92/2008-03-10
Annual Pilgrimage of the "Society of the Little Flower"
The annual pilgrimage of the "Society of the Little Flower" (the "Society of Saint Thérèse"), which very generously helps Carmelite missions throughout the world, took place at Aylesford, England on 28th September last. More than 400 people gathered in a festive atmosphere. In the morning, following an address of welcome by the Prior General, Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., Fr. Joseph Chalmers, O.Carm. gave a conference on the spirituality of St. Thérèse and her response to the mystery of evil. In the evening, the Prior General presided at the Eucharist together with concelebrants Frs. Joseph Chalmers and Wilfrid McGreal, O.Carm., Provincial of the British Province. The Prior General in his homily pointed out how St. Thérèse revealed in her own life the centrality of love and developed it to the point of being missionary, even though she lived her life in a cloistered monastery. At the end of the Eucharist many roses were blessed and distributed to the participants.
93/2008-04-10
Vitam coelo reddiderunt (R.I.P.)
17-09-08: P. Jean Marie Nzilamba Mughasa, Ita
28-09-08: P. Gerhard Hector, GerS
94/2008-07-10
First place to the Carmelite College, Lima, Peru
At the IV Exhibition of Science, Culture and Technological Innovation of MERCOSUR, Associated and Invited Countries, held in Posadas, Argentina from the 8th to 12th September, first prize went to the Carmelite College in Lima, Peru. The College of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Lima, which is part of the Peruvian Commissariate, participated for the first time in this international educational event. Their contribution was a study entitled “The influence of Caral (the most ancient culture of the Americas, going back to the year 2500 B.C.) in the economic and cultural development of the first human settlements of the late pre-ceramic period in Peru.” After five days of presentation and demonstration of an adequate methodological study, they took first place from among all the other participants.
During the meeting, 70 different types of projects and work were exhibited from the educational institutes of countries such as Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela and Argentina. All of whom contributed to the realization of this fourth international event, which saw the participation of more than 300 students and teachers.
95/2008-08-10
JPIC ministry of the TOC hailed as model for BEC
In the recently concluded Diocesan Month of Formation of the Diocese of Malolos (Philippines) last September, the JPIC ministry of the Regina Décor Carmeli TOC Community was hailed as a model program for BECs (Basic Ecclesial Community) in the diocese. This was started in 2007 as collaboration with the Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pulong Buhangin, Sta. Maria through its parish priest, Fr. Elmer Ignacio. This was started by organizing families in the depressed area of SIKAP undergoing Lectio Divina and bible study which was headed by Luz Villanueva, TOCarm. After months of formation, these families were given a livelihood seminar about rag-making from waste textiles conducted by the local social welfare office which was arranged by Estelita Libiran, TOCarm. The parish then supplied a revolving fund to start this livelihood program. As to date, the program has spread to two more depressed communities and the demands for the rags have steadily increased. The rags are sold in the local market and it is used as cleaning materials. Because of the success of the program, the lay Carmelites are represented by Lydia Bugtong, TOCarm, coordinator of the JPIC ministry, in the BEC core group of the diocese.
(From TOC National Secretariat Philippines:
info.tocarm@gmail.com)
96/2008-10-10
Presentation of a new collection of books in Madrid
On 2nd October last, in the conference room of our house in Ayala, Madrid, there was a presentation of a collection of books entitled “Textos para un Milenio”. Taking part were our Prior General, Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., one of the founders of the collection together with Mrs, Henar Pizarro Llorente, professor at the Pontifical University Comillas and director of the new collection, also Mr. José Antonio Lizondo, Fr. Giovanni Grosso, O.Carm. President of the Institutum Carmelitanum in Rome and Sr. Ana Molina, President of the Equipo Mixto of the Iberian Region who sponsored the project.
The first three volumes were presented relating to St. Francis of Siena: the work of playwright Agustín Moreto, El lego del Carmen (1652), the Zarzuela (operetta) similar in form to Estremera and the Maestro Arrieta (1883), and the novel of Fr. Luis M.ª Llop, O.Carm., entitled El hijo de la Gracia (1911).
The object of this new collection is to recover various texts from the history of Carmel, either in Castillian or other languages, which will be published together with a fitting introductory study on the author, the work and its context, in order to make these texts available to the general public in the Castilian language.
