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N. 3 – MAY – JUNE 1999 English Edition   CONTENTS ACTIVITIES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL COUNCIL Visit to Vietnam  General Congregation 1999  St. Albert's International Centre  Guesthouses in Rome Italian Province Provincial Chapters  Visits to Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Singapore Centenary celebrations in S. Martino ai Monti, Rome Commissions O.Carm - OCD Meeting of Students First Meeting of Carmelite postulant masters in Latin America. BEATIFICATION OF FR. HILARY JANUSZEWSKI,  O.CARM. 6th MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE ANNIVERSARIES AROUND THE CARMELITE FAMILY 700th Anniversary of Carmelite presence in S. Martino ai Monti, Rome  250th Anniversary of the death of M. Maddalena Mazzoni  50th Anniversary of the return of Carmelites to Aylesford, England  50th Anniversary of the Secular Institute "The Leaven"  40th Anniversary of Aylesford Center in the United States of America FROM THE GENERAL POSTULATION 533 CHURCHES DESTROYED IN INDONESIA STATISTIC - 31 DECEMBER 1998 THE KING OF THE WALLIS ISLANDS WEARS THE CARMELITE SCAPULAR CARMELITE PUBLICATIONS  UPDATE OF ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS CARMELITE MILESTONES CARMELITE NUNS IN THE WORLD: MONASTERY OF "OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL" NEWS IN BRIEF

ACTIVITIES OF THE MEMBERS OF
THE GENERAL COUNCIL

Fr. Joseph Chalmers, Prior General

• Visit to Vietnam

• General Congregation 1999

• St. Albert's International Centre

• Guesthouses in Rome

• Italian Province

• Provincial Chapters

This was the first of six Chapters in six weeks and so I returned to Rome for one night and then headed for Cordoba for the beginning of the Chapter of the Betica Province. Fr. Rafael Levia Sánchez had been elected before the Chapter and so I confirmed him in office. Manuel Sánchez Léon was also confirmed in office as Commissary Provincial of Venezuela. On the last morning of the Chapter the local bishop visited and celebrated Mass. After the Chapter, I visited the nuns in Cordoba and then went to Seville.

On the second day of the Chapter I had begun to feel unwell but I thought it was just a cold and so I carried on as usual. Unfortunately during a visit to the nuns in Utrera on Holy Thursday morning I collapsed causing great consternation. A doctor was called who advised that I be taken to hospital in Seville. They were very kind and did all sorts of tests. They let me out but only on the understanding that I would rest for a month.

On Holy Saturday I went to Scotland and then went to Aylesford in England for the Provincial Chapter. Piet Wijngaard was confirmed in office as Provincial having been elected at the Electoral Assembly in February. I then had ten days off during which I had various tests which proved that I am basically healthy! I then returned to Rome on 20 April with the idea of slowly getting back to work. Thanks be to God, I feel fine now.

Fr. Gaspar Mondéjar, Vice General, presided at the Provincial Chapter of the Arago-Valentine Province and Fr. Alexander Vella presided at the Chapters in Castille and Portugal.

On 1 May, along with Fr. Míceál O’Neill, I begun a fraternal visit to the community at the CISA and that evening I presided Mass in the Basilica of San Martino ai Monti on the occasion of the 700^th anniversary of Carmelite presence. From 5 to 7 May I will be in Barcelona to attend the Chapter of the Catalonian Province.
 

Fr. Anthony Scerri, General Councillor

• Visits to Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Singapore

Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore are the principal centres of Chinese population although, of course, there are large or small communities of Chinese people in many countries of the world. We, Carmelites, do not have a single foundation or mission among the Chinese of the world!

Taiwan: 17 - 24 January 1999: I was made welcome by our Discalced brothers in Hsinchu and Taipei. In Hsinchu they have a noviciate and the fathers there look after the parish which has but a few hundred Catholics. Hsinchu is about one and a half hours by car from Taipei. In the outskirts of Taipei they have a student house. There are also two monasteries of Carmelite nuns. I celebrated Eucharist at the monastery in Hsinchu and then addressed the nuns briefly.

Taiwan is a small country of about 800,000 square kilometres with a population of some 22 million people. Its economy is thriving with an increase of 5.7% last year. Unemployment is low and it has a good social security system. Families are small with an average of two children per family. Taiwan has also preserved much Chinese art, history and tradition, and it is an excellent centre for studying the Chinese (Mandarin) language in its pure (old) form.

There are only a little over 300,000 Catholics in Taiwan spread over seven dioceses. Of these, 100,000 are aborigines of the Malay race who live in the mountains. This means that the Chinese Catholics are very few and conversions from among them are not on the increase. This also means that there are almost no vocations in Taiwan. The OCD have been in Taiwan for 18 years and in all this time they have had only one local vocation. The OCD priests, students and novices come from Singapore, Malaysia and mainland China. Most religious in Taiwan are foreign missionaries and ageing. The archbishop of Taipei told me that he thought the Jesuits would disappear from Taiwan within the next ten years. Most of them are in their 70s and 80s. The same is true of other Orders and Congregations as well as of the diocesan clergy.

I met and spoke with the bishop Luke Liu of Hsinchu and archbishop Joseph Ti-Kang of Taipei. Both originate from mainland China. The diocese of Hsinchu has about 30.000 Catholics. The archdiocese of Taipei, about 100,000, mostly aborigines. The picture of the church in Taiwan that I got from this visit is a rather static picture. They would certainly welcome our Order in their dioceses to keep their parishes and apostolates going.

Hong Kong: 24 - 31 January 1999: I was made very welcome by the SVD fathers in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong there is only one monastery of Discalced Carmelite nuns but none of the friars. I visited and addressed briefly the Carmelite nuns.

Hong Kong has a population of some 6 million, is prosperous, bustling but orderly and it does not seem to have changed at all after the takeover by mainland China. The people are very jealous of their freedom and at the least sign of interference from the government, they protest loudly. While I was there, the leader of an opposition party was being tried for having spoken in public twice without the permission of the government. He was defending the right to speak without permission and was prepared to go to jail rather than pay the fine. The press reported every move and every word and many people protested in support of this leader of the opposition.

