Dear Brothers and friends of the Carmelite Family,
We are once again approaching the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. July is the Carmelite month par excellence and many things will remind us of our identity, our saints, our history and our spirituality.  Among all of these the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel has pride of place in the lives of Carmelites. Thus, there is the ancient tradition of preparing for the feast by a Novena that serves as catechesis, as a joyful prelude to the feast and a liturgical and prayerful ascent to the heights of Carmel, accompanied by Mary, our first teacher and first disciple of the Lord.
Down through the eight-hundred year history of Carmel, Mary has been given many different titles. She is invoked as Mother and Sister, as Queen of Carmel, as Star of the Sea, as the Lady of the place…. Each of these is full of tradition, devotion and spirituality. Mary continues today to take us to the very heart of the Gospel and the Christian life.
At the entrance to the new cathedral in Los Angeles (U.S.A.) there is an image of Mary with a maternal gesture, inviting us to enter into the mystery, drawing one toward the main altar. Mary appears as mystagogue. In this her “lowliness” and humility help us to penetrate the mystery of the Incarnation and Redemption.
Let us prepare ourselves to begin our Novena of Carmel so as to live it as a pathway, a pilgrimage, a journey of faith carrying us to the top of Mount Carmel. May you have a joyful Novena of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. May your gathering with others be a coming together of people, each coming from different starting points, moving towards a common destiny, to the mystery of life and love.

Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm.
Prior General

With the passage of time the Carmelites thought up tender expressions with which to speak about and to Mary. Here follows a list, somewhat incomplete, of titles found in writings, songs and poetry from various periods and which make specific reference to the Order.

The titles which are common to the whole Church have been left out, those such as Star of the Sea, Splendor of Heaven etc.

• The Lady of the Place
• Star and Cedar of Carmel
• Mistress of the Order
• Mother of the Carmelite Family
• Abbess of Carmel
• Prioress of the Order
• The Lady and the Creator of the Order
• Mother of the Order
• Foundress of the Order
• The Lawgiver of the Order
• Virgin Most Pure
• Patroness of the Order
• Princess of the Family of Elijah
• First Born Sister
• Queen of Carmel
• Head of Carmel
• Guardian of Carmel
• Helper of Carmelites
• Standard-bearer of the Army of Carmel
• Sovereign Queen of Camel
• Mother and Ornament of Carmel
• Fruitful Virgin of Carmel
• Mother of Carmel
• Flower of Carmel
• Hope of Carmel
• Sweet and Divine Melody
• Virgin Flower of Carmel,
• Blossoming Vine
• Divine Testament
• Queen and Mother of Carmelites
• Merciful Mother of Carmelites
• Mother of Mercy
• Most Serene Princess of Carmelites.
• The Meet Beautiful Star of Heaven
• Sweet Virgin Mary
• The Cloud of Carmel.

Boaga, Mother of the Scapular, The Lady of the Place, Edizioni Carmelitane, Rome 2001

Text from Gabriel of St. Maria Magdalena, OCD, Intimitd divina, 2^nd‘, Roma 1956, pp. 1313-131

Devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is a call to the interior life, which is in a very special way the life of Mary Our Lady wishes us to be like hen more in heart and in spirit, than by wearing an exterior habit. If we penetrate Mary’s soul, we see that grace flourished in her and that her interior life was immensely rich. She lived a life of recollection, of prayer, of uninterrupted self-giving to God, of continuous relationship with God and of intimate union. The soul of Mary is a sanctuary reserved for God alone, where no human creature has left an imprint, where there reigns love, zeal for the glory of God and for the salvation of people.

Those who wish to have a full and deep devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, must follow Mary in the profundity of her interior life. Carmel is a symbol of the contemplative life, a life wholly dedicated to the search for God, wholly turned towards divine intimacy. The one who most fully fulfils this high ideal is Our Lady, Regina Decor Carmeli. “In the desert equity will live and on Carmel justice will preside. Peace will flow from justice and from justice silence will flow and security forever My people will live in peace, in a strong fortress.” These verses taken from Isaiah (cf. 32, 16-18) and used for the proper Office for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, set out very well what is the contemplative spirit and at the same time are a beautiful sketch of the soul of Mary, who is a true "garden" (in Hebrew “Carmel" means garden) of virtue, oasis of silence, of peace, in whom reigns justice and equity. She is a stronghold surrounded by the shadow of God and filled with God. Every soul called to the interior life, even if living in the midst of this noisy world, must seek to arrive at this peace and at this interior silence that makes possible the continuous contact with God. The passions disturb the peace of our soul and interrupt the intimate conversation with God. Only the soul which is completely detached and which has completely dominated all passions can, like Mary, be a solitary, silent "garden" where the Lord finds delight. This is the grace, which today we ask from Our Lady, choosing her as the patroness and mistress of our interior life. 

The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Guiguinto, Philippines, was held 21 June 2010.

The following were elected:

• Prioress: Sr. M. Rescelia S. Garcia, O.Carm.
• 1st Councilor: Sr. M. de Cristo Rey Cruz, O.Carm.
• 2nd Councilor: Sr. M. Josephine Faustino, O.Carm.
• 3rd Councilor: Sr. M. Geraldine Hilario, O.Carm.
• 4th Councilor: Sr. Benedicta M. Jenifer Navales, O.Carm.
• Director of Novices: Sr. M. Theresita A’Jose, O.Carm.
• Treasurer: Sr. M. Carmeli Hilario, O.Carm.
• Sacristan: Sr. M. Fatima Faustino, O.Carm.

• Prioress: Sr. M. del Rosario C. Somoza, O.Carm.
• 1st Councilor: Sr. M. Angelica G. Verdugo, O.Carm.
• 2nd Councilor: Sr. M. Victorina C. Olmoguez, O.Carm.
• 3rd Councilor: Sr. M. Melba P. Bruno, O.Carm.
• 4th Councilor: Sr. M. Agripina M. Pacaña, O.Carm.
• Director of Novices: Sr. M. Melba P. Bruno, O.Carm.
• Treasurer: Sr. M. Concepcion E. Adanza, O.Carm.