On the occasion of the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we can look back at the major events throughout History that took place on July 16th:

622: The Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina in an event known as the Hijra. This migration marked the beginning of the Islamic calendar and laid the foundation for the spread of Islam.

1054: Humbert of Silva Candida, cardinal and papal legate, excommunicated Michael Cerularius, patriarch of Constantinople, who retaliated by excommunicating the cardinal. This led to the schism between the churches of Rome and Constantinople.

1099: Crusaders herd Jews of Jerusalem into a synagogue and set it on fire.

1212: At the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (Battle of Al-Uqab), the combined Christian army defeats the Almohad Muslim force in a turning point for Muslim power on the Iberian peninsula.

1251: According to legend, the Virgin Mary gives Simon Stock the Brown Scapular.

1429:  Joan of Arc and the French army enter the city of Rheims.

1519: A public debate takes place between Martin Luther and Johann Eck in Liepzig. Luther denies the divine right of the pope.

15th century: July 16th gradually becomes accepted as the patronal feast day, celebrating Mary.

1606: Pope Paul V enriched the confraternities of Our Lady of Mount Carmel with many indulgences and placed it patronal feast on July 16.

1609: The General Chapter of the Order establishes July 16 as the principal feast of the Order.

1661: The first banknotes in Europe are issued by the Bank of Stockholm.

1790: Washington, DC Established as the Capitol of the United States of America.

1794: The Carmelite Severinus of St. Valentine died aboard the French Revolution prison ship “Deux Associés.”

1801: Pope Pius VII and 1st Consul Napoleon Bonaparte sign a concord.

1901: The Fawcett Commission, headed by Millicent Fawcett, is established as a result of an outcry against the treatment of Afrikaners in concentration camps during the South African War.

1918: Czar Nicholas II of Russia and his family are executed by the Bolsheviks.

1936: First x-ray of arterial circulation produced in Rochester, New York.

1940: Adolf Hitler issued Directive No. 16, calling for preparations to be made for Operation Sealion—the invasion of Britain.

1942: French police arrest 13,152 Jews in Paris. Jews from the Netherlands were transported to extermination camps.

1945:  The first Atomic  Bomb was successfully tested.

1946: A United States of America court sentences 46 members of the Nazi SS troops to death in Dachau.

1965: The Mont Blanc Tunnel officially opened, linking France and Italy. The tunnel was the world’s longest at 7.3 miles/11.7 km.

1969:  Apollo 11 was launched, carrying three astronauts into space. It would land on the moon’s surface on July 20, the Solemnity of the Prophet Elijah.

1950-1951: From July 16 until July 16 the following year, the Church celebrated the Seventh Centenary of the Granting of the Scapular.

1973: Dionysius Hadisumarta is consecrated bishop and ordinary of the Diocese of Malang, Indonesia.

1984: President Ferdinand Marcos, wearing full battle fatigues, led troops to battle communist rebels in forested mountains.

1990: A 7.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Luzon Island in the Philippines with Baguio City suffering the worst effects with more than 1,000 people killed.

1990: The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic’s Parliament declared sovereignty over Ukrainian territories.

1995: Amazon officially opened for business as an online bookstore. Within the first month, Amazon has shipped books to 46 countries.

2018: Twelve new moons were discovered in the planet Jupiter’s orbit, bringing the planet’s total number of moons to 79.

The Carmelites of the Province of Aragon, Castille and Valencia would like to remember Br. Pablo Maria de la Cruz (Pablo Mary of the Cross) as we approach the first anniversary of the gift of his life in the convent of St. Andrew, Salamanca. Firstly, we wish to give thanks to God and to the Virgen Mother for this fruitful gift.

The same feelings of gratitude are extended to the Prior General and the General Curia for their accompaniment, discernment and welcoming of Br. Pablo’s call to Carmel. We also thank Bishop José Luis Retana, Bishop of Salamanca, and to Archbishop Luis Argüello, Archbishop of Valladolid and President of the Bishops’ Conference of Spain (Conferencia Episcopal Española) for their closeness, welcome and ecclesial accompaniment to the testimony of our brother. And to Miguel Márquez, Superior General of our Discalced brothers for the same closeness and accompaniment.

We continue to encourage all of our brothers and sisters in the great Carmelite family to make our own the intentions which Br. Pablo offered his life. Namely (1) That all movements, congregations and orders in the Church may be one; (2) For the conversion of young people through Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist; (3) and that all Christians may banish the fear of death. In the same way, we pray for the gift of a spiritual littleness which brings us closer to the weakest and most suffering, as this brother of ours has taught us.

