Our Writings

“Praying with St. Thérèse of Lisieux: The Nineteenth-Century World and the French Church,” Originally published in Prayer in the Catholic Tradition: A Handbook of Pastoral Approaches, Robert J. Wicks, General Editor. Copyright 2016 by Robert J. Wicks. Published by Franciscan Media. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

“Hope: An Anchor in Time of Crisis” Spiritual Life, Summer 2007.

“Spiritual Direction in the Middle and Elder Years” Spiritual Life, Fall 2005.

“Spirituality and Ministry: A Religious Perspective” Spiritual Life, Winter 1984.

“Black and Gifted: Our Ministry to Spiritual Direction” Spiritual Life, Spring 1984.

Blog “Teilhard’s Influence on My Life and Work”, American Teilhard Association, May 21, 2022.

“Contemplative Life as a Carmelite Nun” Sr. Cecilia Ashton, OCD, A Nun’s Life Ministry, January 31, 2018.

“I’ve Been to the Mountaintop: A young Carmelite shares her vocation story to the contemplative life” Sr. Cecilia Ashton, OCD, Salt and Light Media, November 7, 2016.

“Bringing Forth the Reign of God from the Mountain of Carmel: A View After 6 Months,” Carmelite Review, Fall, 2013/Winter, 2014, pg. 19.

“Come Follow Me,” Carmelite News, Vol. 20, No. 1, (March – May 2013), pg. 1.

Colette of the Trinity, “Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity: A Guiding Light for My Life,” Blog on the Carmelite Monastery of Baltimore Website, May 7, 2018.

Colette Ackerman, “The Sacred Triduum,” Baltimore Carmel News, Spring, 2018, page 2.

Colette Ackerman, “Profession Exhortation on Pentecost” for Sister Cecilia Ashton’s 1^st Profession of Vows, Carmelite Monastery of Baltimore, May 15, 2016.

Colette Ackerman, Olivia Steback and Celia Ashton, “Motherhouse Road Trip: Carmelite Nuns of Baltimore,” Trip Date: April 29, 2014, A Nun’s Life Ministry Website Podcast.

Colette Ackerman in “All Work and All Prayer at Baltimore Carmel” in Baltimore Sun, July 14, 2013.

Colette Ackerman in “Carmelites Open Arms to Discerning Women” in Catholic Review, January 19, 2012.

Donald Cozzens, “Homily at the Golden Jubilee, 50 years as a Carmelite Nun, of Colette Ackerman” on August 14, 2011, Carmelite News, Vol. 18, No. 3 (Sept-Dec 2011), pps. 1-3.

Colette Ackerman, “A Good Friday Meditation,” Emmanuel, Vol. 107, No. 3, (April, 2001), pps. 160-164.

Colette Ackerman, “St. Thérèse: A Love Story” (condensed from Emmanuel), Catholic Digest Large Print Edition, Winter, 1998, pps. 48-55.

Colette Ackerman, “St. Thérèse: A Love Story” (condensed from Emmanuel), Catholic Digest, October, 1997, pps. 70-77.

Colette Ackerman, “Thérèse of Lisieux: Discovering the Mercy of God,” Emmanuel, Vol. 103, No. 8 (October, 1997), pps. 485-489.

Ackerman, C. (1997). “The Poetry of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.” Translated by Donald Kinney, O.C.D., Washington: Institute of Carmelite Studies, 1996. 335 pages. $12.95 (paper). Horizons, 24(1), 145-146. doi:10.1017/S0360966900016972

Colette Ackerman, “Thérèse of Lisieux: One Hundred Years of Grace,” Emmanuel, Vol. 102, No. 7, (September, 1996), pps. 434-439.

Colette Ackerman, “Book Review of Two Sisters in the Spirit: Thérèse of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity by Hans Urs von Balthazar“, Review for Religious, Vol. 53, No. 6 (November-December, 1994), pps. 938-940.

Colette Ackerman, “Book Review of Mystics for Our Time: Carmelite Meditations for a New Age, by Noel O’Donoghue,” Spirituality Today, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Summer, 1991), pps. 188-189.

