O.Carm
St. Titus Brandsma, a Patron of Journalists?
According to the latest issue of America, a monthly magazine published by the American Jesuits, Pope Francis has expressed “full support” for naming St. Titus Brandsma “a patron of journalists.” The pope’s statement came in response to a request by Mr. Van Lierde and three Dutch journalists during an interview. On May 15, 2023, the Church will be celebrating the 1st anniversary of Titus’ canonization by Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
During a press conference organized by the Order’s Communications Office and held days prior to the canonization of St. Titus, a Dutch journalist asked Míceál O’Neill, the prior general, for his support in the efforts to have Brandsma named patron of journalists. He presented the prior general with a letter to Pope Francis from Catholic journalists accredited to the Vatican.
The letter outlined reasons why the newly canonized St. Titus should be designated as patron of journalists. Part of the letter says “you will canonize a man who embodied these crucial journalistic values until his dying day ...” The journalists recall the 2018 admonition of Pope Francis for journalists “to promote a journalism of peace,” a “journalism that is truthful and opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans, and sensational headlines. A journalism created by people for people, one that is at the service of all, (…) a journalism committed to pointing out alternatives to the escalation of shouting matches and verbal violence.”
Later in the letter the journalists write that they see St. Titus as a friend and advocate for the entire profession, indeed a patron saint of journalism.
Emmanuel Van Lierde is the former editor in chief of Tertio, a Belgian Christian weekly. The pope gave the interview on Dec. 19, 2022, two days after he celebrated his 86th birthday and a day after Argentina won the World Cup. The text of the interview now appears in Dutch in a book reviewing the 10-year pontificate of the pope written by Mr. Van Lierde. The book is entitled Paus Franciscus: De conservatieve revolutionair (Pope Francis: The conservative revolutionary) as well as in the weekly Tertio.
Celebrating At Home - 2nd Sunday in Lent
Transfiguration
(Matthew 17:1-9)
This Sunday’s Gospel of the Transfiguration completes the ‘little parable’ formed by the Gospels of the first two Sundays of Lent.
These Gospels tell us what Lent is about and what Christian life is about: a journey from temptation and doubt to transfiguration and faith. A journey away from allowing ourselves to be tempted to evil, and towards allowing ourselves to be tempted to good by the action of God’s Holy Spirit within us.
As the ‘Chosen One’ Jesus will let God’s glory be fully seen in the resurrection. On the one hand, this Gospel looks forward to the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus. On the other, it invites us to reflect on our journey from temptation to transfiguration.
The journey Jesus undertakes does not end in death, but in life. Through prayer we remain in contact with the heart of God which allows God’s love to transform and transfigure us and to ‘burst forth’ in goodness.
That’s how we allow the glory of God to be seen in us and through us.
Transfiguration means to be shot-through with the presence of God. Being transfigured is about allowing the presence of God to completely transform us; it’s a revolution of mind and heart driven by God’s Spirit and enabled by our open heartedness.
Our life as Christians is about being transfigured by the Spirit of God so that God is seen in, and experienced through, us.
It takes faith and perseverance to dare to allow ourselves to be tempted by the passion, hope and vision of God rather than our own desires and wants. It takes great faith to trust in God’s word to us. But if we do, the living word of the Chosen One forms in us the heart of God.
Quiet time for reflection
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- pdf Celebrando en Familia - Segundo Domingo del Tiempo de Cuaresma(367 KB)
- pdf Celebrando in Casa - II Domenica di Quaresima(379 KB)
- pdf Celebrando em familia - Segundo Domingo da Quaresma(369 KB)
Lectio Divina March 2023
Forgiving, merciful God, we pray you for a good measure of humility and honesty to acknowledge before you and people that we are weak and fallible men and women, who often try to turn a blind eye to our shortcomings and our sins.
Strong with the grace won in the hard way by your Son on the cross, we beg you for the courage to seek your forgiveness and to turn and return wholeheartedly to you and to serve you and people.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Elective Chapter of Carmel of Mary in Philippines
The trienniel elective chapter of the Monastery of Carmel of Mary, Star of the Sea in Tanay (Rizal), Philippines took place on February 18, 2023. The election of the prioress was presided over by the Most Rev. Francisco de Leon, the bishop of Antipolo.
