Accompanied by Fr. Albertus Herwanta, O.Carm., Councillor General for Asia, Australia and Oceania, the Prior General Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., undertook a canonical visitation of the Indonesian Province, now the largest in the Order. Following a stop-over in China, he visited the community of the Provincial Commissariat of Sumatra and participated in their Assembly.
He then moved on to the Provincial Commissariat of Flores, where he participated in their Assembly, meeting also groups of students and novices. He also visited the retreat house of the Commissariat in Bali and almost all the communities of Malang and Jakarta (Java) encountering especially groups of novices and professed students. In many places he met with other groups of the Carmelite Family, such as the Carmelite nuns from our monastery in Batu, the Sisters of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (HVMMC), Putri Carmel (PUTRI), the Carmelite Sisters of the Institute of Our Lady of Carmel (INSC) and the "Saint Elijah" Carmelites. He then met with laity, such as the Third Order, the community of the Holy Trinity, the Edith Stein Vocation's Club, the Pelita Karmel group (Light of Carmel). Finally, he visited the sanctuary and the retreat house of Cikariyere (Cianjur).
Accompanied by Fr. Mario Esposito, O.Carm., Prior Provincial of the American Province of St. Elias (SEL), he also undertook the canonical visitation of the houses of that Province in Vietnam. In each of these places they looked at the various possibilities opening up in this flourishing mission. He visited a number of monasteries of Discalced nuns and participated in the celebration of promises of a group of Missionary Workers of Donum Dei. As in Indonesia, so also in Vietnam the Prior General met with various bishops in their respective dioceses.
It is important to recognize with gratitude and joy the considerable growth of the Order and the Carmelite Family in South-East Asia.