It is also very easy to enter mainland China from Hong Kong, at least for a short visit of up to three months. The Church is also free to conduct schools, hospitals, parishes, etc. The Church in Hong Kong seems to be vibrant, although, while most of the diocesan clergy and many of the religious are Chinese from Hong Kong, vocations to the priesthood and the religious life are few at present. I visited bishop Tong (auxiliary) and bishop Zen (coadjutor) and met the Cardinal at lunch. We would be welcomed in Hong Kong, particularly as contemplatives and masters of the spiritual life.

China: 31 January - 7 February 1999: I was welcomed by a Catholic family, friends of mine, in Beijing.

The statistics of China are well known to all of us. Beijing is a huge, bustling and crowded city, but public transport and taxis are very cheap and frequent. There are many modern supermarkets and shopping centres where most things are available.

There are some 10 to 12 million Catholics in China in urban as well as rural areas. This includes the patriotic church and the so-called underground church. The Church is growing in spite of difficulties.

Singapore: 7 - 12 February 1999: Once more I was made most welcome by our Discalced brothers who serve the parish of SS. Peter and Paul right in the centre of the city. In all the Discalced communities that I stayed, I was impressed by their fidelity to the community concelebrated Eucharist, the prayer of the Church in common and the time set aside for personal prayer.

Singapore is a tiny country of some 800.000 square kilometres and a population of about four million. The Catholic population is 140.000. Singapore stands out in that it is a modern, first world, affluent, materialistic, consumeristic society, with small families which yet produces vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. Most of the young Chinese Discalced in Taiwan and Singapore are of Singaporean and Malaysian origin.

I visited archbishop Gregory Young. He received me most graciously, and explained to me that it is most difficult for foreigners to get a visa of permanent residence in Singapore and that the archdiocese was well served by the priests already there.
 

Fr. Míceál O'Neill, General Councillor

• First Session of the Chapter of the Dutch Province

During this first meeting, those present examined four main areas: 1) Carmelite houses as Centres of Spirituality, 2) Carmelite presence: where and how, 3) Vocations, 4) Formation in pastoral areas. Many reflections came out of the study of these themes. These reflections were voted on and passed as proposals to the second session of the Chapter. The Carmelite Constitutions were used as the basic text for the discussions, prayer and recreation during the four days.

During this session, consideration was given to the process towards independence of the Commissariat of the Philippines proposed to take place in 2000. The leader of the Carmelite Movement, an organisation made up of 37 men and women committed to the Carmelite life, informed those present of the development of the movement which began in 1995.

The preparatory commission offered a most dynamic methodology for the general sessions and provided ample time for group discussions.

• Chapter of the Lower German Province

During the Chapter, consideration was given to: the reports given by the Prior General, the Prior Provincial, the bursar, the mission procurator, a new construction project in Wegberg, the report of the vocations commission (there are several requests and the flow of vocations in the Province is growing), the report of the formation commission (together with the proposal to work out a programme of formation for the Province), the report of the commission for justice and peace (at present there is one commission for both German Provinces which promotes a programme of voluntary mission work), the report of the person in charge of the Third Order, several proposals for greater collaboration with the Upper German Province (a common noviciate, a common publication, common statues).

After the talk of the Prior General, a long debate took place on the matter of prayer. During the discussion two very strong tendencies were obvious in the Province: one which sought a more committed community life, the other giving more importance to apostolates. The Chapter sought to integrate the two tendencies. In this context, the importance of the new Constitutions became evident.

The following religious were elected:

Prior Provincial	Anton Beemsterboer
Councillor	Pancraz Ribbert
Councillor	Wilfried Wanjek
Councillor	Laetantius Morskieft
Councillor	Herman Olthof

This year marks the 750th anniversary of the coming of the Carmelites to Germany and the 30th anniversary of the Lower German Province.

• Chapter of the Province of England, Wales and Scotland

Over the following two and a half days the members took as their major theme, how to sustain the apostolic commitments of the Province while developing its missionary thrust and taking the best possible care of the health of the members. The result of the exchanges was a series of recommendations to the new Provincial leadership which include: a study of the provisions which might be made to conserve the health of the members; an openness to consider requests for mission outside the boundaries of the Province based on the model of the Order’s development in India; an investigation of ways to reach out to young people and to involve lay people in the life and work of the Province; a willingness to encourage and offer hospitality to students from other Provinces who might wish to study in London for longer or shorter periods.

Along with some very minor changes to the statutes a motion to ask the General Council to change the name of the Province was accepted by a narrow margin. The request is for the name to be changed from the Anglo-Welsh Province to the British Province. This change is being made in order to respect the development of the Province’s commitment to Scotland in recent years.

Following the Chapter the Province celebrated the ordination of Fr. Mark Paterson in the Aylesford Shrine. The ordaining prelate was Bishop Leonard Tripp, Auxiliary Bishop of Southwark. Fr. Mark’s parents travelled from New Zealand for the occasion. The Prior General, despite a bout of illness took part in all the sessions of the Chapter and concelebrated at the ordination.
 

Fr. Alexander Vella, General Councillor

• Centenary celebrations in S. Martino ai Monti, Rome

• Commissions

On 20 March, at our General Curia, I presided at the second meeting of the liturgical commission of the Order. The commission examined the proposals made by the members of the commission for the revision of the rites for reception to the noviciate and for simple and solemn profession. When the commission will have completed its work, a draft of the ritual will be sent to specialists in liturgy throughout the Order to solicit their views.

