At the end of the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Teresian Carmelite Order, the OCDS in Senegal was born in Dakar on November 18, 2019. On this occasion, the Carmelite friars met Véronique Lukelo, OCDS from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and asked her to give witness to her journey of more than 20 years with her husband within the Secular Carmel. Her testimony was a motivation for Michelle and André, who later asked the Carmelites to create a branch of the secular order in Senegal. The first meeting took place in Dakar on the second of March, 2020. On December 08, 2020, André and Michelle entered formation and made their first promises on 05 December, 2021. The group now has 10 members: two temporary professed, three in the first year of formation, three women in formation and a couple of perpetually professed (from the Democratic Republic of Congo, living in Dakar).
St. John of the Cross is the patron saint of the group. The same group promotes devotion to the scapular in Senegal, organizes monthly meetings on the first Saturday and the annual retreat, and the patronal feast every December 14.
