Dysart Carmel was founded on June 17, 1931, ‘in poverty, with no temporal aid’ as our Annals record. During the great Depression of those times our district of Kirkcaldy was classed by the government as a particularly depressed area. Nevertheless as time went on postulants came as well as Sisters from other Carmels and the community was gradually built up over the following years while improvements were made to the house and garden.

By the mid-80s, as in Carmels throughout Britain, these Sisters were growing older and needing care, while on the other hand few young people were joining the Order. The Dysart Community decided to enlarge their Infirmary to enable them to care not only for their own invalids but also for Sisters from other Carmels who did not have the necessary resources.  Then in 1994 we investigated the possibility of making Dysart Carmel a ‘House of Welcome’ for any elderly Sisters who wished to become integrated with us while still able to take part in community activities, knowing that they would be able to remain and be cared for if they later became incapacitated. After making some necessary adaptations to the house we began to receive such Sisters. At the same time some younger Sisters came to assist us in the work, some of these remaining to become permanent members of the Community.  Meanwhile as the years went on Carmels no longer viable were having to close and quite a few of the Sisters from these communities chose to transfer to Dysart. As a result our own community gradually increased in number so that today we have a full house.

During all these comings and goings there have been, throughout both good and bad times, many blessings and overflowing grace which certainly accounts for the deep harmony among us all, in spite of the differences in our individual Carmelite beginnings and our varying ages and states of health. The Sisters are sensitive to each other’s vulnerability, and a loving concern marks our community relationships  in the spirit of Hopkins’ poem for a wedding –

Each be other’s comfort kind,

Deep, deeper than divined;

Divine charity, dear charity

Fast you ever, fast bind.