Carmel of Mary, Star of the Sea is the first and only foundation of the Stella Maris Federation of the Carmelite nuns in the Philippines. Four foundresses came from Carmel of Our Lady of Nazareth (Cabanatuan City), four foundresses from the Carmelite monastery of the Holy Family (Guiguinto), and one foundress from the Carmelite monastery of Our Lady of Maravillas and St. Joseph (Dumaguete City). It is the fruit of the union of the monasteries.
The monastery was inaugurated on November 11, 2001, and was canonically erected on November 14, 2001. The first canonical election of the prioress was held on December 4, 2001. The late Rev. Mother Maria de los Angeles of Jesus Perez, O. Carm., was elected to serve.
The results of the elective chapter were as follows:
Prioress | Priora | Priora:
Sr Maria Esperanza of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Cecilio, O. Carm.
1st Councilor | 1ª Consejera | 1ª Consigliera:
Sr Mary Grace of the Crucified and Risen Jesus Bruno, O. Carm.
2nd Councilor | 2ª Consejera | 2ª Consigliera:
Sr Maria Rebecca of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Valdez, O. Carm.
3rd Councilor | 3ª Consejera | 3ª Consigliera:
Sr Maria Carmela Therese of the Child Jesus Necodino, O. Carm.
4th Councilor | 4ª Consejera | 4ª Consigliera:
Sr Maria Wilma of Jesus Crucified Galang, O. Carm.
Director of Novices | Maestra de Novicias | Maestra delle Novizie
Sr Maria Rebecca of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Valdez, O. Carm.
Treasurer | Ecónoma | Economa:
Sr Mary Grace of the Crucified and Risen Jesus Bruno, O. Carm.
Sacristan | Sacristán | Sacrestana:
Sr Maria Faustina Jenelyn of the Blessed Sacrament Padojinog, O. Carm.
Celebrating At Home - 1st Sunday in Lent
Temptation to transfiguration
(Matthew 4:1-11)
Our great Lenten journey has begun. It’s a journey which begins in ash and ends in water. Fire is a profound part of our experience. We know its power to destroy, blacken and reduce to ash.
We know that evil can do the same - destroy our wholeness of spirit, blacken our lives and reduce the beauty of human life to so much dust.
We begin Lent in the ash of acknowledging our own part in harbouring, creating and doing evil - those places in our hearts where the fire of anger, bitterness, selfishness or narrowness of mind and heart has left nothing but cold ash.
The ash is a reminder that our true life is not found in mortal things which eventually turn to dust, but in eternal things. We also know that out of ash new life can bud, grow strong, bloom into fullness - that’s the Easter miracle.
As always, the Gospels of the first two Sundays in Lent provide a road map for our Lenten journey from temptation (this Sunday) to transfiguration (next Sunday).
We allow ourselves to be tempted out of the ash of selfishness and narrowness of heart and into a life of open-hearted goodness. We celebrate God’s graciousness to us by sharing what we have with those in need whether it be food, wealth, time, love, friendship or compassion. That’s what it means to ‘repent and believe the Good News’.
In these days when we are so conscious of the impact of human life on God’s creation, perhaps we could think about some permanent fasting from our excessive consumption of power, food and petrol in order to allow our earth to heal, to breathe and to continue to be a source of nourishment and life for the whole human family.
Quiet time for reflection
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- pdf Celebrando en Familia - Primer Domingo del Tiempo de Cuaresma(277 KB)
- pdf Celebrando in Casa - I Domenica di Quaresima(292 KB)
- pdf Celebrando em familia - Primeiro Domingo da Quaresma(657 KB)
Training Courses for Secretaries and Archivists
The Servants of Mary Historical Institute and the General Archives of the Carmelites have planned new training activities for secretaries and archivists. After the training course on current archives, which was held in June 2022, the two institutions have decided to offer some workshop activities to help participants practice practically some of the content proposed during the course.
The first workshop, scheduled for Feb. 25 and led by Prof. Emanuele Atzori, will focus on the management of current archival tools. The second workshop, scheduled for April 22 and led by Prof. Alessandro Alfier, will be devoted to electronic archives. From June 22 to June 24, 2023, a training course on historical archives will be held.
All these activities will take place at the Marianum Pontifical Faculty in Rome.
