away cruelly from the Divine Heart of Jesus by the heretics.

Just as the bloody martyrdom was a source of wonderful blessings for the spread of the faith, so likewise, the unbloody martyrdom of faithful religious at all times has not only freed the Church from her fetters, but also has won untold souls for her.

Every Carmelite of the Divine Heart of Jesus must imprint the meaning of her Coat of Arms deep upon her heart, and being molded by its meaning, become a heroic victim soul. In such a soul, the spirit of Carmel develops its most beautiful flowers so that she who now is a Silver Star, may be a Golden Star in heaven, and there, as a Saint, glorify and praise God for all eternity.