To the Eucharistic victim God who, in his ineffable mystery of sacrificial love, continues to unite souls to the mystery of his glorious cross and his crown made of thorns, we continue to entrust the memory of our brother Pablo Maria de la Cruz knowing that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is a God of life. We do this through the hands of our Mother and Sister, the Blessed Virgen Mary of Mount Carmel, at whose feet Br. Pablo offered his life on the eve of her Solemn commemoration in 2023. To her, ‘the sunflower in the garden of Carmel’ we entrust, like a seed planted in fertile ground, the memory and testimony of our brother. And to her we sing, with gratitude, joy and confidence our hymn of praise: Flos Carmeli, vitis florigera, carmelitis, esto proitia.

A Joint OCARM-OCD Letter for the Year of Prayer and the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16, 2024
"In Mary a Dawn of Hope: In Mary Our Way of Praying"

A joint letter of the two general superiors, Míċeál O'Neill, O. Carm., and Miguel Márquez Calle, OCD is being published on the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 2024 which coincides with the Year of Prayer called for by Pope Francis to mark a time of preparation for the Jubilee Year in 2025. Entitled "In Mary A Dawn of Hope: In Mary Our Way of Prayer," the letter seeks "to recall and relive the great traditions of Carmel in relation to prayer, and in relation to Our Lady of Mount Carmel." But the focus is on "the fruit of our personal experience the Carmelite charism," and not as a theological treatise.

The approximately 3,500 word letter reviews that various aspects of Mary's spirituality found in her appearances in the Gospels and Carmelite tradition. It concludes with possibilities for Pope Francis' "symphony of prayer" to become a reality, recognizing the dignity of the person who prays, and renewing our own prayer as Carmelites. By putting prayer at the center of our lives and our own will and desire to prayer, write the two leaders, will renew that prayer.

Frs. Míċeál and Miguel conclude by extending their prayer and good wishes to the entire Carmelite Family around the world.

pdf Read the letter(98 KB)

IN SOLLEMNITATE B.V. MARIAE DE MONTE CARMELO

Flos Carmeli, vitis florigera,
splendor caeli, Virgo puerpera singularis.
Mater mitis, sed viri nescia,
Carmelitis esto propitia,
stella maris.

MÍCEÁL PRIOR GENERALIS
DOMUSQUE GENERALIS COMMUNITAS

16.VII.2024

Mater Unitatis Federation Has On Going Formation for Prioresses and Formators

The Federation Mater Unitatis, of Carmelite monasteries in Spain, has had two courses of formation in 2024. The first course was held at the monastery of the Incarnation in Valencia on June 26-28. The second, a course for formators of the monasteries, took place in the monastery of Our Lady of the Assumption in Huesca.

The program of the prioress’ course called for two themes each day. Each morning session involved two moments: the presentation itself and then some “work” on the topic. The various topics discussed by the prioresses were:

+ Some Priorities in the Service of Authority

+ Presentation and Delivery of the Apostolic Letter of Pope Francis Desiderio Desideravi

+The Spirituality of Communion: A Path of Ongoing Formation from the Constitutions.

+ Presentation and Distribution of the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis C'est la confiance.

+ Loving in Our Consecrated Life: In the Light of the Encyclical of Benedict XVI Deus caritas est

+ Presentation and delivery of the Bull of Convocation of the Ordinary Jubilee 2025 Spes non confundit

The course was directed by Fr. Rafael Belda Serra, CVMD, the superior general of the Cooperatores Veritatis (Co-workers for the Truth), an ecclesial reality of consecrated life erected in the diocese of Valencia (Spain) and at the service of education and evangelization.

The second course, three intense days, took place from May 28-30, 2024. Titled Human-Spiritual Integration in Carmelite Life: Formation and Accompaniment, the group was facilitated by Alfredo Pisana, O. Carm., a member of the Italian Province. He is currently part of the formation team at the international novitiate of our Carmelites in Salamanca.

He holds a degree in Developmental Psychology of Education. The sisters appreciated his wide knowledge of the subject material as well as his ability to speak from his rich experience.

In the introduction, he commented that the life and history of the people entrusted to us by the Lord are sacred. For this reason, they need and deserve accompaniment of the person first in their present time, adequate to the Carmelite charism and to the monastery itself.

The fundamental presupposition is that the human person is a unity, composed of Spirit (soul), Mind (psyche) and Body.

The starting point is that formation demands a change of perspective from content to process, favoring the maturation of the person to produce real change. A new formative perspective cannot be given without a vision of the person; that is to say, an anthropology with theological value, translated into the monastic experience.

Two elements of formation in Monastic Carmel were highlighted:  the profound experience of the human heart transformed and renewed by the presence of God and the promotion of the deep identity of the called person and to lead her to the joyful maturity of her vocation which means to be "called to be transformed into the image of Christ" (2 Co 3:18).

