The triennial provincial chapter of the Polish Province place from 19^th to 23^rd May 2024 in the ancient Carmelite Monastery in Kraków. The chapter began on the first evening with a hymn to the Holy Spirit and a moment of prayer as the participants gathered together.

In his opening address to the chapter, the Prior General, Míceál O’Neill, prayed that the chapter would be a meeting of minds and hearts so that the friars would see more clearly what they have received from God and what is their calling in Poland today.

Every day during the chapter, the friars were given a conference to help their reflections by a Capuchin, Łukasz Stec OFM Cap, the spiritual director in the seminary. He spoke about Christ’s resurrection as a source of hope for every consecrated person.

During the chapter, the friars worked both in smaller groups and in plenary assembly and examined the future of the Order in Europe and what forms of cooperation that could take place between provinces.

The participants attended a training session regarding safeguarding and the protection of minors given by Mr. Patron dr Michał Poniatowski, assistant professor in the Faculty of Canon Law, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (Warsaw).

The chapter also discussed synodality and how the Carmelite Family might be developed in Poland with a special focus on how young people could be involved in the life of the Province.

In response to the appeal of Pope Francis, the chapter considered the need to protect the Created World and our care for our common home. Dr. Eng. Michał Kaczmarczyk gave the members some proposals for how the province could use green energy.

Father Piotr Męczyński handed over to the newly confirmed Provincial all the archives he had collected about Father Wincenty Kruszewski from Obory, whose beatification process the province is trying to start.

The participants also discussed various possibilities for how best to use its property. Finally, time was spent discussing the formation programme of the province and, especially, how the ongoing formation could be augmented.

On the final day of the chapter, the retired Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz celebrated the Eucharist in the Carmelite church of the monastery, also called the “Piasku” – referring to the area of the city it is located in. In his homily, the Cardinal recalled the rich history of Carmel in Poland and the Monastery on the Piasku, founded by Saint Queen Jadwiga, whose 650th anniversary of her birth will be celebrated later this year.

Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, who had been secretary to Pope John Paul II, donated relics to the Province of Saint Pope John Paul II at the beginning of the Eucharist. He also noted that Karol Wojtyła, who was a student and later a priest and shepherd of the archdiocese, was also among the great devotees of this church and of Our Lady of Piasek, the Lady of Krakow. The Cardinal recalled how the later pope often, to the surprise of the faithful and the Carmelites themselves, sat in the confessional in this church during the time he was Archbishop of Krakow and heard the confessions of many people.

The Cardinal drew attention to the ecclesial dimension of the Chapter, “It cannot focus only on itself,” he said. In conclusion, the Cardinal wished: “that the Blessed Virgin Mary, your patroness, will accompany you in all your endeavours on the path of the new time that comes in the Province after the Chapter.”

The guests at the Eucharist also included other religious, including the Sisters of the Institute of Our Lady of Carmel, celebrating the Jubilee Year of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Blessed Mother Maria Teresa Scrilli.

• pdf Lectio Divina June 2024 [Pdf] (1.63 MB)
• default Lectio Divina June 2024 [ePub] (189 KB)
• default Lectio Divina June 2024 [Mobi] (765 KB)
  

May 25 | Feast
St. Mary Magdelen de' Pazzi, Virgin

Born into the noble family of Pazzi in Florence in 1566, Mary Magdelene had a deep sense of the presence of God, a great love of the Eucharist, and a longing to live a penitential life. She entered the cloistered Carmelite monastery of St. Mary of the Angels in Florence, near the Carmelite church. She underwent continuous physical suffering and severe spiritual trials but also experienced God's mercy with extraordinary graces. She died on May 25, 1607.

She was keenly aware of the need to reform the Church. She offered herself to that clergy would once again be a witness to Christ in the world and that the lapsed would return to the Church. The central theme in her spirituality is love: we are created by God with love and by love and is the means by which we must turn to him. She had a great devotion to Our Lady.

She was beatified in 1626, 19 years after her death, and was canonized in 1669.

