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LETTER OF CONVOCATION

Prot. 170/2005
Rome, 16 May 2005

Lay Carmelite Congress, 2006

Dear sisters and brothers in Carmel,

The annual meeting of the International Commission for Lay Carmelites was held in Rome at the beginning of May to plan the next congress for Lay Carmelites. We would have liked to maintain Casa Beato Nuño in Fatima as the venue for this congress, but because of the high number of expected participants we had to find a location with more rooms. Moreover, we also wanted to encourage young lay Carmelites to attend. So in order to accommodate all those who wish to come and not exclude anybody, we have decided to hold the congress in a different place.

The theme of the Congress is Formation and Communication at the service of Community and it will be held in ‘Il Carmelo’, Sassone, Rome, Italy. The meeting will start in the afternoon of Sunday 3 September 2006 and will end in the evening of Friday 8 September 2006. Arrivals are expected on Saturday September 2, and departures on Saturday 9 September.

The cost will be € 350.00 per person (full board, secretariat, translations, local travel, etc.). Single rooms are available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis for a surcharge of € 70.00.

We ask you to inform the Lay Carmelite Secretariat as soon as possible the exact number of participants, by name, by 31 October 2005.

If anyone needs accommodation before 2 September or after 9 September, please contact the director of the house, Fr. Giandomenico Meloni, O.Carm., at:

Istituto Il Carmelo
Via Doganale, 1
00043 Sassone - Ciampino RM, Italy.
Tel +39.06.796.02.47 / +39.06.796.01.85
Fax +39.06.796.15.15

Those who wish to stay in the centre of Rome, before or after the Congress, please contact the General Manager of:

Domus Carmelitana
Mr. Massimiliano Gullo
Via Alberico II, 44
00193 Rome, Italy.
Tel +39.06.68.40.191
Fax +39.06.68.40.192.00

Unfortunately, neither the Curia, nor Sant’Alberto can accommodate guest in this period.

If it is possible, we will take part in a papal audience and there will also be free time to visit Rome.

Each delegation is to bring material from their region to illustrate and to show how Carmel is related to their own reality. This will be the object of sharing and discussing with others.

Those who need visas to enter Italy should enquire at the Italian Consulate in their country of residence. If a guarantee is needed from the Curia, please contact Ms Anita Renehan by May 1, 2006.

I would also like to invite all the lay communities to pray for the successful outcome of the congress.

I look forward to hearing from you soon and in the meantime I send you fraternal greetings.

Josef Jančář, O.Carm.

General Delegate for Carmelite Laity