The formator is called to accompany the candidates integrally; to transmit the Carmelite charism; to foster a personalized accompaniment; to promote human and spiritual maturation; to create an environment of continuous growth and to be a spiritual mother.

The human-spiritual accompaniment of the person tries to see how the human-person functions in order to integrate it with the spiritual aspect.

Fr. Pisano discussed the general characteristics of accompaniment. He emphasized the care in community life, especially the "attributions of thought in intentions," always giving the benefit of the doubt. He also cautioned with respect to the "projections" that can be made, and the risk in the spiritual life when it comes to judgment. The other aspects he dealt with were the affective-relational skills.

The Federation Mater Unitatis was erected on December 10, 1980. The monasteries belonging to this federation are: Caudete, Fontiveros, Huesca Asunción, Huesca san Miguel, Madrid, Onteniente, Valencia and Zaragoza.

A Video Message for the Solennity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 16, 2024, from Fr. Míċeál O’Neill, O. Carm, Prior General of the Order

Dear sisters and brothers in the Carmelite family throughout the world:

The celebration of the solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel this year coincides with the Year of Prayer, announced by Pope Francis as a time of preparation the celebration of the 2025 Jubilee. The desire of the Holy Father is that there should be a “symphony of prayer” throughout the world. His teaching on prayer is an invitation to the Carmelite family to play its part in praying and in helping others to pray. Our rich tradition of prayer has been an inspiration to many generations from the beginning. Never was that tradition more needed by the world than today, in order to be able to encourage and accompany all the people who already have a life of prayer and are praying, and to open new doors for people who do not yet know the meaning of Christian prayer. Our prayer gives dignity to our lives because it affirms that we are the children of God, in communication with God. Our pray is also the strength of hope because of how we place our trust in God and in the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Carmel represents a place of human dignity, where God has brought people together in his name and Jesus is there in their midst. Mary is the Lady of that place, showing us what the dignity of the human person looks like, and the people who dwell in that place are people who pray, knowing that in their lives Jesus Christ is their deepest motivation, and that there is no higher ambition than to live in allegiance to him. On a day that unites us all in joy and thanksgiving, I join with Carmelites around the world, in praying that God’s name may be held as a blessing, that God’s will may be done, that God’s kingdom may come, that our daily bread may lead to daily peace and that we will find the path to forgiveness and reconciliation for ourselves and for our sisters and brothers in a world so terribly afflicted by its own lack of faith, hope and charity.  May your celebrations this year bring you the abundance of God’s grace and an answer to your fervent prayer. 

Thank you. 

Fr. Míċeál O’Neill, O. Carm

Diocese of Málaga Features Interview with Carmelite Prior General to Highlight Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in July

The July issue of the magazine of the Diocese of Málaga (Spain) focused on Our Lady of Mount Carmel. As July 16 is the feast day, several of the articles focused on the devotion of the people and how they celebrate the feast marking the Christian summer calendar. The cover of the magazine showed the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel who is the patroness of Marbella.

One article featured an interview the Carmelite prior general, Fr. Míċeál O'Neill reflecting on the actuality of the Marian invocation that "unites us to her Son Jesus, unites us to the Church and unites us to heaven." Fr. Míċeál was in Málaga earlier to participate in the closing of the Jubilee of the centenary of the birth in Malaga of the Carmelite Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Malaga.

Speaking of the significance of the anniversary celebration, Fr. Míċeál said, “Today we recognize that a charism is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The family lives from a charism that we have in common, together with a variety of charisms arising in the different sectors of the family: brothers and sisters of apostolic life, nuns, friars and laity. To be able to recognize and celebrate this richness is always a reason for gratitude and also an impulse to continue responding day after day to the vocation we have received and to the mission that awaits us."

In the days prior to the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the prior general reflected on one of the most beloved Marian devotions throughout the Diocese of Málaga. He called the popularity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel “a gift for the Church."

“More than 800 years [after our founding], the Carmelite Order continues to bring this water of life to the places where it is present. Our family is a Marian family as well as an Elijah family," says the prior general. “With these two great models we live as people who have a very deep experience of God, as Mary and Elijah have. In this spirit we approach God, revealed in Jesus Christ, alongside all the people who have found in their lives the importance of the search for God. We want to accompany this search with the love and wisdom that our vocation and our formation in the Church. We want to make present in the world that the dignity of the human person is found, in the first place, in his being created by God in his image and likeness; and in his capacity to live a profound friendship with God, in the person of Jesus, following the example of Mary. Carmel lives by the Word of God and helps those who come into contact with it to know and cultivate that word of salvation in their lives."

Father O'Neill has a deep knowledge of the devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. “I have been able to get to know her both here in Spain and in Latin America, and she is a true gift that the Lord has given to the Church. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a devotion and a way for many people. It is not and cannot be "campanilismo" (competition, rivalry) of any kind. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is not the “champion of the Virgins.”

