The following historical account is adapted from The Growth & Development of the Secular Carmelites in the Land Below the Wind, Volume One: Beginnings, compiled by Matthew Liow, which chronicles the origins and development of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites in Kota Kinabalu.

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Inspired by the contemplative life of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns at the Carmelite Monastery in Kota Kinabalu, a group of lay faithful began gathering regularly for prayer and spiritual formation. In 1995, following a series of catechetical talks on the Brown Scapular delivered by Fr. Henry Muscat, OCD, the participants were enrolled in the Confraternity of the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

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On 8 July 1998, the Superior General of the Discalced Carmelites, Fr. Camilo Maccise, OCD, granted provisional approval for the formation of a Lay Carmelite community. During this period, an Interim Council was established, with Matthew Liow serving as Formation Director and Datuk Thasius Joeman as Chairman. His Grace Archbishop John Lee Hiong Fun generously allowed the community to use the Desert House (now the OCDS Centre) for its formation meetings.

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In August 2003, Fr. Aloysius Deeney, OCD, General Delegate for the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, gave his verbal consent for the establishment of the community. After several years of formation and steady growth, the community was canonically erected on 1 March 2009, welcoming its first members and novices into the Secular Order.

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Since then, the Discalced Carmelite Friars have continued to serve as spiritual assistants to the fraternity under the pastoral care of His Grace Archbishop John Wong Soo Kau. Today, the community is known as the Secular Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (OCDS Kota Kinabalu).

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For vocation enquiries, please email: ocdskk2026@gmail.com