• O.Carm - OCD Meeting of Students

• Chapters of the Iberian Region

I spent the Easter week in our monastery in Pisa (Italy) giving conferences to our novices there. After that I returned to Spain to accompany Fr. Gaspar Mondéjar, Vice Prior General, to the Chapter of the Province of Arago-Valentina. The Chapter took place in our monastery of Onda from 13 to 15 April. Fr. Luis Gallardo was re-elected Prior Provincial while Fr. Tomás Ciscar Nadal was elected Provincial Commissary of the Antilles. Frs. David Oliver Felipo, Vicente Aranda Guillén, Luis Torres Pérez and Alberto Box Morcillo were elected Councillors. On the second night of the Chapter, the Discalced Carmelites of the Province of Arago-Valentina, who were also celebrating their Chapter, were invited to Onda for the Eucharist and dinner.

While I was in Madrid, waiting for the following Chapter, I paid a courtesy visit to the nuns of our monastery "N.S. de las Maravillas". Then, from 20 to 22 April, I presided as delegate of the Prior General at the Chapter of the Province of Castille in our monastery of El Henar. Among the members of the Chapter was Fr. Nicolás H. Días Medina, first Argentinean Carmelite, ordained to the priesthood last October. Fr. Juan de Dios Sanz was re-elected Prior Provincial and Frs. Florentino Bocos Priante, Juan Evangelista Ortis Pérez, Tomás de la Camara Lopez and Antonio Marín Lozano Moreno were elected Councillors.
 

Fr. Wilmar Santin, General Councillor

• First Meeting of Carmelite postulant masters in Latin America

On the first day, those who took part shared the programmes for postulants as carried out in the various Carmelite areas of Latin America. From this exchange of ideas it was realised that there are 68 postulants (34 Spanish speaking and 34 Portuguese speaking). These figures show that religious life as lived by Carmelites in Latin America continues to attract young people. This also affirms that Carmelites are carrying out their ministries very well, but we still have not got a unified programme of formation for postulants. Generally, all use the RIVC. The duration of postulancy varies from one to five years. In several countries, during this period the candidates complete their study of philosophy. Only the Brazilian postulants (Pernambuco and Paranà) follow a one year programme in humanities and Carmelitana.

The various programmes of formation in actual use were examined and a new common programme for Latin American Carmel was worked out. It makes sense that, due to national differences, this programme will undergo adaptations, however, if the programme is observed in its general lines, then it will be easier to come to a common noviciate thus giving the postulant a homogeneous formation.
 
 

BEATIFICATION OF
FR. HILARY JANUSZEWSKI, O.CARM.

On 20 March, through a letter addressed to all superiors of the Order, the Prior General, Fr. Joseph Chalmers, communicated that on 13 June the Pope, during his apostolic visit to Warsaw (Poland), will beatify 108 Polish martyrs of the Second World War, victims of Nazi persecution. In the group, which includes 3 bishops, 52 diocesan priests, 26 regular priests, 8 religious, 2 seminarians, 8 sisters and 9 lay people, are a Carmelite, Fr. Hilary Januszewski, and a Discalced Carmelite, Fr. Alfonso Maria of the Holy Spirit (Mazurek).

Fr. Hilary Januszewski

Fr. Hilary Januszewski was born on 11 June 1907 in Krajenki (Poland) and was given the name of Pawel. He received a Christian education from his parents, Martin and Marianne. He attended the college in Greblin (where his family lived from 1915), and then continued his studies at the Institute of Suchary, but had to abandon these due to economic difficulties of the family. Meanwhile his family went to Cracow where he took up other studies and in 1927 entered the Order of Carmel. He completed his noviciate in Leopoli and on 30 December 1928 made his simple profession. At the end of his philosophical studies in Cracow he was sent to Collegio Internazionale Sant'Alberto, Rome. He was ordained priest on 15 July 1934. He obtained his lectorate in theology and the prize for the best students of the Roman Academy of St. Thomas and in 1935 returned to Poland to the monastery in Cracow.

On his return to Poland he was appointed professor of Dogmatic Theology and Church History at the institute of the Polish Province in Cracow. On 1 November 1939, Fr. Eliseus Sánchez-Paredes, Provincial, appointed him prior of the community. At that time, Poland had already been occupied by the Germans a few weeks earlier. One year later, the invaders decreed the arrest of many religious and priests. On 18 September 1940 the gestapo deported four friars from the Carmel in Cracow. In December, when other friars were arrested, Fr. Hilary decided to present himself in exchange for an older and sick friar. From that day his Calvary began. He was sent to the prison of Montelupi (Cracow), then to the concentration camp of Sachsenchausen and in April 1941 to the concentration camp of Dachau. There he was a model of prayer life, encouraging others and giving hope for a better tomorrow. Together with the other Carmelites, among whom was Blessed Titus Brandsma, they often joined in prayer.

Meanwhile in barrack 25 of the concentration camp, typhus was spreading. To help the sick, 32 priests presented themselves to the authorities. A couple of days later, Fr. Hilary Januszewski spontaneously joined the group. His apostolate lasted 21 days because, infected by typhus, he died on 25 March 1945, a few days before the liberation of the concentration camp. His body was cremated in the crematorium of Dachau. Fr. Hilary Januszewski represents all the Polish Carmelites who died and gave their lives to God and their brethren during the Second World War.

For the beatification, the Prior General has sent a letter to all our communities. The letter is entitled Hilary Januszewski, Carmelite - "Faithful in little, faithful in much...". The Prior General traces the life of the new blessed and the value of his witness for us today (cf. http://www.ocarm.org/ita/janu-ita).
 
 

6^th MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION
FOR JUSTICE, PEACE AND INTEGRITY OF CREATION

The sessions of the Justice and Peace Commission began on 10 April 1999 at the General Curia in Rome with a meeting with the General Commission for Charism and Spirituality.

In the exchanges the Charism and Spirituality Commission pointed to the need to help the Order understand the meaning of a contemplative reading of what is happening in the world; the need to look at examples of injustice within the Order and the need for the Order to have criteria of justice in the choice of new apostolates in the poorer parts of the world. The members of the Justice and Peace Commission agreed to read the Carmelite Directory which is being produced by the Charism and Spirituality Commission and to give their view on them from the point of view of Justice and Peace.