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Free Online Seminar | 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM (European)
The Carmelite Institute of Malta Online Seminar: Disenchantment and Hope

On May 25, the Carmelite Institue of Malta is sponsoring a free English language seminar by Michael Farrugia. Registration is by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In recent years many discussion have centered on the problem of disenchantment, which primarily is the loss of meaning or value. The term was first coined by the German sociologist Max Weber. Although thought to be a distinctly modern problem with the rise of science, people of faith known from the Scritpures went through periods of doubt and disenchantment.

As modern society goes through disenchantment, we remember what God has done and continues to do in our lives, In the experience of disenchantment, hope is indispensable. Hope is God's gift and virtue that has to be cultivated, nurtured, and practiced. Hope guides us on the journey by keeping us focused on the true meaning and essence of life.

The seminar is free. But if you wish to donate you can do so in three ways:

1) Bank Transfer: Institute Bank Account: [IBAN] MT 28 VALL 2201 3000 0000 400 1797 9621
2) Cheque addressed to "Carmelite Institute" for amounts greater than €20 (according to Directive n. 19 by the Central Bank of Malta)
3) via Revolut or BOV Mobile to 79060733

God enfleshed in us
(Matthew 28:16-20)

• pdf Celebrating At Home - The Most Holy Trinity [PDF] (3.02 MB)
• default Celebrating At Home - The Most Holy Trinity [ePub] (2.81 MB)
• pdf Celebrando en Familia - La Santísima Trinidad (462 KB)
• pdf Celebrando in Casa - Santissima Trinità (460 KB)
• pdf Celebrando em família - Santíssima Trindade (458 KB)

Carmelite Life and Ministry is Vibrant in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The Prior General, Míċeál O’Neill and Conrad Mutizamhepo, General Councilor for Africa, conducted the canonical visitation of the Carmelite friars in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The visitation was conducted in two phases; the first part covered Kinshasa and Kisangani and took place March 19-30, 2024, while the second part took place April 19-May 4, 2024, and covered the eastern region of the country, including the communities in the dioceses of Mahagi-Nioka, Bunia, and Butembo-Beni. During the visitation, the visitators had a good insight into the vitality of Carmelite life with its beneficial effect on the lives of the peoples.

The first Carmelites from Italy arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as Zaire, in February 1973. The first missionaries were Fr Archangelo Colandrea, Fr Ubaldo Pani, and Dominico FioreI. On fire with missionary zeal, they were entrusted with the care of the mission of Jiba, founded in 1954 by the Missionaries for Africa. Soon, the Carmelite presence spread to Bunia, Mahagi-Nioka, Kinshasa, Butembo, Kisangani, and Mbujimayi. Today there are 66 Carmelites in solemn vows and 15 in simple vows. They minister in nine parishes in six dioceses as well as Carmelite houses and institutions such as hospitals and schools.

Having visited all the communities except Mbujimayi, the visitors noted with hopeful joy that the Carmelite presence in Congo is vibrant. Four young men are undergoing introduction to Carmelite life in the postulancy program at Titus Brandsma house in Butembo while ten others are learning Carmelite life in the novitiate programme at St Joseph’s, Bunia. Two friars are pursuing studies in theology at Blessed Isidore Bakanja in Kinshasa. Ongoing formation and skills training are emphasized so much that there are friars who are undergoing studies within Congo and in Italy in various fields such as theology, philosophy, administration, and medicine.

At the conclusion of the canonical visit Frs. Míċeál and Conrad participated in two significant events. The first was the celebration of the Eucharist for the closing of the Golden Jubilee Year of Carmelite presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Eucharist was presided over by the bishop of Butembo-Beni, Bishop Melchizedek Sikuli Paluku, assisted by close to fifty priests, scores of religious and a large crowd of the faithful. During the same Eucharist, three Carmelites were ordained deacons and one was ordained priest. The liturgy was so well organized that even when it rained fairly heavily, hundreds of the faithful endured the rain to witness the proceedings to their conclusion. The participation of the faithful can only be described as animated and enthusiastic. After the mass, the newly ordained and their families, friends and colleagues enjoyed a sumptuous banquet to choral as well as traditional music performances. “Participating in these activities revealed to us that the Church in Congo is youthful, alive and active. It is heartening to know that Carmel is playing a significant role in the spiritual accompaniment, educational enlightenment of the youths, and pastoral formation of multitudes,” said Fr. Conrad.