97/2008-11-10
General Finance Commission – October 2008
The General Finance Commission of the Order held its first meeting of the 2007-2013 sexenium in the Curia house from 6 to 8 October. Members were brought up to date on the Order’s financial state with a review of the Curia’s income and expenditure and presentations on the Society of the Little Flower and on the Domus Carmelitana. Two lay experts on the commission guided discussions on the impact of the current financial crisis on investments and fund raising. The commission examined the Curia budgets for the coming year and began planning for the Triennial Bursars’ Meeting which will be held in October 2009. The next meeting of the commission will be in March 2009, and will take the form of a joint meeting with the Domus Management Board for some of the time.
98/2008-14-10
Carmelite cultural activity in Rome
On the occasion of the 12th General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on "The Word of God in the life and mission of the Church", which is taking place in Rome these days, there was a round table on October 9th last directed by Fr. Bruno Secondin, O.Carm in the conference room of the Libereria Dehoniana on the Via della Conciliazione, Rome. The initiative was in relation to the experience of Lectio Divina which for many years has taken place very successfully in our church of S. Maria in Transpontina in Rome. Its many fruits are recorded in the Rotem collection, which already amounts to 15 published volumes. Among others participating at the round table were our Father General, Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm. (who underlined the importance of the Word in the charism of Carmel since its origins), Mons. Benedetto Tuzia, Auxiliary Bishop of Rome, Professor Jean-Louis Ska, S.J., exegete of the Biblicum in Rome and Mons. Giuseppe Liberto, Director of the Sistine Chapel. All underlined the importance of the experience of Lectio Divina and its pastoral, spiritual and pedagogic value.
Almost at the same time and close-by, the new book of Fr. Aureliano Pacciolla, O.Carm. was launched in the Marconi Room of Vatican Radio, entitled La vulnerabilitá psichica e il pericolo delle sette (The psychic vulnerability and danger of sects). Participating were Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga who presided, Professor Eugenio Fizzotti, head of Psychology of Religion at the Universitá Pontificia Salesiana, Rome and Professor Giuseppe Costa, Director of L.E.V. (Libreria Editrice Vaticana). The Vice-General, Fr. Christian Körner, O.Carm. was present on behalf of the General Curia. Fr. Aureliano presented a detailed analysis of the relationship between the two concepts and underlined the present reality and importance of the topic especially in those parts of the world where various types of sects are growing in an extraordinary way.
99/2008-17-10
Vitam coelo reddiderunt (R.I.P.)
07-10-08: P. Philip Gabriel O’Brien, Hib
09-10-08: P. Joseph Piet Vollering, Neer
100/2008-19-10
Beatification of Zélie and Louis Martin
St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s parents, Zélie and Louis Martin, were beatified today, Sunday 19th October in Lisieux. Pope Benedict’s legate, Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, presided over the solemn Eucharistic celebration in the Basilica of St. Thérèse. Among the very many pilgrims from all over the world were a large group from the Carmelite Family and the General Curia of the Order was represented by Fr. John Keating, Councillor General for Europe.
This is the first time in the history of the Church that both parents of a saint have been beatified together.
101/2008-21-10
Meeting of formators of Northern Europe
From 6 -10 October 2008 a meeting was held for the formators of Ireland, United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and the Netherlands, in the formation house in Boxmeer (the Netherlands).
The topic was vocation and discernment, facilitated by Kees Waaijman, O.Carm. (Ner). The participants began by exploring their own inner framework, being open and forming themselves, by means of biblical vocation stories and the three kinds of calling of John Cassian. Afterwards Fr. Kees explored with the participants the four most important aspects of diakrisis in the history of discretio spirituum. He ended with an understanding of discernment in our Rule: our Rule is an active discerning, discerning is the virtue of the virtues. The chapter (capitulum) puts it at the centre in our Rule. Our Rule indicates that this goes beyond the Rule itself.
The last day the participants talked about the situation in the different provinces and made arrangements for meetings with novices and formators for next year. The group also visited the Titus Brandsma Institute and Titus Brandsma Memorial in Nijmegen.
However, the most important part of the meeting was perhaps that the participants were themselves an open learning community.
102/2008-22-10
Electoral Chapter of the Monastery of Fontiveros, Spain
The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Fontiveros, Spain, was held 6 October 2008. The following were elected:
Prioress: Sr. Maria del Pilar de la Trinidad Felipe García, O. Carm.
1st Councilor: Sr. Rosa Mª de Jesús Pérez Arias, O. Carm.
2nd Councilor: Sr. Fátima Mª de la Redención Luna Ceballos, O. Carm.