When the work of the Justice and Peace Commission on its own began each member gave a report on the developments or lack of them which are evident in each one’s part of the world. On the positive side there are a number of structures in place which continue to focus peoples’ attention and provide service, there is an ever wider consciousness of the relationship which exists between our spirituality and the work of justice and peace. On the down side, there is still the feeling in some places that we haven’t even begun, while in other places there are some signs of tiredness after years of struggle in this area.

The proposal on which the commission has worked for some time, namely, to encourage Provinces to name justice and peace promoters or commissions, has seen some progress. Over the past year commissions have been revived and some new ones have been named. In order to meet the further need of training these promoters the Commission has committed itself to organising a course of ongoing formation in July-August 2001 at a venue yet to be established. The course will be offered to the Carmelite Family and will be geared towards people who see themselves as justice and peace promoters.

Another topic which the Commission discussed in detail was the idea that the Carmelite Order might become an Non Government Organisation (NGO) at the United Nations. The Commission laid out the steps that need to be taken by way of consulting the members of the Order and by way of establishing a focus for a Carmelite involvement in the work of the UN.

Of particular interest at this meeting was the rapidly changing situation in Indonesia. As well as hearing Fr. Berthold Pareira’s report the Commission received a letter from Fr. Cyprian Verbeek (Indo) outlining how difficult the situation in Indonesia has become for the people. Berthold in his report pointed to the fact that up to recently the Church in Indonesia was afraid to speak out. Now that fear is gone and the Church is playing a more open and active role on the side of the people.

The meeting of the International Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation was concluded on 14 April. The next meeting will take place in Jerusalem in September 2000.
 
 

ANNIVERSARIES AROUND
THE CARMELITE FAMILY

• 700^th Anniversary of Carmelite presence in S. Martino ai Monti, Rome

"It is seven hundred years since my predecessor Boniface VIII, in the bull Oblata Nobis of 1 May 1299, granted the Basilica of Sts. Silvester and Martin in Rome to the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel.

The Basilica of Sts. Silvester and Martin in Rome

Remembering the warm welcome you gave me on the occasion of my pastoral visit on 17 February 1980, I am happy to address my joyful greeting to you, Very Rev. Fr. Prior, to the community of Carmelite Friars and to all parishioners, while I willingly unite myself in the common hymn of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord on this happy anniversary.

Turning my gaze to the history of your Basilica, I cannot but recall that, like a precious jewel case, it houses the Titulus Equitii, connected with the name of St. Silvester, the Pope of the "Constantine peace": a title among the most ancient preserved in Rome. Because of its position close to the Basilica of St. Mary Major and to the Domus Aurea, it has, throughout the centuries, become the destination of constant pilgrimages and source of comfort for the piety of so many of the faithful.

I am here thinking of the meaningful presence of eminent titular Cardinals such as Serge II who rebuilt the Basilica, St. Charles Borromeo, the Theatine St. Joseph Maria Tomasi, Pope Pius XI, blessed Alfred Ildefonse Schuster, a Benedictine, the Servant of God Paul VI. Connected also through their special devotion to this Basilica were St. Joseph Benedict Labre, fervent devotee of the Virgin of Carmel, St. Gaspare del Bufalo, founder of the Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood, who was baptised there. And again, the Supreme Pontiffs Adrian VI, Innocent X and Pius VII.

This happy anniversary which you are celebrating this year, is an invitation to rediscover in depth your charism. During these seven centuries of life, the community of this monastery has experienced the manner in which divine Providence guided the religious who lived there, the many friars who paused there in devout prayer, towards an authentic ascetical and spiritual life. Among those many, it is sufficient to make reference to prominent Carmelite figures such as, for instance, the Priors General Nicholas Audet, who took part in the Council of Trent, John Baptist Rossi, whose example St. Teresa of Jesus admired, Giovanni Antonio Filippini, who restored the Basilica to its present splendour, and Paul of St. Ignatius, who worked for the religious reform of the whole Order. Near the Basilica was the seat of the General Curia of the Carmelites and it was there that the first Confraternity of Carmel was canonically erected and then from there spread to the whole world.

How can we forget, then, that humble friar, the Venerable Angelo Paoli, "father of the poor" and "apostle of Rome", who may be considered, ante litteram, the founder of "Caritas" in the district of Monti? It was he who first placed the Cross in the Colosseum thus starting the pious exercise of the Via Crucis which I too have the honour to preside at every Good Friday in that monument rich in history and ancient vestiges. To these select persons one must add the countless host of simple people who daily kneel at the feet of the Virgin of Carmel to implore her maternal protection.

I trust that this centenary celebration will stimulate all the members of the Carmelite Order to continue with renewed zeal on the road to sanctity and fidelity to their original charism. As I wrote in the post-synodal Exhortation Vita Consecrata, the Religious "have not only a glorious history to remember and to recount, but also a great history still to be accomplished!" (n.110). I, therefore, exhort you to look to the future, "where the Spirit is sending you in order to do even greater things" (ibid.).

May the Virgin Mary, Mother and Sister of Carmel, clothe with her mantle your community, religious and parochial, in the same way she enfolds tenderly her Divine Son in the sixteenth century painting venerated in the Basilica. May she guide your every activity and comfort you in moments of trial and difficulty. May she always protect you and obtain for you the gift of fidelity to Christ.

With these wishes, I impart to the whole religious community and to all who frequent the Basilica a special Apostolic Blessing."
 

• 250^th Anniversary of the death of Maria Maddalena Mazzoni

Mother Maria Maddalena Mazzoni

Caterina Mazzoni was born in Bologna on 30 December 1683. She was baptised the day after her birth. She spent her childhood in the practice of Christian virtues. She wanted to become a religious, but out of obedience to her parents, at the age of 19 she was married to Pier Francesco Sangiorgi. Six children, whom she formed in the Christian faith, were born to this marriage. After twelve years of married life and the death of three children and of her husband, she was disoriented for a while, and she herself was on the verge of death. But she recovered physically and spiritually and, under the guidance of Fr. Fernando Salvi, a Carmelite from the church of St. Mary of the Graces in Bologna, she dedicated herself to the spiritual life. At the insistence of Caterina, Fr. Salvi admitted her to the Carmelite Third Order (8 September 1721) with the aim of living a deep interior life inspired by Carmel while still living with her family. He changed her name from Caterina to Maria Maddalena after the Carmelite saint from Florence.

