The Scripture and Spirituality Summer School is a one-week programme hosted by the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality. Guided by Dr. Susan Muto, a world-renowned expert in Teresian spirituality, and the Carmelite friars of Oxford. The summer school offers opportunities for biblical and spiritual formation to suit all Christians – laity, religious, clergy and the inquisitive.
The programme invites you to explore the timeless wisdom of Saint Teresa of Avila and deepen your relationship with God. It will include solid teaching on Saint Teresa of Avila on prayer and how to apply her wisdom in our daily lived experience, spiritual accompaniment, guided prayer, silence and peaceful contemplation nurturing the whole person – body, mind, soul and spirit. In this Jubilee Year of Hope there will be opportunities to make it a pilgrimage experience like visiting Littlemore, the home of St John Henry Newman. The ancient university city of Oxford offers a lot to explore so course participants can make it a time of holiday, as well as intellectual and spiritual growth. Yes, why not make it a holiday?
Through 11 transformative sessions, you’ll discover the profound beauty of prayer as taught by Saint Teresa, whose message, “God Alone Suffices,” continues to inspire seekers worldwide. From learning the art of unceasing prayer to meditating on the Lord’s Prayer and embracing the freedom of becoming “another Christ,” this summer school offers a rich tapestry of spiritual formation, intellectual enrichment, immersion in scripture, pilgrimage experience and practical guidance for your spiritual journey.
Highlights Include:
Praying under Saint Teresa’s Guidance
Begin with an intimate reflection on how prayer transforms our joys and sorrows into divine guidance.
Four Degrees of Prayer
Contemplate with Teresa on the stages of spiritual growth, likened to watering a garden.
Strengthening Our Bond with God
Explore the Lord’s Prayer as a roadmap to intimacy with God.
Inner Quieting in Response to Grace
Learn to rest in Christ like Mary and serve like Martha.
Becoming Another Christ
Conclude with Teresa’s call to total surrender to the Father’s will.
Spiritual Formation
Participate in daily prayer sessions with the Carmelite friars, and contemplate on Sacred Scripture, and the wisdom of St. Teresa of Avila.
Pilgrimage Opportunities
Visit Littlemore, the home of St. John Henry Newman.
Cultural Exploration
Explore Oxford’s historic sites, world-class museums, and stunning university colleges during free times.
Celebrate with the Carmelite Community
Celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel with the Carmelite friars.
Meet the presenters …
Dr Susan Muto
Dr. Susan Muto is executive director of the Epiphany Association and dean of the Epiphany Institute of Formative Spirituality, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA. She holds a doctorate in English literature from the University of Pittsburgh and has authored over 40 books on Christian spirituality. Dr Muto has been teaching the literature of ancient, medieval, and modern spirituality for over forty years.
Fr. Alex Ezechukwu OCD
Fr. Alex Ezechukwu OCD is a Carmelite priest and serves as the prior of the Carmelite community at Boars Hill, Oxford and the director of the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality, Oxford. He holds a Licence in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome. Fr Alex will be joined by other Carmelite friars of the Oxford Priory, all experienced guides in the spiritual life and prayer, for the presentations.
A Journey of Hope, Prayer, and Discovery
In this Year of Hope, the summer school offers a chance to:
• Deepen your relationship with God through prayer and contemplation.
• Explore the rich spiritual heritage of the Carmelite tradition in the historic
• Connect with a community of like-minded pilgrims of hope who seek a deeper spiritual life.
Join us for an unforgettable journey of prayer, reflection, and spiritual growth. This summer school is more than a programme —it’s a pilgrimage of hope, a retreat for the soul
Join Us for a Life-Changing Experience
Sunday July 13 – Sunday Evening – Arrival
5 :00pm Registration Opens
5:30pm Session 1 – Praying under Saint Teresa’s Guidance. We begin the summer school with a reflection on how and why intimate conversation with God transcends selfish demands for this or that favor and grants us the grace to accept life’s joys and sorrows as divinely directed guidelines for our faith journey.
6:30pm Supper
8:00pm Night Praise
July 14 – Monday – Day 1
9:00am Session 2 – Session begins with Contemplative Scripture followed by Teresa’s Teaching on the Practice of Unceasing Prayer. Saint Teresa assures us that ceaseless prayer has to be the centre of our lives because it frees us from egocentricity and heightens our fidelity to God’s will.
9:45am Break
10:00am Session 3 – Four Degrees of Prayer. With Saint Teresa we meditate on the four ways of watering our garden as the means by which we can progress in the life of prayer, thanks to the loving solicitude of our Beloved.