More information can be found on the General Archives website:
www.archivioocarm.com
Chapter of the Indian General Commissariat Held
The second chapter of the General Commissariat of St. Therese and St. Albert was held in Asirbhavan, Ernakulam, Kerala, India from February 13-18, 2023. "Hopeful walking to the plans of God" (Jer. 29:11) was the theme of the chapter.
Among those attending were the prior general Miceal O' Neill, general councilor Robert Thomas Puthusery, and 30 members of the commissariat working in Inda and abroad.
Some Indian Discalced Carmelites of the Latin rite, with permission of their superiors, asked that they might enter the Carmelite Order. On October 27, 2011, the General Delegation was canonically established. On September 3, 2019, the prior general, with the consent of the general council of the Order, instituted the General Commissariat of St. Teresa of Jesus and St. Albert of Jerusalem. According to the 2019 Status Ordinis, the Commissary has five houses in India and one in Germany.
During the Chapter the following were elected to leadership:
Commissary General | Comisario General | Commissario Generale:
Fr. Kuriakose Chandanaparambil, O. Carm.
1st Councilor | 1er Consejero | 1° Consigliere:
Fr. Jacob Robin Chakkalaparambil, O. Carm.
2nd Councilor | 2do Consejero | 2° Consigliere:
Fr. Emmanuel Dixon Rebero, O. Carm.
3rd Councilor | 3er Consejero | 3° Consigliere:
Fr. Michael Joseph Jackson, O. Carm.
4th Councilor | 4to Consejero | 4° Consigliere:
Fr. Titus Rancy Kalaburackal, O. Carm.
Celebrating At Home - 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Going the extra mile
(Matthew 5:38-48)
Vengeance, retaliation and violence seem part and parcel of the human experience. When we are hurt our first instinct is often to strike back, to take revenge on the one who hurt us - ‘pay back’, as we call it.
That’s how cycles of violence get started. These cycles can continue, between families for example, for generations, enduring long after the original incident has been forgotten.
In continuing his Sermon on the Mount in today’s Gospel, Jesus calls his disciples to a new way of handling violence and unjust treatment - not with revenge and retaliation, but with open-hearted generosity and forgiveness.
Jesus’ teaching must have sounded like the ravings of a mad man to his hearers. Even for us today that teaching can be ‘hard to swallow’. Is Jesus seriously asking us to offer the other cheek to the one who strikes us, to suffer double the injury? If someone wants our shirt, do we have to give them our coat as well? If someone forces us to go one mile, do we really have to go two miles with them? Love your enemies?
Pray for those who persecute you? Seriously?
The challenge in Jesus’ words is for the disciples to always act in our dealings with one another as God would act. That is how we can break the cycles of violence which would otherwise entrap us.
Jesus calls his disciples to a more abundant righteousness even when they are unjustly treated. He takes traditional interpretations of the ancient biblical teachings and corrects and extends them in a more generous interpretation.
Virtue and righteousness are not about looking good on the outside, fulfilling the ‘letter of the Law’. They are about being good on the inside and acting for the good of others, allowing God’s heart to reign within our own. That’s what brings us into right relationship with God and neighbour.
True Christian virtue always goes beyond merely what is required. It is always willing to ‘go the extra mile’ in tolerance, love, forgiveness and mercy. It mirrors the excessive generosity of God.
The perfection of true holiness is found in acting towards others, including our enemies, as God acts towards us all.