In 1723, in the presence of Fr. Salvi - who continued to be her spiritual director for the duration of the life left to him - she was allowed to take the vow of obedience, then, on the feast of St. Teresa of Jesus, in the church of St. Mary of the Graces, in public he gave her the religious habit of a Carmelite tertiary. With renewed spirit, Mazzoni gave herself more and more to works of mercy, especially teaching christian doctrine to young and old, and visiting the sick and persons in prison. With the idea of gathering together around her other souls in a common life of perfection, and with the aim of educating particularly needy young girls, on 8 May 1724, together with 5 or 6 companions, she started the "Small Carmel" or "Tiny Carmel of Mary". On 13 December of the same year, she and her first companions made their religious profession. This was the beginning of the Congregation known today as Carmelite Sisters of the Graces.

As superior for 25 years, she passed on to her sisters an example of deep prayer which is still present today. Her earthly life, marked with frequent suffering in the body and in the spirit, came to an end on 26 December 1749 at the age of 66. She was buried in the church of the Graces in Bologna and on 28 May 1812, her body was translated to the communal cemetery.
 

• 50^th Anniversary of the return of Carmelites to Aylesford, England

50^th Anniversary of the return of Carmelites to Aylesford

The Aylesford Priory, founded in 1242 on land donated by English Crusader Sir Richard Grey of Condor, was used by the Carmelites until 1538. In 1949 "The Friars" was put up for sale and the Carmelites throughout the world were in favour to purchase it back. The repossession took place on the Vigil of All Saints, 31 October 1949. Fr. Malachy Lynch, the first prior, began the work of restoration. In 1951, permission was given to transfer some of the relics of St. Simon Stock from Bordeaux, where he died in 1265. A large procession was formed in the village and the relics were handed over on the medieval bridge to the Bishop of Southwark by the Archbishop of Bordeaux. The procession then made its way through the village and back to the priory where St. Simon Stock had lived some 700 years before.

The spirit and devotion of the Carmelite Friars has not changed since they first came to Aylesford. Here the community forms a nucleus around which other people can gather and find spiritual encouragement. The work of Aylesford is not just carried on by the friars, but they are assisted by numerous others, who share in and contribute to the smooth running of the priory. Throughout the year thousands of people visit the priory for meetings, retreats, spiritual direction, etc. It is estimated that around 200.000 people visit the place each year. Aylesford Priory, is a place of rest and prayer located some 30 miles Southeast of London in Kent.
 

• 50^th Anniversary of the Secular Institute "The Leaven"

In 1949 the Institute had only 3 members. At present "The Leaven" has 22 members: 12 in final vows, 6 in temporary vows and 4 candidates (novices). They do not live in community but in their own homes and in different parts of Great Britain. In spite of this, their spirit of community and love is very strong and each of them knows she is supported by the other. They all meet once a year for an annual retreat; they also have two or three renewal weekends each year and a meeting on a Saturday once a month in different areas of the country and those near enough to attend do so.

The apostolate of "The Leaven" is part of the Church's mission: to reveal Christ to all mankind that through him God may be glorified. They have no specific work and within the Institute there are teachers, nurses, secretaries, factory workers and social workers. Their aim is to sanctify their work and environment by personal witness, transforming presence, encouraging words.

Last November the members of "The Leaven" held their quinquennial elections at Aylesford, England. Miss Diana McGhee was re-elected President and Miss Jean Macaskill re-elected Vice-President. On the same occasion Miss Rosemary Kinman was elected Sponsor and Miss Antoinette Askin and Miss Teresa Grice, Councillors.
 

• 40^th Anniversary of Aylesford Center in the United States of America

• On morning 25 May, Fr. Leo McCarthy, Provincial, will celebrate an opening Mass in the Shrine. In the evening, Fr. Kevin Shanley will present "The History of Aylesford in America and England". This will be followed by a candlelight procession to each of the ministry and living sites on the Aylesford campus, with prayers led by Fr. Robert Murphy.

• On 27 May Fr. Robert E. Lee will be presider and homilist at the morning Mass in the Shrine. In the evening Fr. Robert Colaresi, the current prior of the Aylesford community, will deliver a talk on "Carmelite Spirituality and Charism in Elijah, Mary, John, Theresa and Thérèse".

• On 1 June, in the evening, Fr. John Malley, director of the Carmelite Missions, will speak on "The life and spirituality of St. Thérèse.

• At the Shrine Mass on 3 June, the theme will be "Mary" with Fr Kevin Shanley as presider and homilist. This will be followed with a talk on "Mary and the Scapular". The speaker will be Fr. Patrick McMahon, currently Director of the Lay Carmelites.

• The days of celebration will be closed on 5 June with a closing Mass celebrated by Prior General, Fr. Joseph Chalmers.

FROM THE GENERAL POSTULATION

• Blessed Titus Brandsma

Blessed Titus Brandsma

Mrs, Harnedy then had a swelling in her the upper part of her neck. The family doctor advised her to go to a specialist who diagnosed leukaemia in the saliva gland, but could give no further details due to lack of means. To verify the results, Mrs. Harnedy placed herself in the hands of the well-known oncologist, Dr. David D. Caldarelli in the famous Chicago Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital. Meanwhile, Mrs. Harnedy, a devotee of Blessed Titus Brandsma, prayed for his intercession in her illness. A Carmelite friar gave her his blessing and placed the relic of the Blessed on the affected part of the neck.

On further examination of the swelling, it was diagnosed that she had carcinoma non small cells. The disease required special treatment. There were two possibilities: sessions of radiotherapy or a surgical operation. The first option was rejected for fear of causing a lesion of the facial nerve. Thus a surgical operation was settled upon. During the study previous to the operation, a cardiac indisposition was discovered and this needed the substitution of a valve and the necessity of a by-pass. Thus the carcinoma operation was put off.

