Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen

Father Gabriel was one of the brilliant, holy men of his time who promoted the spiritual life in the Church. He lectured extensively, in addition to his teaching, writing and work with young people. Never idle, he worked ceaselessly for the good of souls and for the Church.

Most photos of  show a placid, spectacled man who may have preferred to remain hidden from the eyes of the world. However, one picture reveals more – a warmth, integrity, kindness, depth. Most likely a mystic himself, he deeply studied the writings of the venerated Carmelite mystics, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, as well as St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Teresa Margaret. For the last decade of his life, Fr. Gabriel was the spiritual director for the Discalced Carmelite nuns of the Monastery of St. Joseph in Rome. It was with their assistance that he compiled his writings and mystical insight, arranging his material to correspond with the liturgical year, while following the ascent of the soul to transforming union with God. This work he titled Divine Intimacy.

Adrian de Vos was born in Belgium in 1893, the second son in the family. His father died when he was but one year old, but his mother remarried happily, the step-father ever a supportive and true father figure in his life. Growing up, Adrian showed himself to be an intelligent, expansive, thoughtful, affectionate boy. From his earliest childhood, he admired the Carmelite nuns who lived nearby his home. Through their example, he acquired a deep attraction to the interior life and soon realized his vocation was to Carmel and to the priesthood. He entered in 1910 the Discalced Carmelites in Flanders, where he received his religious name, Brother Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen.  He was a contemporary with other great authors such as Father Garrigou-Lagrange and Father Juan Gonzalez Arintero

The sudden disaster of the Great War interrupted his studies, and he and 9 other seminary students were called to do military duty caring for the wounded in hospitals in France, at Auvours. Brother Gabriel was the true spiritual leader of this group, providing a daily routine for their spiritual, intellectual and physical welfare. He himself was twice wounded in his military service, when under heavy shelling he went to the aid of the many wounded. Following the war and his ordination, he was appointed by superiors to teaching. He was professor of philosophy, but also continued his studies at Louvain and in Rome at the Angelicum. He collaborated to organize Young Christian Workers in Belgium, and later helped to establish the International College of the Carmelite Order in Rome, made Vice-rector and Master of students. In the end, he exhausted himself with his work, not resting even when he caught a case of influenza. But at last his exhaustion sent him to the sickbed, and he died peacefully – and all alone – a few days later, on Sunday, March 15, 1953.

 

Testimonials

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– D.M., Northern Ireland

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– Antonia, New York, USA

“Excellence is the Sisters trademark! As always, a smooth easy means of purchase, coupled with prompt shipping . The Items I have purchased over the years are always of superb quality and workmanship. I could not be more pleased.”

- Francis T Walsh

“I have now purchased at least a dozen brown scapulars from the Sisters of Carmel and have always received items of the utmost quality that wear very well. Adding to my satisfaction is that the Sisters charge a standard USPS shipping rate for the items, i.e., they do not add to one’s cost by charging inflated “shipping and handling” charges. Furthermore, my order was shipped one business day after I placed my order. We are all called by God to serve within the confines of His graces to us. The Sisters of Carmel are models of that calling.”

- Ed Shimkus

“I have received my orders from you and again want to thank you for them. The Blessed Sacrament and Seven Dolors chaplets are beautiful and will be treasured by me for many years. As others have said, the pictures on the web site don’t do them justice. I also want to thank you for the books you carry. They are clearly selected with the goal of deepening faith. It is wonderful to find a place where I can go and know that I will receive quality, not only of merchandise, but of faith. Again, thank you for the work you do.”

– Mary, Minnesota, USA

“I just received my scapular and crucifix along with the Miraculous Medals. I am so very pleased with the quality of the items! Truly the BEST on-line selection of sacramentals. Thanks so much! I will be ordering from you again soon.”

– David, Ohio, USA

“Your website is like an oasis of good spiritual things! You do such magnificent work, the chaplets are amazing! The badges are like having good friends near, and your books are so nourishing to the soul. I feel so blessed to have found you. Thank you again, and you are in my prayers.”

– Laura, California, USA

“Unbelievable service – I received my order on Monday, exactly five days after placing it. Your customer service is outstanding. Everything was securely packaged and arrived in perfect condition. The ceramic ornaments are lovely, and I can’t wait to add them to my Christmas tree this year. The exquisite suncatcher will be placed in my kitchen window where it will be appreciated every day. And as for the ‘In Paradisum’ CD, all I can say is it’s on continuous loop right now. I love early sacred choral music and have a collection of CD’s, but this one is stunningly beautiful and has become my new favorite.”

– Linda, North Carolina, USA

“I wanted to let you know that I received the Rosary that you created for us just a short while ago. Sisters, it has to be without exception the most beautiful Rosary I have ever held. It is exactly how I envisioned it and the size is perfect. You were also right about the beads; the color is exceptional! Thank you, thank you, thank you each and every Sister for doing such a perfect job and for putting up with us throughout this whole process. While rersearching this project, every time I looked elsewhere, I always seemed to be guided back to the Sisters of Carmel, and now I know why...PERFECTION!

– A Catholic Church, New York, USA

“I just wanted to thank you for the exceptional care you took in packing/shipping the books and other items in my order.... It’s the little extra touches like this that go a long way with the customer and lets them know how much you value their business.”

– R.C., New York, USA

“I received my sterling silver Pardon Crucifix yesterday. It was such a pleasure to receive it. Everything was packaged and presented with such care and finesse. The crucifix was crafted with such intricate and beautiful details that it does not do justice to look at it through the Internet. One has to order it to relish what a beautiful piece of art it is. Again, the manner you package the crucifix, the enclosures contained within, and the quality of craftmanship itself has totally exceeded my expectations.”

– K.W.C.

“I recently purchased a cord rosary from the Sisters of Carmel. I have to say the quality and craftsmanship was far beyond my expectations. I was so impressed I ordered two more rosaries as gifts. God bless the Sisters of Carmel and God bless your ministry! Your rosaries, in my opinion, are of the finest quality anywhere.”

- Chris

“When I asked my priest to bless my new scapular, it took his breath away by its handmade beauty. I told him it had been made with loving hands by the Sisters of Carmel. I felt the Holy Spirit say to give it to him. I did. He was overwhelmed. I ordered another one for myself and it arrived today. I love it. It is so beautiful. I will kiss it every day. I am eager to have it blessed tomorrow and wear it immediately. Thank you.”

– Anonymous

“I love to order any item from your site. Always such high quality and a joy for all that I give them to. Your care and blessings are felt from the Holy Spirit to us. Thank you and God bless you.”

- Julia

“Once again the best. I appreciate you quickly sending me the scapular. I could have gone locally to purchase one, but I truly appreciate your craftsmanship and customer service.”

- Linda

“This is the most beautiful rosary I have ever seen crafted. Combining high quality materials, skillful labor, and loving prayer, the Carmelite Sisters are hands down the best choice to go with when shopping for rosaries. Reasonably priced, quick delivery, and wonderful customer service, I will DEFINITELY be ordering all of my future rosary purchases from ”

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