“It is the Virgin of Mount Carmel who unites us with our tradition  rom the beginning, unites us to her Son Jesus, unites us to the Church and unites us to heaven."

Regarding the popularity of the names Carmen or Maria del Carmen, which year after year tops the lists of the most popular Spanish names, Father O'Neill affirms that he feels "good with the people who are called Maria del Carmen, both on the part of Mary and on the part of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel part. The name speaks of goodness and beauty. It's hard for me to think that a person who bears this name can be anything but good and Christian. Because of the goodness and beauty of Mary, the Virgin of Carmel this name runs deep in many places and cultures. The biggest challenge today is that the Gospel penetrates the towns and cultures of today with its goodness, truth, and beauty.

Link the the full article in Spanish  (pages 8-9)

Living Sacraments of God’s Love
(Mark 6:7-13)

• pdf Celebrating At Home - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time [PDF](3.27 MB)
• default Celebrating At Home - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time [ePub](4.78 MB)
• pdf Celebrando en Familia - XV Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario(510 KB)
• pdf Celebrando in Casa - XV Domenica del Tempo Ordinario(520 KB)
• pdf Celebrando em família - Décimo Quinto Domingo do Tempo Comum(508 KB)

The XXIX Meeting of the Carmelite Family of the Iberian Region was held in Fatima from June 28 to 1. The theme of the Meeting was: "This way is holy and good: follow it. Figures of holiness in Carmel". With this theme we sought to continue the increasingly conscious and current reflection that the vocation to holiness is common to all Christians.

In this context, the reflections made and the conferences presented were inspired by Carmelite figures and documents that, from our spirituality, encourage us towards holiness. Thus:

- Friar Pedro Bravo spoke on the Rule of the Third Order of Carmel;

- Cardinal Emeritus of Lisbon, Don Manuel Clemente, spoke about St. Nuño de Santa Maria;

- Sr. Angela Coelho, vice postulator of the cause of the visionaries of Fatima, spoke about the Carmelite traits of the spirituality of Sr. Lucia de Jesus, one of the 3 visionaries of Fatima and who lived most of her life as a Carmelite nun;

- Mariana Frazão and Carmo Diniz, two people who were in the central organization of the World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023, shared a reflection on the challenges of holiness launched by Pope Francis from his words and gestures during that Day.

In addition to the lectures, group work was divided into 7 workshops. Each one reflected on an inspiring figure of the Carmelite Order: St. Titus Brandsma, Friar Pablo Maria de La Cruz Hidalgo, Blessed Isidore Bakanja, St. Celia Guérin and Louis Martin, St. Nuño de Santa Maria, St. Teresa of the Child Jesus and Sister Lucia de Jesus.

In addition to the formative dimension, the meeting gave a central place to the prayerful dimension. The Organization provided a bilingual booklet that served as the basis for the liturgical moments. On Sunday, June 30, the participants joined the pilgrims from Fatima and participated in the celebration of the Eucharist at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Fatima.

In the afternoon, the group celebrated the Way of the Cross in the space provided by the sanctuary for this exercise of popular devotion. In this Way of the Cross, the meditations for each station were written by the groups in the work previously presented and based on the life and spirituality of the respective inspirational figure.

On the evening of June 30, a fraternal meeting was held in which each participating group presented something about its place and entity. It was a very festive moment in which we gave thanks for the immense cultural richness present in the Order today.

About 150 participants from the following Carmelite entities, including friars, sisters and lay people, participated in this meeting: Carmelite Sisters of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Carmelite Nuns, Province of Aragon, Castile and Valencia, Province of Betica, Province of Catalonia, General Commissariat of Portugal.

The Meeting took place in an atmosphere of great fraternity, prayer, exchange and healthy coexistence.

The XXX Meeting of the Carmelite Family of the Iberian Region will be organized by the Province of Catalonia.

9 July Optional Memorial

Blessed Jane Scopelli was born in Reggio Emilia in 1428. Inclined to piety from a young age, she obtained permission from her parents to become a cloistered Carmelite while remaining living with the family. After the death of her parents, she joined other women and formed a community in 1480.

In the city of her birth, with the placet of Bishop Filippo Zoboli, she obtained in 1495 the house and church of the Umiliati, which she transformed into a monastery, vulgarly called "Le Bianche" and entrusted to the Congregation Mantovana. There she exercised the office of prioress. Extraordinary events are attributed to the blessed who was endowed by God with an extraordinary charism and rich in profound Marian piety.

She died on July 9, 1491. Her cult was approved by Clement XIV on August 24, 1771. When the monastery was closed in 1803 on account of the Napoleonic suppression, the Blessed's body was transferred to the city's cathedral, where it is still venerated today.

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