After she recovered from her heart surgery, Mrs. Harnedy went back to Dr. Caldarelli to proceed with the treatment of the carcinoma. To the surprise of everyone, the doctor certified that the swelling was gone and that Mrs. Harnedy no longer needed surgery. Other examinations were carried out which confirmed the disappearance of the carcinoma. Six months later further controls were carried out with negative results.

This fact was brought to the notice of a doctor of the Congregation to be studied before proceeding with the diocesan process on the presumed miracle. The biopsy and scanner evidence was re-examined by the director of the institute of pathological anatomy of the Policlinico Gemelli in Rome with the same results. It was a case of a carcinoma non small cells.

Consequently it was possible to proceed with the petition to the Cardinal of Chicago to set up a tribunal, collect documents and interview witnesses in order to bring these proofs to Rome, where they are being studied by medical specialists and theologians so as to pronounce whether it is really possible to consider this healing a true miracle. The copy of this process has been handed over to the Congregation which opened the process on 16 April 1999. We hope that this will bear a positive result so that the Church may have another example of sanctity to the glory of God the Father.

• The Venerable Angelo Paoli

The Venerable Angelo Paoli

In the process, the lady affirms that she turned to the Venerable Angelo Paoli asking him to cure her of her illness. The case involved a prolapsus which occurred at the age of 64 and which prevented her from walking. Out of modesty she did not want to reveal this to the doctor, but when she did decide to talk, while she was waiting to be examined at the house of one of her friends, before the doctor arrived, she felt that she was healed.

The postulator is seeking to obtain the medical certificate to establish the cause of the lady's death. The process was not carried forward because a doctor of the Congregation held that the prolapsus could recur since it was of the second degree. If the lady did not die from this illness, it would be possible to present the formal study of the diocesan process on this presumed miraculous healing to the Congregation.

• Bishop Gabriele Paulino Couto

On this occasion, Bishop Amaury Castanho, bishop of Jundiai, announced to those present the establishment of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal for the gathering of witnesses concerning the life of Bishop Couto. After communion, Bishop Roberto Pindarello, emeritus bishop, spoke and recalled Bishop Couto at the time he knew him in Rome, in the Pius Brazilian College, where he went to take things left by Brazilian soldiers for the Carmelite friars in St. Albert's College, and later at his episcopal ordination in Traspontina. Then Fr. Paolo Gollarte, Provincial, said a few words emphasising the Carmelite characteristics of Bishop Couto and reading the letter of the Prior General, Fr. Joseph Chalmers, sent for the occasion to greet all the faithful of the diocese, to express the wish for Bishop Couto's early beatification. The message was received with vibrant applause.
 
 

533 CHURCHES DESTROYED
IN INDONESIA

While the eyes of the world are presently focused on the disaster in Kosovo, the political and religious situation in Indonesia also presents a disturbing picture. Fr. Heribertus Heru Purwanto, Prior Provincial, sent the following information (from the Indonesian Christian Communication Forum) concerning what is happening to Christians in Indonesia.

During Soekarno's Presidency (17 August 1945 - 7 March 1967) only two churches were destroyed while during the 31 years of Soeharto's Presidency (7 March 1967 - 21 May 1998) 455 churches were closed, destroyed and/or burnt down and at least 20 Christians martyred. On 21 May 1998 Habibie became Indonesia's new President. During the first six months of his presidency 76 churches were closed, destroyed and/or burnt down. This makes a total of 533 churches destroyed or closed from 1945 to December 1998.

The questions which arise are: where do the rioters come from and who are the instigators of these riots? Suggestions have been made that the reasons for these riots are hatred of Indonesians of Chinese descent, hatred of Christians, social and economic disparity, political or cultural differences. However, General M. Feisal Tanjung, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, in a report on 8 January 1997 in the daily newspaper Kompas, declared that there exists an intellectual group instigating these destructive incidents. However, no court has to the present produced legal proof to support the General's statement.

Another prominent Indonesian, Abdurrachman Wahid, president of a powerful moderate Muslim group, declared in the Jawa Pos on 11 June 1997, that the riots are financed by a fund of 300 million rupiahs which is invested in Jakarta. With his permission as well as that of the Kiais (the venerated Muslim religious teachers) a number of churches, schools, orphanages and other public facilities have been rebuilt. Opposition to these renovations came rather from local government, the Department of Religion and the some military persons.
 
 

STATISTIC - 31 DECEMBER 1998
 

Nationes		Ep	Sac	DP	SP		LP			Nov			So
Americae Sept.			268	3	17			18			5	311
Argentina			7		1							8
Australia			27					4				31
Austria			2									2
Bolivia			4		2							6
Brasilia		6	85		43			8			7	149
Britannia			30		9			9			1	49
Canada			8					1				9
Colombia			5					1				6
Dominicana			7		2							9
El Salvador			1									1
Gallia			7		1							8
Germania			84					19				103
Hibernia		1	79		5			3			1	89
Hispania			131		20			31			4	186
India			20		34							54
Indonesia		2	88		107			10			53	260
Italia		1	177		27			22			8	235
Lusitania		1	18		7			2				28
Melita			44		4			6				54
Mexico			4									4
Mozambique			1					1				2
Neerlandia			108		2			15				125
Peruvia		1	11	1	4			1			2	20
Philippinae			25		16			1			4	46
Polonia			44		7			9			1	61
Portus Dives			17		3							20
Trinidad			1									1
Tzecha			10		12			2				24
Venetiola			21		8			1				30
Zaire			19		18			1			8	46
Zimbabua			24		18			1			8	51
Summa omnium		12	1377	4	367			166			102	2028

21 Provincae et Commissariatus Generales; 3 Delegationes Generales
 

Abreviationes:	Ep = Episcopi
	Sac = Sacerdotes	DP = Diaconi Permanentes
	SP = Seminaristae Professi	LP = Laici Professi
	Nov = Novicii	So = Summa omnium

 

THE KING OF THE WALLIS ISLANDS
WEARS THE CARMELITE SCAPULAR

In November of last year, Marie-Joseph Perriot-Comte, Responsible General of the Missionary Family "Donum Dei", visited for the first time the communities in the Wallis Islands in Oceania. At the airport she was welcomed by five girls from the Family who immediately took her to the King of the islands because he was to receive the scapular of Carmel.

