The Carmelite Web Site

FINAL MESSAGE

The Parish and the Carmelite Charism

Dear brothers and sisters,

We are a group of fifty Carmelites who have been taking part in a congress at Sassone in Italy and our theme has been the Parish and the Carmelite Charism.

We come from a variety of cultural backgrounds and are aware of diversity in our pastoral experiences. We would like to share some insights with you.

First and foremost, it has emerged that the foundation of any parish ministry that we exercise as Carmelites must be the consequence of a prayerful, fraternal and prophetic community life. Community building among ourselves is the priority so that through prayer, lectio divina, silence and sensitivity to each other we create a sacred space where we can encounter God and each other. Dialogue is always a key value. Our communities should above all be places of welcome and hospitality.

If we have an authentic Carmelite community, then we will be able to work with the people committed to our pastoral care, being sensitive to their needs, generous with our time and hospitable. Our way of working will be collaborative, listening to the people and helping them in their search for God. We are all on a journey and together we seek the face of God. As Carmelites, we are called to share our tradition of spirituality, above all our mystical tradition that satisfies the hunger for spirituality that is felt by so many in our world today. If we are really people of prayer, then we can guide others. Authentic devotion to Mary and Elijah will inspire a commitment to justice and peace and Mary’s listening heart will help us as we dialogue with people of all faiths and none. Let us remember that Elijah, our Father, is a bridge who links all the followers of the Abrahamic faiths. If we have listening hearts, then we will enable good communication to happen, communication which is the life-blood of a living community. Since community is a priority, then we also ensure that the parish communities we serve can relate creatively to the Church at large.

Finally, we would recommend that as a follow-up, the proceedings of this congress be published and consideration given to compiling a handbook as a guide to those involved in parish ministry.

The Participants of the Congress
Sassone (Rome), Italy

13 September 2004