Youth ministry
Three communities by age
Teenagers from 14 to 18, university students from 18 to 25, and young adults from 25 upwards. All of them live the Carmelite youth spirituality.
Discalced Carmelites Nuevo Cuscatlán, El Salvador
Parroquia San Juan de la Cruz, Nuevo Cuscatlán
A house of prayer, of encounter, of celebration and of community, in the care of the Discalced Carmelite friars. The church opens every day at 6:00 in the morning.
Schedules
Mass, confession and church opening hours
There is Mass every day. The church opens at 6:00 in the morning and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is open from that hour.
Mass times
- Sunday7:00 a.m. · 9:00 a.m. · 11:00 a.m. · 5:00 p.m. · 7:00 p.m.
- Monday to Friday7:00 a.m. · 6:00 p.m.
- Thursday7:00 a.m. · 11:00 a.m. · 6:00 p.m.Thursdays have an extra late morning Mass.
- Saturday7:00 a.m. · 12:00 noon · 6:00 p.m.
On the Carmelite feast days the times barely change. The evening Mass is simply celebrated more solemnly.
Confession and appointments
- Confession, Sunday To be confirmed
- Personal appointment with a friar Arranged with the office
There is no fixed schedule for personal guidance. The parish secretary books the appointment and the friar confirms the day and time by WhatsApp.
When it is open
- Every day, opens 6:00 a.m.
- Monday to Friday, closes 9:00 p.m.
- Saturday, closes After the evening Mass
- Sunday, closes 8:30 p.m.
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel opens at 6:00 a.m., together with the church.
Office hours
- Monday to Friday To be confirmed
- Saturday To be confirmed
- Phone 2242-7582
- Email sjc_parroquia@yahoo.com
The parish office is the way in for everything: sacraments, church bookings, appointments and groups.
Who we are
Not just any parish
Parroquia San Juan de la Cruz is a Carmelite parish, in the care of the Discalced Carmelite friars. Beyond being a parish community, it carries a specific spirituality: that of the Discalced Carmel, centred on prayer and on walking with people.
The Carmelites were born in Spain in the sixteenth century, founded by Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint John of the Cross, as a movement of religious devoted in a particular way to prayer and to mission. That is our charism: contemplation and the spiritual life.
Coming to a Carmelite parish is coming to a family, to a community where you will find friars who are available to listen to you, to walk with you and to guide you. The Carmelite friars of the parishOur history and charism
Spiritual direction
How do I ask for spiritual direction?
Call the parish office and ask for an appointment. The secretary coordinates with one of the friars, and he confirms the day and time with you by WhatsApp or by phone. There is no fixed schedule, precisely so that each person can be seen when they need it.
Spiritual direction is a personal conversation, not a talk. The friar listens to your situation, helps you make sense of it and guides you: how to learn to pray, how to discern what God is asking, what to do with a specific situation. It is one of the most characteristic works of the Carmel, and here it is done by friars formed in exactly that.
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Contact the parish office
By phone, WhatsApp or in person during office hours.
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The secretary books the appointment
She checks the availability of the friars in the community.
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The friar confirms with you
He writes or calls to agree on the day and time.
Alongside personal direction, the Order runs schools of spirituality, prayer courses and formation weeks in every country of Central America, some of them online.
Parish life
Movements, ministries and groups
The parish has more than twenty active groups: liturgical ministries, social outreach, youth communities by age, movements, catechesis and service teams. If you are looking for somewhere to belong, start here.
Social outreach
Soup kitchen, every Thursday morning
Accompanies people living on the street and families with few resources, with projects for schools and for local residential workers too.
Liturgical ministries
At every celebration
The brothers and sisters who hold up every celebration, from the word and the singing to welcoming whoever walks in.
Movimiento Salvador del Mundo
Monday and Tuesday evenings
A large community with a charismatic flavour, with ministries for families and young people: assemblies, retreats and prayer.