The other significant event that took place was the triennial Assembly of the Commissariat of Congo. This was held April 28-30, 2024 in preparation for the Provincial Chapter due to be celebrated in Rome in June 2024. The Assembly was made up of the priors of each community, parish priests from each parish, former Commissary Provincials, and invited friars and guests. Although not all the eligible friars attended, eighteen friars with the right to vote and 7 friars without a right to vote participated. At the beginning of the Assembly all agreed to a code of conduct, namely, to be docile to the movement of the Holy Spirit, to be punctual and regular, to respect mutuality and tolerance, and to be animated by the concern for the common good. Great effort was made to appreciate the achievements during the fifty years of Carmelite presence. These years have included a good reception of the Carmelite charism and spirituality as well as growth in the number of friars as well as lay people who are committed to witnessing to the Carmelite charism. The men also recognized the challenges encountered over the decades, some of which were outside of their control, like the destabilization of a sustainable peaceful atmosphere in the country because of outbursts of war and the insecurity and political unrest that ensues.

The political climate has impacted the socio-economic and spiritual development of the country negatively. Some political actors have sown the seeds of distrust in some ethnic communities fanning tensions, conflict, and reprisals. From the open discussions and interventions at the Assembly it was clear that Carmelites wish to be a force for socio-spiritual transformation and revival in the regions in which they are working. In line with the Carmelite Constitutions, the Carmelites renewed their commitment to live a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ in a contemplative attitude exercised in a life of prayer, fraternity and service in the midst of the people (Const 2019 §14). As such, the friars committed themselves to living the charismatic endowment of Carmel in openness to the Holy Spirit in an effort to cultivate forgiveness, reconciliation, fraternal correction, and sincere conversion to Christ; to prioritize formation and skills development; to have a leadership that will help the friars to live according to Carmelite religious life; to sustainably utilize the resources available to them and generate productivity; to commit to pooling their earnings together while at the same time cultivating transparency and accountability in administration and management; to commit to ongoing collaboration with the founding province and promotion of fraternal dialogue at all levels in the commissariat in preparation for the decision to become a province.

“Having shared in the life of the friars in the Commissariat for slightly more than four weeks, we returned to Rome with a sense of joy and hope. We were joyful to share in the Eucharist concluding the first fifty years of presence since the planting of the charism by gallant Italian Carmelites and we are hopeful that, with the seriousness demonstrated at the Assembly and the Resolutions flowing from it, the Congolese Carmel will continue to grow both numerically and qualitatively. Rooted as the Carmelite presence is in following in the footsteps of Christ inspired by the example of Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the fiery Prophet Elijah, we can testify to the vibrancy of Carmelite life and ministry in our communities, parishes and institutions, said Fr. Conrad.

As called for in the Constitutions, the Prior General Míċeál O’Neill convoked the 2025 General Chapter by letter on May 16, the feast of St. Simon Stock. The meeting will take place September 9-26, 2025, at the Harris Convention Center in Malang, Indonesia. The letter was sent via email to all prior provincials, general commissaries and delegates, commissary provincials, and the prior of CISA. Copies were sent to the Carmelite bishops, the prioresses of the enclosed monasteries, and the superiors general of the affiliated congregations. A printed copy will be sent via regular mail, according to Roberto Sianturi, the general secretary.

The General Council chose You Must Have Some Sort of Work to Do (Rule 20): Our Contemplative Fraternity Discerns Its Mission as the theme for the Chapter. Building on previous work done studying the Order’s history and traditions, “the 2025 General Chapter will focus its attention on those chapters of our Constitutions that deal with our mission in the world and in the Church, worldwide, and local,” wrote Fr. Míċeál. Numbers 94, 97, and 101 of the Carmelite Constitutions are specifically highlighted.

The letter continues, “By discernment we will be able to identify clearly what apostolic work we are called to take on and in what manner we should perform that work as a way of giving expression to the gift we have received from the Holy Spirit, to be put at the service of God's reign, in other words, our charism and tradition.”

pdf To read the Letter (152 KB)

22 May Optional Memorial

Saint Joachina was born on April 16, 1783 in Barcelona, Spain. She wanted to become a Carmelite cloistered nun but was rejected due to her young age. In 1799, at age 16, she married Theodore de Mas but was widowed in 1816. She brought up nine children, three of whom died at an early age, with loving care.