Treasurer: Sr. Fátima Mª de la Redención Luna Ceballos, O.Carm.
103/2008-24-10
Honorary Chaplains of the Sanctuary of Lourdes
The recent Irish Province Pilgrimage to Lourdes for the Jubilee Year had two thousand participants. On the occasion of the Pilgrimage the Bishop of Tarbes and Lourdes, Monsignor Jacques Perrier, conferred the title Honorary Chaplain of the Sanctuary of Lourdes on Fr Martin Ryan, O.Carm., White Abbey Kildare, the chief organiser of the Annual Pilgrimage, and Fr. Eoin Moore, O.Carm., Terenure College.
Fathers Martin and Eoin were presented with the pectoral cross and diploma on October 1st during the evening celebration of the Eucharist in the Underground Basilica of St. Pius X.
The first Honorary Chaplains were appointed on the 50th Anniversary of the Apparitions and the use of the pectoral cross was granted by Pius X in 1909. The conferral of this honour is an expression of gratitude for the enthusiasm and generosity of the recipients in the service of the pilgrims and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
104/2008-25-10
Philippine Carmelites - New Foundations
On 19 October a new Carmelite mission was officially inaugurated in the diocese of Beirina, Papua New Guinea. In its recent chapter, the General Commissariat of the Philippines decided to make the commitment to send three friars to this country in Oceania. This new mission is a sign of the missionary dimension of the Carmelite charism and of its vitality in the Philippines.
Last June four nuns from the monastery of Cabanatuan in the Philippines began a new foundation in Marmang in the diocese Malaybalay. This new house was begun in response to a request from the local bishop and is a way of sharing the Carmelite charism in the northern part of the island of Mindanao.
105/2008-27-10
The Church of S. Maria in Traspontina in Rome hosts members of the Bishops’ Synod for a theatrical performance
On Thursday 23 October an evening of entertainment was offered to members of the Bishops’ Synod on the Word of God currently meeting in Rome. The Roman company “Jobel Theatre” presented GENESI, an artistic show inspired by the synod’s theme of the Word of God, and drawing particularly on the first book of the book of Genesis, where God’s creative word occupies a prominent place as that infinite love that generates creation.
Various artists from around the world took part in the performance: actors, singers, musicians, acrobats and dancers. The show took place in the round, without any separation between artist and audience, in a unique voyage of visual and audio effects. Members of the Traspontina community and representatives of the General Curia were present for the evening.
106/2008-28-10
The Prior General’s Canonical Visitation to Africa
On October 13 the Prior General, Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral, began the first stage of his canonical visitation of Carmelites in Africa, accompanied by Fr. Desiré Unen Alimange, General Councillor for Africa. This visit is intended to give special attention to all the young Carmelite groups on this continent, in accordance with the wishes of the recent General Chapter in 2007.
The visit began in Nairobi, Kenya, in our community "Bustani ya Karmeli", whose members come from various provinces in the Order. During his time in Kenya, the Prior General received the profession of four nuns in the monastery of Juja Farm, and three nuns from Machakos. On November 2, Fr. Fernando will return to Kenya in order to preside at a celebration for lay groups that make up the Carmelite Family.
The second part of the visitation took part in Mozambique, where the General visited the Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart who live in the area of Nampula and who offer an important service in difficult conditions. On Sunday 19 October in the parish of Khongolote, the members of the Pernambuco province celebrated ten years of their presence in Mozambique. The province was represented by Fr. José Roberval Mendes Pereira, O.Carm. Despite some trying times in the past, Carmel in Mozambique is growing and putting down good roots.
107/2008-30-10
Meeting of Superiors from the Americas
The first meeting of superiors from the Americas was recently held in the retreat house ‘Flos Carmeli’ in Mairiporã, Brasil from 19 to 23 October. The meeting was chaired by the General Councillor for the Americas, Fr Raúl Maraví and those present included representatives of the eleven countries in the area, among whom provincials, commissaries and delegates of both friars and sisters. The meeting began with a brief reflection on the current state of the Order which has seen the unification of the Americas in one geographical area and on the great cultural and historical wealth of this continent.
The twenty four participants discussed and worked on the Order’s Global project 2007-2013 and its application in the Americas. The prayerful, family atmosphere of the group facilitated the planning of various activities and meetings to encourage mutual co-operation and the growth of the Order in the area.
The next meeting of Superiors from the Americas will take place in October 2010 in Caracas, Venezuela.
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