The King of Wallis is greatly honoured by his people. He is surrounded by six ministers who must respect traditions, customs and established laws, and see that these are respected by others. In order to enter into the presence of the King one has to follow minutely the indicated protocol and approach him with great respect and reverence. In spite of all this, the King of Wallis is a very simple and very good person. During her meeting with the King, Marie-Joseph explained to him the meaning of the scapular of Carmel and its importance. At these words the King was happy and moved. After some hymns and prayers, in an atmosphere of great recollection, he allowed himself to be vested with the habit of Our Lady.

The King was so happy to have received the scapular of Carmel that in the afternoon he rang Marie-Joseph to invite her to the ceremony of Kava, the Feast of Christ the King, at which he was to preside the following Sunday, and also to share, together with other important national people, a dinner in his house.
 
 

CARMELITE PUBLICATIONS

ALBERTAZZI, Alessandro,

UPDATE OF ADDRESSES AND
TELEPHONE NUMBERS

• Addresses of new houses

• Changed addresses

• Changed phone / fax numbers

Carmelite Cloistered Nuns, Carpineto Romano
Carmelo S. Anna, Via B.P.Caldarozzi, 32, 00032 Carpineto Romano (Rome), Italy. Tel. (+39) 0697189049

Catalonian Province
Padres Carmelitas, Av. El Paseo, 96, Los Rosales, Apartado 40122, Caracas 1040 A, Venezuela.
Tel: (+58-2) 6935005; Fax: 693.5458

Betica Province
Comunidad PP. Carmelitas, Parroquia N. Sra del Carmen, Apdo. 76088 - El Marqués, Petare, Caracas - 1070-A, Venezuela. Tel. (+58-2) 2714536; Fax: 2727776

• New e-mail addresses

PCM American Province

Fontaine, David McPartland, Guy Pfister, Carl

<newmanuop@gotnet.net> <maewyn@warwick.net> <ocarlo@aol.com>

Province of England, Scotland, Wales

Fox, David Frost, Lawrence Johnston, Tom McGreal, Wilfrid Moran, James Waite, David

<djfox10@hotmail.com> <frostlaurence@hotmail.com> <tomjohnston46@hotmail.com> <wilfridmcgreal@hotmail.com> <jamesmoran71@hotmail.com> <david@waite79.freeserve.co.uk>

Italian Province

Lazzeri, Innocenzo Sant. Par. Maria SS.ma Annunziata, Trapani

<lazzeri@sirius.pisa.it> <lucizap@tin.it>

Australian Province

Agung Wahyudianto, Augustinus (Indo) Barry, Maurice Beslon Pandiangan, Hilarius (Indo) Brown, Hugh Cahill, Paul Gurr, Paul Kierce, Noel Richmond, Leo Lay Carmelite National Council

<agungmax@hotmail.com> <stmarys@pipeline.com.au> <beslonp@hotmail.com> <hgbrown@bigpond.com.au> <pcahill@whitefriars.vic.edu.au> <pgurr@1earth.net> <principal@whitefriars.vic.edu.au> <mtcarmel@bne.catholic.net.au> <lcnc@bluep.com>

French General Delegation

Abad, Joseph (Aust) De Lima Gouvêa, Romero (Flum) Center of Etudes, Nantes

<abadjoe@aol.com> <DLGROME@aol.com> <CENDL@aol.com>

Arago-Valentine Province

Mur, Rogelio Señor, Juan Gregorio

<antabad@coqui.net> <vcarmeno@planalfa.es>

Carmelite Sisters (HVMMC)

Hermanas Carmelitas

<hvirmoncar@planalfa.es>

Maltese Province

Parnis, Anthony

<antpar@keyworld.net>

Rio de Janeiro Province

Mesters, Carlos

<mesters@visualnet.com.br>

Dutch Province

Bruijns, Sanny Titus Brandsma Media Program, Philippines

<s.bruijns@wxs.nl> <tbcmedia@csi.com.ph>

Pernambuco Province

Provincia Pernambuco

<carmorec@nlink.com.br>

 

CARMELITE MILESTONES

Novices

17 January 1999	Agostinho da Silva (GerS-Par) César Augusto Valente Scarpin (GerS-Par) Claudinei Martins Goveia (GerS-Par) Donizete Montessano (GerS-Par) Flávio Barbosa dos Santos (GerS-Par) Júnior Carlos da Silva Oliveira (GerS-Par) Luiz Carlos Pupia Filho (GerS-Par) Sanderson Luciani (GerS-Par) Cícero Pereira Alencar (Pern) Cidmário Bezerra de Arruda (Pern) José Cláudio de Alencar Batista (Pern) José Erivan Nuto Liberalino (Pern) Juracy Barbosa Alves Júnior (Pern)
22 January 1999	Farai Gabriel Mandaza (Hib-Zim) Erasmus Masitera (Hib-Zim) Herbert H. Manyengawana (Hib-Zim) Amplisio Mapuranga (Hib-Zim) Tafadzwa Dominic Murenjekwah (Hib-Zim) Abraham Thomas (Hib-Zim) Munashe Njombo (Hib-Zim)
22 February 1999	José Ernesto Torres (Cast-Arg) Atilio Rosales (Cast-Arg) Abel Augusto Galzerano (Cast-Arg) Eduardo Andres Agosta (Cast-Arg)