Colette Ackerman and Joseph Healey, “Reinterpreting Therese of Lisieux for Today’s World,” Spiritual Life, Vol. 35, No. 2 (Summer, 1989), pps. 83-98.

Colette Ackerman, “History of Carmel in America,” Rome: Carmelite Generalate, 1987, 12 pages.

Colette Ackerman and Joseph Healey, “Bonded in Mission: Reflections on Prayer and Evangelization,” Spiritual Life, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Summer, 1981), pps. 90-104. Reprinted in Missionary Spirituality Report No. 5, Maryknoll Formation Journal Supplement, Winter 1981-81, pps. 2-30.

Colette Ackerman, “Book Review of A Fifth Gospel: The Experience of Black Christian Values by Joseph Healey,” Spiritual Life, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Summer, 1981), pps. 124-125.

Joseph Healey and Colette Ackerman, “Review Article: Rediscovering the Contemplative Experience,” Channel, Vol. 18 (Fall-Winter, 1975), pps. 27-31.

Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) 2017 Outstanding Leadership Award.  Video Presentation.  Text of Sr. Connie’s Response.

“John of the Cross and Prayer,” Originally published in Prayer in the Catholic Tradition: A Handbook of Pastoral Approaches, Robert J. Wicks, General Editor. Copyright 2016 by Robert J. Wicks. Published by Franciscan Media. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

“From Impasse to Prophetic Hope: Crisis of Memory.” Catholic Theological Society of America, Proceedings of the Sixty-fourth Annual Convention. Ed.Jonathan Y. Tan. Concinnati, Ohio: Xavier University Press, 2009, 21-42.

“Woodstock 1969 – Capturing the Metaphor of Religious Life.” Cloister of the Heart: Association of Contemplative Sisters. Ed. Ann Denham & Gert Wilkinson. Xlibris Corporation, 2009, 74-88.

“The Passion of the Carmelite Tradition: Edith Stein.” Spiritus. Johns Hopkins University Press, Fall 2002. Carmelite Prayer, A Tradition For the 21st Century. Ed. Keith Egan. New York: Paulist Press, 2003, 174-201.

“Transformation in Wisdom – the Subversive Character and Educative Power of Sophia in Contemplation.” Carmel and Contemplation. Ed. Kevin Culligan. Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 2000, 281-358.

“The Desire for God and the Transformative Power of Contemplation.” Light Burdens, Heavy Blessings. Ed. Mary Heather MacKinnon et al. Quincy University: Franciscan Press, 2000, 201-222.

“The Mission of Therese of Lisieux.” Contemporary Carmelite Women. The Way Supplement (Summer 1997).

“Desolation as Dark Night: The Transformative Influence of Wisdom in John of the Cross.” Ignatian Prayer. The Way Supplement 82 (Spring 1995).

“The Carmelite Adventure” Reno: Carmelite Communities Associated and Carmelite Sisters of Baltimore, 1990. (Critical edition of 1790 Diary of Carmelite founders crossing the ocean to America.) Reprinted in The Land of Carmel. Ed. Paul Chandler, O. Carm. and Keith J. Egan. Rome: Institutum Carmelitanum, 1991, 419-437.

“How to Read the Rule – An Interpretation.” Albert’s Way. Ed. Michael Mulhall, O. Carm. Rome: Institutum Carmelitanum; Barrington, Illinois: The Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, 1989, 51-69.

“A Discipleship of Equals: Voices from Tradition – Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.” A Discipleship of Equals: Toward a Christian Feminist Spirituality: Theology Institute Publications. Ed. Francis A. Eigo. The Villanova University Press, 1988.

“Impasse and Dark Night.” Living with Apocalypse, ed. Tilden Edwards. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1984. Reprinted in Women’s Spirituality. Ed. Joann Wolski Conn. New York: Paulist Press, 1986, 1996.

“Contemplative Life as Charismatic Presence.” Spiritual Life 29, no. 1 (1983): 18-30.

Peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters

Robson, J., ‘John of the Cross: A mystic for the contemporary world’, forthcoming in Teresianum

Robson, J., ‘St Teresa of Avila and Toledo: Doing dialogue in a Carmelite place’, in Dialogues,
Disputes and Dreams Among Jews, Christians and Muslims, ed. Peter M. Tyler (London: St
Mary’s University Press, 2024), 48-64

Robson, J., ‘Teresa and the sisters of Bethany: Use and innovation in the exegetical tradition’,
Teresianum, 74 (2023/2), 271-300

Robson, J., ‘Mary, Martha and the Carmelites: Contemplation, action and the Christian Life’,
Vivamus in Spe (2023), 90-99

Robson, J., ‘Teresa of Avila and the Letters of Saint Jerome: Simple encouragement or
substantial influence?’, Teresianum, 70 (2019/1), 9-46

Robson, J., ‘Albert, Jerome and Crusader Monks: Exploring the military imagery of the Formula
of Life’, Teresianum, 69 (2018/2), 345-363

Robson, J., ‘Indulgences: A new appreciation for the present moment?’ New Blackfriars, 99
(2018), 360-373

Robson, J., Sr Mary of St Joseph, and Sargeant, P., ‘Living the Teresian Tradition in the Twenty-
first century: Thoughts from praxis’, in Teresa of Avila: Mystical theology and spirituality in the
Carmelite tradition, ed. by Peter Tyler and Edward Howells (London: Routledge, 2017), pp. 121-
136

Robson, J., ‘Towards a Spirituality of Solidarity with Johann Baptist Metz and Edith Stein’,
Teresianum, 65 (2014/2), 235-262

Popular articles

‘Seeing Things in Perspective: John’s dark night and his vision of heavenly glory’ Mount Carmel,
74/4 (2026), 18-23

‘Anne of St Bartholomew and the New World: Her legacy across the Atlantic’, Mount Carmel,
74/3 (2026), 53-59

‘Celebrating Teresa’, Mount Carmel, 70/1 (2022), 4-9

‘Edith Stein’s Spirituality of Solidarity’, Mount Carmel, 69/3 (2021), 51-56

‘St John of Avila’, Friends of the Family series, Mount Carmel, 69/2 (2021), 61-65

‘Teresa and Tradition: Reading the past, writing the future’, Mount Carmel, 68/4 (2020), 30-38

‘Elizabeth of the Trinity: A saint ahead of her time’, Spirituality, 22/129 (2016), 353-356

‘Pope Francis, St Teresa of Avila and the Joyful Mercy of God’, Spirituality, 22/128 (2016), 284-
288

‘Woman of Prayer for Today: Teresa of Avila’, Spirituality, 22/125 (2016), 95-99

‘The Theology of Vocation: An untold story’, Mount Carmel, 60/2 (2012), 28-34

‘Eucharistic Living: The insights of Edith Stein’, Mount Carmel, 59/2 (2011), 36-42

‘Prayer for the Priesthood: The testimony of a Carmelite nun’, Mount Carmel, 52/3 (2004), 22-27

“Three Poems” Delta Epsilon Sigma Journal, Fall 2010.

“Bibby Darling” America Magazine, November 15, 2004.

“What it Means to Me to Be a Carmelite” Spiritual Life, Winter 2001.

“Mary: From Cana to Calvary” Spiritual Life, Winter 1998.

“The Knight of Infinite Resignation and the Knight of Fear and Trembling in Soren Kierkegaard” Delta Epsilon Sigma Journal, January 1991.

“Confidences: John 4:29” Sisters Today December 1989.

“Probing the Elijah Cycle with the Archetypal Critic” The Sword April 1989.

“The Eternal Struggle Between Light and Darkness: The Transformation of Mythic Themes in a Christian Context in Beowulf” Journal of Sigma Tao Delta Fall 1988.

“Mary: Carmel’s Elder Sister” Spiritual Life, Summer 1987.

“The Ministry of Listening” Spiritual Life, Winter 1985.

“Telling the Story Once Again” Spiritual Life, Spring 1984.