11:00am Excursion: Visit to the Holy Door as Pilgrims of Hope
4:00pm Session 4 – Strengthening Our Bond of Friendship with God. To keep the fire of intimacy with our Beloved burning brightly, we need to follow, with Teresa at our side, the path from earth to heaven mapped out for us in the Lord’s Prayer.
5:00pm Break
5:30pm Vespers, Silent Prayer & Contemplative Eucharist
6:30pm Supper
8:00pm Night Praise
July 15 – Tuesday – Day 2
9:00am Session 5 – Session begins with Contemplative Scripture followed by Advancing in Christian Perfection. To embody the divinely initiated directives the Lord asks of us moves us from seeing prayer as a practice reserved for special occasions to following Teresa’s advice that prayer is as integral to our spiritual life as the air we breathe is to our physical well-being.
9:45am Break
10:00am Session 6 – Mining the Deepest Meaning of the Lord’s Prayer. Teresa’s union with God enabled her to discern the depth dimensions of each petition expressed in the Lord’s Prayer. How privileged we are to mine its deepest meaning with her at our side!
11:00am Excursion: Littlemore (Saint John Henry Newman)
4:00pm Session 7 – Seven Steps Pertaining to the Practice of Ceaseless Prayer. With Teresa’s help, we will delve into several essential steps toward growth in discipleship, including how to let go of the illusion of perfectionism and find the best ways to be perfected in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
5:00pm Break
5:30pm Vespers, Silent Prayer & Contemplative Eucharist
6:30pm Supper
8:00pm Night Praise
July 16 – Wednesday – Day 3
9:00am Session 8 – Session begins with Contemplative Scripture followed by Praying as Jesus Taught Us in Consolation and Desolation. Becoming recollected in Christ lays the surest foundation for a life lived in charity, detachment, and humility in consolation and desolation.
9:45am Break
10:00am Session 9 – Inner Quieting in Response to God’s Grace. To enjoy this supernatural favor, we must concur with Teresa’s counsel to rest in Christ as Mary did and to immerse ourselves with Martha in whatever service he asks of us.
10:45am Break
11:00am Mass of the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Barbecue Lunch and Free Outing Day in Oxford
July 17 – Thursday – Day 4
9 :00am Session 10 – Session begins with Contemplative Scripture followed by What It Really Means to Say Fiat Voluntas Tua. We learn from Teresa that the more we die to self, the more we live in Jesus. The prayer he taught us must move from our lips, through our mind, and deep into our heart in obedience to the divine directives we receive.
9:45am Break
10:00am Session 11 – What, Then, Must We Do to Be and Become Another Christ?. Teresa guides us to conclude that the freedom of the children of God can only be ours when we model our lives on the example of Christ’s total surrender to the Father’s will. To become “other Christ’s” is to place all our trust in the Trinity and never waver in our pursuit of pure faith, unwavering hope, and selfless love.
10:40am Plenary
11:00am Departures
Join Us and Reserve Your Place Today
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of a transformative experience.
Spaces are limited, so secure your place today.
📅 Dates: July 13-17, 2025
📍 Location: Online / Carmelite Priory, Boars Hill, Oxford OX1 5HB, UK
Attending the Conference – click to register …
(An option for a payment schedule is available)
• 11 study sessions with access to the recorded videos afterwards
• scripture reflection sessions
• spiritual accompaniment
• guided meditations and liturgies
• refreshments
• Q&A with Dr Muto & Carmelite friars
• pilgrimage to the Holy Door
• visit to Littlemore, the home of Saint John Henry Newman
• visit a Jubilee shrine and pass through the Holy Door
• explore Oxford’s historic sites, world-class museums, and stunning university colleges during free times.
• celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel with the Carmelite friars
• 11 study sessions with access to the recorded videos afterwards
• scripture reflection sessions
• spiritual accompaniment
• guided meditations and liturgies
• accommodation at the priory
• 11 meals
• refreshments
• Q&A with Dr Muto & Carmelite friars
• pilgrimage to the Holy Door
• visit to Littlemore, the home of Saint John Henry Newman
• visit a Jubilee shrine and pass through the Holy Door
• explore Oxford’s historic sites, world-class museums, and stunning university colleges during free times.
• celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel with the Carmelite friars
• 11 study sessions with access to the recorded videos afterwards
• scripture reflection sessions
• Q&A with Dr Muto & Carmelite friars
• celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel with the Carmelite friars via livestream on YouTube
The teaching sessions will be recorded. All in-person and online attendees will receive free access to the video recordings in the weeks following the event.