Simple Professions

16 January 1999	Torres Pedraza (PCM-Per) Miquel Angel Bombilla (PCM-Per)
13 February 1999	Michael Ngano (Hib-Zim) Josephat Musemwa (Hib-Zim) Francis Nyamarebvu (Hib-Zim) Godfrey Shonga (Hib-Zim) Joseph Matare (Hib-Zim) Clarton F. Mangadza (Hib-Zim)
13 March 1999	Theophill Makuni (Hib-Zim)

25 Years Simple Profession

5 August 1999 30 August 1999

Alberto Salas Lopez (Baet) Mieczyslaw Jankowski (Pol)

50 Years Simple Profession

11 August 1999 13 August 1999 22 August 1999   28 August 1999

M. Francesca D'Apolito (VET) Mª Angeles Cabrerizo Bernal (SEAR) Jerome (Fergus) Lickteig (PCM) Clarence (Clyde) Ozminkowski (PCM) Louis Rogge (PCM) Sean O'Leary (PCM) Mª Asunción Orozco Rangel (OSU)

Priestly Ordinations

6 March 1999	Manoel da Cruz Alves da Silva (Pern)
9 April 1999	Mark Patterson (Ang)

25 Years Priestly Ordination

16 July 1999 20 July 1999 28 July 1999 10 August 1999 16 August 1999

Angelus Soepratignjo (Indo) Matheus Kamsiadji (Indo) Anthony Parnis (Mel) Fulgentius Siki (Indo) Laurence Timms (Aust) Paul Cahill (Aust)

50 Years Priestly Ordination

3 July 1999 10 July 1999

José Gerardo Moreno Reina (Baet) Patrick (Martin) McMahon (Hib) Enrico Borgi (Ita) Clemente Benedetti (Ita) Raffaele Arnoni (Ita) Antonius Lugtenberg (Neer) Bernardus Velthuis (Neer) Johannes (Daniel) Steggink (Neer) Petrus Mesters (Neer) Marinus van Wessum (Neer) Petrus Kramer (Neer)

Necrology

3 January1999	Rafael Arnau Martínez (Arag)
8 January 1999	Santiago Díaz Rodríguez (Arag)
24 January 1999	Francis (Maurice) Crossan (Ang)
26 January 1999	Valentina Cidda (SUT)
24 February 1999	Mercedes Herráez Sastre (HSM)
1 March 1999	Rudolph Flanik (PCM)
4 March 1999	Gabriël Resink (ECH)
12 March 1999	Norbert Piper (PCM)
16 March 1999	Eliseo Del Mancino (Ita)
21 March 1999	Rudolf Hendriks (Neer)
2 April 1999	Martino Laarman (Flum)
3 April 1999	Gabriel Aloysius Maria Harjoko (Indo)
5 April 1999	Mario Russo (PCM)
11 April 1999	Ambrosius Stello (GerI)
20 April 1999	Alberto Consalvo (Brun)
21 April 1999	Pau M. Casadevall i Costa (Cat)
22 April 1999	Francesco Tarca (Ita)
27 April 1999	Mª Agnese Gessaga (RAV)

 

CARMELITE NUNS IN THE WORLD

Address: 745 Carretera 349
Mayagüez 00680-8323
Puerto Rico.

In January 1983 the bishop of the new diocese of Mayagüez, Mgr. Ulises Casiano Vargas, expressed verbally to the Prior General, Fr. Falco Thuis, his desire to have in his diocese a contemplative Carmel. He had expressed the same desire much earlier to Fr. Rogelio Mur, Provincial Commissary (Arag). On 25 November 1983, Bishop Ulises Casiano wrote to the new Prior General, Fr. John Malley, officially requesting a foundation. Father General replied on 8 December approving the request giving the green light for the necessary arrangements. The date of the permission given by the General Council for the foundation is registered as 12 March 1984 because that is when it was registered with the Sacred Congregation for Religious in the petition for the dispensation to start the foundation with only six religious.

Fr. Jaime Andrade, the then General Councillor and Delegate for the Nuns, and Fr. Rogelio Mur, Provincial Commissary, began an extensive correspondence with the various monasteries in Spain and in Latin America seeking possible candidates. The nuns of Trujillo Alto also began to move, appointing from among them the founding members of the new monastery and getting in contact with the nuns who were to come from other monasteries. The six religious of the new community, three Puerto Ricans and three Spanish, met in June 1984 at Trujillo Alto to get to know each other and to draw up a programme for the foundation. The meetings went on for a few weeks, while waiting for the moment to start the new Carmel. The six founding members were: Sr. Luce Maria Torres and Sr. Carmen Noemi Marrero from the Trujillo Alto monastery (P.Rico), Sr. Mª Catalina Dávila from La Pianura monastery (P.Rico), Sr. Teresa dal Niño Jesús Ortega from the monastery of Cañete la Real (Malaga, Spain), Sr. Mª Josefina Morali from the monastery of Onteniente (Valencia, Spain) and Sr. Mª José Burillo di Bacca from the monastery of Saragossa (Spain).

On 31 October 1984 the six religious went from the monastery of Trujillo Alto to the new monastery of Mayagüez. For the first four years, the nuns lived in a rented house. On 28 September 1988 they went to what would be their definitive monastery in the city of Mayagüez. The major job during the first few weeks was the cleaning and setting up of the house. Many people, especially the nuns from Trujillo Alto, the bishop of the diocese, the Sisters of St. Joseph and a group of lay people, helped them a great deal. The nuns themselves immediately organised their time-table, community life and even their cloister. At first vocations were quite numerous, and today they are a community of 15 nuns and some aspirants.

Fourteen years after the foundation, because of lack of funds, the nuns are still building the monastery. The building is half finished but the inauguration of the monastery has been set for March or April of this year. They put their trust in the prayers of all the members of the Carmelite Family, that their young community may continue to grow in every sense until it becomes a beacon drawing attention from heaven to earth and from earth to heaven.

• Two Carmelite place-names

• Annual General Meeting of the Indonesian Province

• Meeting of the Carmelite Family of the Iberian Region

• New Web sites

http://karmeliten.orden.de/marienthal

http://www.carmelite.org.au

• Email address

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• Contact Webmaster

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