In 1826, guided by the Holy Spirit, she founded the Congregation of Carmelite Sisters of Charity which spread throughout Catalonia, opening numerous houses for the care of the sick and to help and look after those who suffered from poverty and a lack of education. She found her inspiration in the mystery of the Holy Trinity and the distinguishing features of her spirituality were her love of prayer, self-denial, detachment, humility and her love for others.

She died at Vich on August 28, 1854. She was beatified on May 19, 1940 by Pope Pius XII and canonized on April 12, 1959 by Pope St. John XXIII.

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ORDINATIO DIACONALIS
19-03-24  Wanderson Luiz Freitas (Pern) Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Brasil
27-04-24  Elysée Kombi Kalihi (Ita-Congo) Butembo, RepCongo
27-04-24. Clement Kanyoro Biaruhanga (Ita-Congo) Butembo, RepCongo
27-04-24  Elisée Kasereka Kayilanda (Ita-Congo) Butembo, RepCongo
04-05-24  Ryan Joseph Resurrección (PCM) Middletown, USA
04-05-24  Gregg Jude Durham (SEL) Middletown, USA

ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
27-04-24  Jean Bosco Kasereka Sivihwa (Ita-Congo) Butembo, RepCongo

In a bull entitled Hope Does Not Disappoint, Pope Francis explains that the coming Jubilee Year is a Holy Year also celebrating the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea (325). Referencing Scripture, the pontiff prays that “the witness of believers be for our world a leaven of authentic hope, a harbinger of new heavens and a new earth where men and women will dwell in justice and harmony, in joyful expectation of the fultillment of the Lord’s promises.”

He writes, “Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite not knowing what the future may bring.” He goes on to explain that hope is born of love which ultimately comes from Jesus upon the cross. In a few lines he describes St. Paul’s idea on hope and gives a short history of the jubilee years as pilgrimages. The Jubilee Year of 2025 he sets up as a Pilgrimage of Hope.

The pope will open the holy door of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of Rome, on November 9—the 1700th anniversary of its dedication. The door to St. Peter’s will be opened on December 29 and that of the Basilica of St. Mary Major on January 1—the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. On January 5, 2025, the Holy Door of St. Paul Outside the Walls will be opened. All diocesan bishops are to celebrate a Mass as the solemn opening of the Jubilee Year. A delegate can be designated for celebrating in co-cathedrals. The Holy Year will conclude with the closing of the Holy Doors on Sunday, December 28, 2025.

Returning to a constant theme of his pontificate—world peace—Pope Francis writes that “the first sign of hope should be the desire for peace in our world…,” and he laments that we seem to be further from peace.

He wants us to have an enthusiasm for life and “a readiness to share it.” This brings him to comment on “the alarming decline in the birthrate” in some countries, which he blames on “today’s frenetic pace, fears about the future, the lack of job security and adequate social policies, and social models whose agenda is dictated by the quest for profit rather than concern for relationships.”

Finally Pope Francis calls on the Christian community to be “signs of hope” and details a variety of concrete ways this might occur. He asks “with all my heart that hope be granted to the billions of poor, who often lack the essentials of life,” and reminds the readers that “the goods of the earth are not destined for a privileged few, but for everyone.” He calls for a refocusing of financial priorities: “I renew my appeal that with the money spent on weapons and other military expenditures, let us establish a global fund that can finally put an end to hunger and favor development in the most impoverished countries, so that their citizens will not resort to violent or illusory situations, or have to leave their countries in order to seek a more dignified life.”

As 2025 coincides with the first ecumenical council of the Church, that of Nicea, this Jubilee Year will also be celebrating the 1700th anniversary of that Council. Pope Francis calls it “a milestone in the Church’s history” as it sought to preserve Church unity and debated the full divinity of Christ, establishing the concept of His “consubstantiality” with the Father, incorporating this into a Creed that is still recited today. The Council also discussed the date of Easter, unfortunately failing to come up with a universal method of establishing the date of celebration. In 2025, a common celebration will take place however.

The document was given at St. John Lateran on May 9, the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord. It is the 12th year of Francis’ pontificate and his second Jubilee Year.

Spes non confundit: Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025 (English)

Decree on the Granting of Indulgence during the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 (English)