"The deeper one is drawn into God, the more one must 'go out of oneself'; that is, one must go to the world in order to carry the divine life into it."
Edith SteinMEET THE TEAM
The Carmelite Centre is managed by a small team of dedicated professionals and facilitators committed to engaging with the local and wider community. It seeks to explore spirituality and the principles and practices of living the ‘Carmelite Way’. Through its program it seeks to facilitate spiritual journeys in the Carmelite Tradition. The Team is ably supported by volunteers.
The Carmelite Centre Melbourne began in 2009 with inaugural staff members Irene Hayes and Damien Peile. Read a message from the Carmelite Provincial to the Carmelite Centre community in March 2025 on the blog here.
Luke Edwards | Centre Leader
Luke was appointed as the leader of The Carmelite Centre Melbourne in April 2025. Luke has a background in education, spirituality and psychology. He has been responsible for designing creative responses in developing various formation and pastoral care programs in schools, hospitals and other church entities.
Br Daryl Moresco OCarm | Carmelite Delegate for the Centre
Br Daryl was appointed as the Carmelite Delegate for the Centre in April 2025. In July 2024 Daryl returned to Australia after 25 years in the United States, has worked in education, formation and spirituality ministries. Most recently he served as Managing Director of the Centre of Carmelite Studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
Natalie Chubaty | Centre Administrator
Natalie is the Centre Administrator and one of the meditation leaders. Natalie can be contacted about anything relating to the day to day management of the Centre. Since late May 2025 Natalie is also the Carmelite Library Administrator during its opening hours from 10.00am to 3:00pm on Tuesdays. Natalie works five hours per week in each role.
Bernadette Micallef | Web Administrator
Bernadette is the Web Administrator who keeps the website current and coordinates the monthly e-newsletters. She is employed for 3 hours per week in this capacity. She will be finishing in this role at the end of 2025. Bernadette also provides Spiritual Direction at the Centre either in person or via zoom.
PROGRAM AREAS AND FACILITATORS
PROGRAMS
Lectio Divina – David Hofman OCarm
Tuesday Prayer Meditation – Natalie Chubaty
Thursday Meditation – Peter Thomas
Centering Prayer – Kathryn Pile
Carmelite Conversations – Br Daryl Moresco OCarm
Eco-Spirituality Reading Circle – Michael Murray and Barbara Daniels (no photo)
Scripture Study Group – Clare McArdle (no photo)
SUPPORT ON THE JOURNEY
Spiritual Direction – Pia Pagotto, Bernadette Micallef, Bro Daryl Moresco OCarm, Fr Wayne Stanhope OCarm, Kathryn Lara
Supervision – Damien Peile, Fr Wayne Stanhope OCarm
MEET THE FACILITATORS
MISSION & PURPOSE
Our Mission is to bring the essence of the Carmelite tradition of contemplation, service and hospitality to the community through a range of spirituality based programs and experiences. The Carmelite tradition honours the individual, embraces community and welcomes people who seek spiritual and personal enrichment.
Our Purpose is to facilitate spiritual journeys, growth and community by encouraging contemplation, independent and free thinking, and an attitude of simplicity, humility and gratitude.
VISION & HERITAGE
Our Vision is to be a leader in facilitating spiritual journeys, growth and ethical communities in the Carmelite tradition.
The Carmelites are members of an international Catholic religious order of friars, nuns and lay people with a continuous spiritual tradition spanning eight centuries and cultures of both East and West. The Order originated around the 1190s in a group of hermits living by the “spring of Elijah” on Mount Carmel in Crusader Palestine. Between 1206 and 1214 they obtained a “Rule of Life” from Saint Albert of Vercelli, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and some decades later began founding houses in Europe. By 1247 they had joined the thriving mendicant or friar movement, adding preaching and pastoral care to their contemplative tradition. Their patron, the Virgin Mary, and their place of origin, give them their official name, Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel; in England they were popularly called White Friars.
Today more than 50,000 friars, nuns, sisters and lay Carmelites around the world continue in the same spiritual lineage. The photo above shows Mount Carmel today and the Carmelite monastery on the highest peak. [used with permission from biblewalks.com]
Carmelites, conscious of being part of the Church and of history, live in a fraternity that is open to God and to people, able to listen and give an authentic response to the evangelical life according to their own charism, and they commit themselves to build the Kingdom of God wherever they are. Indeed they are committed to evangelisation in houses of prayer, centres of spirituality, parishes, Marian sanctuaries, schools, religious associations; and to Justice and Peace wherever human dignity is trodden underfoot, especially among the poor, the marginalised and the suffering.
For more information about The Carmelites, please visit The Official Website of the Carmelite Order.