Matrimonios en Victoria
Tuesdays
Walks with couples and married people, runs retreats and is in charge of the parish marriage preparation.
Secular Carmel
Mondays
Lay people who live the Carmelite charism, are formed as Carmelites and cultivate contemplative prayer.
Sacraments and celebrations
Can I have a baptism, a wedding or a special Mass here?
Yes. The parish accompanies the sacraments of its own community and also welcomes people and institutions who wish to celebrate here. Either way, the path starts at the parish office.
Baptisms
With prior formation, the birth certificate and the details of the parents and godparents.
First communion and confirmation
Catechesis programmes that start on different dates each year, following the annual plan.
Weddings
Marriage file, witnesses and marriage preparation. Worth starting well in advance.
Thanksgiving Masses
Golden anniversaries, quinceañeras, end of school year Masses and company or institutional celebrations.
Adult catechesis
For adults who want to receive a sacrament they have not yet received, or to join the community.
Booking the church
People and institutions from outside the parish may request the church with an offering, subject to availability.
The Carmelite year
The parish feast days
Alongside the wider calendar of the Church, we celebrate the feasts of the Carmel. On those days there are special activities and the evening Mass is celebrated with greater solemnity.
14 Dec
Saint John of the Cross
The patronal feast of the parish, the saint this church is named for.
16 Jul
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
The great Carmelite feast of the year, with a novena and a solemn celebration.
15 Oct
Saint Teresa of Ávila
Founder of the Discalced Carmel and a Doctor of the Church.
1 Oct
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
One of the most loved Carmelite saints of the Order.
The church
A place to step into and stay a while
Visit us
Where we are
The parish is in Nuevo Cuscatlán, La Libertad, El Salvador, next to the Casa de Retiro El Carmelo. There is parking inside the grounds.
- Location Nuevo Cuscatlán, La Libertad
- Phone 2242-7582
- Email sjc_parroquia@yahoo.com
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us most
What time is Mass at Parroquia San Juan de la Cruz?
On Sunday there is Mass at 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 in the morning, and at 5:00 and 7:00 in the evening. Monday to Friday at 7:00 in the morning and 6:00 in the evening, with an extra Mass on Thursday at 11:00 in the morning. On Saturday at 7:00 in the morning, at noon and at 6:00 in the evening.
What time does the church open?
The church opens every day at 6:00 in the morning. On weekdays it closes at 9:00 p.m., on Saturday after the evening Mass and on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel is open from 6:00 a.m.
When can I go to confession?
There are confessions on Sundays, at a time still to be confirmed. If you would prefer a longer conversation or personal spiritual direction, you can ask for an appointment at the parish office and the secretary will book it with one of the friars.
Can I get married or have my child baptised here?
Yes. The parish welcomes both its own families and people from outside who wish to celebrate here. Each sacrament has its own requirements, and the first step is always to contact the parish office, which holds the requirements, the dates and the friars' diary.
What does it mean that this is a Carmelite parish?
It means the parish is cared for by the Discalced Carmelite friars, an order founded in the sixteenth century by Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint John of the Cross. Their charism within the Church is contemplation and the spiritual life, so here you will find a community focused on prayer, spiritual formation and personal accompaniment.
How do I ask for spiritual direction?
Call the parish office and ask for an appointment. There is no fixed schedule: the secretary coordinates with one of the friars and he confirms the day and time with you by WhatsApp or by phone.
How do I join a group or movement?
Every ministry has its own leader, and you can also go to the parish office and say what you would like to do. If you want to serve people who are ill, they will give you the contact for the San Lucas ministry. If you are young and looking for community, the contact for the youth group that matches your age.
Do I call them fray, father or priest?
All three are correct. "Fray" comes from the Latin frater, meaning brother, and it is the proper term in mendicant orders such as the Carmelites. Almost all friars are also ordained priests, so calling them father is not wrong either.