- pdf Celebrating At Home - 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time [PDF](6.03 MB)
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- pdf Celebrando en Familia - Séptimo Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario(673 KB)
- pdf Celebrando in Casa - VII Domenica del Tempo Ordinario(672 KB)
- pdf Celebrando em familia - 7 Domingo do Tempo Comum(672 KB)
Causa Nostrae Laetitiae
INITIUM NOVITIATUS
01-02-2023 Peter Lima (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
01-02-2023 Brandsma Banty Parichha (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
01-02-2023 Norbert Rohan Paltasingh (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
01-02-2023 Ambrose Philmon Sabhasundar (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
01-02-2023 Gerard Joel Thottakth (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
01-02-2023 Brocard Bibek Soreng (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
01-02-2023 Savio Arbin Jatarma (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
PROFESSIO TEMPORANEA
02-02-23 Gabriel Wilson Dupad (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
02-02-23 Paul Niral Nayak (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
02-02-23 James Juburaj Baliar Singh (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
02-02-23 Francis Ajay Kumar Banavasi (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
02-02-23 Joseph Adlin Pinheiro (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
02-02-23 Alphonse Akash (STSA) Kannur, Kerala, India
ORDINATIO DIACONALIS
05-01-23 Francis Ajith Alosious (STSA) North Paravur, Kerala, India
26-01-23 Étienne Roudelin (ACV-Antillas) Santo Domingo, República Dominicana
26-01-23 Julien Étienne (ACV-Antillas) Santo Domingo, República Dominicana
26-01-23 Robert Batista Ferrera (ACV-Antillas) Santo Domingo, República
Dominicana
11-02-23 Everton Ramos Cláudio (Pern) Recife, Brasil
11-02-23 José Edson da Silva (Pern) Recife, Brasil
11-02-23 José Roberto Santos (Pern) Recife, Brasil
ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
27-12-22 Ebin Mathew (STSA) Kalamassery, Kerala, India
15-01-23 Thomas Renju Maliyackal (STSA) Vandiperiyar, Kerala, India
28-01-23 Sergio Roberto Sánchez Mejía (PCM) Tlalnepantla de Baz, México
28-01-23 Joseph Bazilou Bacyé (Baet) Kudugú, Burkina Faso
Picture captions:
2023 Profession ceremony, Commissary of St. Thérèse and St. Albert of Jerusalem (India)
2023 Ceremonia de Profesión, Comisariado de Santa Teresa y San Alberto de Jerusalén (India)
2023 Cerimonia di professione, Commissariato di Santa Teresa e Sant'Alberto di Gerusalemme (India)
Meeting of the Carmelite European Geographical Area
On January 16-17, 2023, the provincials, commissaries and delegates general of the European Geographical Area met in St Albert’s International Centre (CISA) Rome for their fourth general meeting of the sexennium.
The first day began with the Eucharist which was celebrated by Tadeusz Popiela, a member of the Polish Province and prior of St Albert’s, who welcomed the participants and reminded them that as we face the challenges of our various offices, our human abilities will get us only so far. We need to emphasise that Christ is at the centre of our community.
In assembly, Richard Byrne, general councillor for Europe, reported to the Area noting some practical details especially for any forthcoming provincial or commissariat chapters. He noted that these meetings are not just moments to communicate information but are occasions to continue to get to know each other, to look at the common issues in Europe and take joint decisions. In addition, they can be moments to also learn from each the experience of each other and be moments of support and encouragement for each other. Each participant then shared with the meeting the current reality of their own entity also outlining recent initiatives or challenges within their own context.
In regional groups, the participants then moved to discuss vocations reflecting on the 2017 message from Pope Francis on Pastoral Work For Vocations and looking for concrete proposals for the ministry of vocations. After sharing, they agreed that each of the three regions (Iberia, Italy-Malta and North European) would organise their own meeting of vocational personnel within the next twelve months.
The second day began with Eucharist which was celebrated by Jose Deepak Aracka, member of the Indian Province and sub prior of St Albert’s. In regional groups, the participants then shared their personal experience of leadership noting their best practices under several themes including their role in ‘self-care.’
Building on the work of the General Congregation held in September 2023 in Rome, the progress each participant had made regarding their plan of practical action to support the brothers to live the ‘joy’ of consecrated life and the living of the vows was reviewed. In addition, how best to support local priors was discussed and other themes from the General Congregation that will need attention at future meetings were noted.
The participants received an extensive report of the European common novitiate house which is held in the Convent of San Andrés in Salamanca, Spain. This program has been in place for ten years. Reports were also presented on the other houses of formation in Europe especially those houses in Barcelona, Rome, and Dublin.
Eduardo Andrés Agosta Scarel, a member of the Province of Aragon-Castile-Valencia, was invited to give the participants some ideas on how to continue working and developing the idea of Care for Creation as envisaged in the Decree of the General Chapter (2019). He noted that we participate as an Order in two spaces at the international level: the climate summit, and the biodiversity summit. Among other things, these call us to the divestment of fossil energies and to lead by example with visible changes in our habits and customs.
Information was given regarding the forthcoming “Carmelite Day” during the World Youth Day meeting in Lisbon on August 2, 2023. Finally, the members agreed to meet again in Rome in January 2024 and the meeting closed with a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide the European Area in its initiatives and projects.
