![\"karmel3\"](\"http:\/\/lubukhati.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/karmel3-300x225.jpg\")
\nThe Daughters of Carmel (DOC) \u00a0nuns were first invited to the Bay Area by the Indonesian Catholic Community of Northern California (WKICU) in May 1998.\u00a0 Sr. Justini P.Karm (Superior General) and Agata P.Karm (Vice General) conducted an astonishing spiritual retreat to this community. Afterwards they decided to invite the nuns on a bi-annual basis. The DOC nuns also traveled to different parts of the United States to reach out to other Indonesian communities.<\/p>\n
In 2000, Fr. Yohanes Indrakusuma O’Carm (the Father Founder) came with a group of nuns to conduct other various retreats.\u00a0 This time, however, the DOC community was also discerning the Indonesian community\u2019s invitation to build a branch in the United States. \u00a0Soon, meetings were held with numerous Bishops throughout the regions in California.<\/p>\n
San Francisco would eventually become a promising site that the DOC would like to launch its ground breaking.\u00a0 Then, an initial meeting with Bishop John Wester of the Archdiocese of San Francisco was conducted in 2003.\u00a0\u00a0 Soon after, in March 2005 another meeting in Vatican was held between Cardinal Levada (the Archbishop of San Francisco at that time) and Fr. Yohanes, accompanied with and through the courtesy of Fr. Mark Rubiano\u2019s arrangement.\u00a0 With warm and opened hands the Excellency offered an invitation for DOC to branch out in the diocese.\u00a0 This process was realized through the works of the Emeritus Bishop Ignatius Wang.\u00a0 Bishop Wang visited the mother house of DOC in the village of Tumpang, East Java, as well as the monastery of the brothers of Carmelite Sancti Elijah (CSE) in Cikanyere, West Java, Indonesia in the Summer of 2007.<\/p>\n
After a long process of paper trails, the first sister of DOC finally arrived in San Francisco from Indonesia on the feast of St. Joseph, May 1, 2009.\u00a0 Thanks to the hospitality and generosity of Monsignor Michael Harriman, pastor of St. Cecilia Parish<\/a>, the third floor of the St. Cecilia Convent was opened for the sisters as their residence. \u00a0Today, the DOC, originating from San Francisco, continues their ministries to the United States and Canada.\u00a0 They conduct prayer meetings, Eucharistic adorations, retreats, and spiritual direction to anyone who ‘knocks” on their door.<\/p>\n