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No. 1- 2011
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CITOC | PAGE 3
CONTENT
Pilgrimage of Hope
Canonical Erection of a New
General Delegation in Kenya
Bl. Angelo Paoli
Letter from the
Prior General
InternationalCongress
ofCarmeliteSchools
The International
Formators’ Course
4
5
12
16
2420
Editorial 2
Americas 6
Asia-Australia-Oceania 7
Africa 8
Europe 10
Justice and Peace 11
ALACAR 14
Formation 19
Evangelization 22
First International
Congress of the
Carmelite Family 23
Carmelite News 26
New Federation of
Monasteries of
Italian Nuns 31
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N ew means of communication offer, among many other
possibilities, the facility for receiving information
almost instantly and in an inexpensive and constant
way. In recent years, CITOC online has been regularly fullling
this role. Many members of the Carmelite family now feel
more connected to the Order because of the fact that they are
informed almost at “the present moment” and can feel the pulse
and vibration of Carmel in the 21st Century.
Nevertheless, it is also necessary to have other kinds of
information that go beyond what is immediate. Despite the
fact that many communities and Orders have abolished the
printed newsletter at an international level, we believe that itis right to launch a print version of CITOC that in some ways
will compliment and enrich the computer version. Despite the
general increase in the price of postage and paper, we believe
it is worth making this small effort to increase our information
service, to enable us see that we are a part of a family that is
on the move, lives and works, and is a witness to the presence
of God in our lives.
In the many trips that I have made throughout the world one
nds proof that the Carmelite presence in these countries is
very rich and active: missions, schools, parishes, work in the
eld of education, justice and peace. It is also necessary toprovide good information about events and initiatives taking
place on a wider level (congresses, beatications, international
meetings, government of the Order, etc.). Being aware of our
reality will help us to increase our self-esteem as a religious
family, to celebrate the work that our brothers and sisters are
doing and to thank God for what He is doing through Carmel, for
the service of the church and for the people of God.
As we begin this new venture with CITOC, I cannot forget
the testimony of Titus Brandsma who was a true pioneer of
the Church’s presence in the press and media. With great
enthusiasm he worked all his life in various
newspapers and magazines and, in turn, reected
on the importance of these means for society
and for evangelization, and on the ethical
criteria that are necessary
in the eld of
Letter fromthe Prior General
CITOC | PAGE 4
Prior General, Fr. Fernando Millán, O. Carm.
communications. His message is
relevant today more than ever before
and some of his conclusions anticipated
by more than thirty years what would be
afrmed in the Second Vatican Council
in the famous decree “Inter Mirica”. I
think its preface is worth reproducing
here:
“Among the wonderful technological
discoveries which men of talent,
especially in the present era, have
made with God’s help, the Church
welcomes and promotes with special
interest those which have a most
direct relation to men’s minds andwhich have uncovered new avenues
of communicating most readily news,
views and teachings of every sort. The
most important of these inventions are
those media which, such as the press,
movies, radio, television and the like,
can, of their very nature, reach and
inuence, not only individuals, but the
very masses and the whole of human
society, and thus can rightly be called
the media of social communication.”
(Paragraph 1, Decree on the Media ofSocial Communication “INTER MIRIFICA”
solemnly promulgated by His Holiness
Pope Paul VI on December 4, 1963. )
I thank wholeheartedly the work of
those that have made this new edition
of CITOC possible and ask Our Lady of
Mount Carmel, Stella Maris, that it be
truly a Universal Information Center
of the Carmelite Order (Informationis
Centrum totius Ordinis Carmelitarum,
CITOC) that shines and enlightens thegreat Carmelite family in the world.
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On July 16, the Solemn Commem-oration of our Lady of Mount
Carmel, in our house in Nairobi
(Bustani ya Karmeli), the Prior General,
accompanied by the Councillor for Afri-
ca, Fr. Désiré Unen Alimange, co-signed
the decree of canonical erection of the
General Delegation of Kenya, which will
be under the patronage of Our Lady of
Carmel. The rst General Delegate is
Fr. Boniface Makau Kimondolo (Cat). Fr.
Fernando emphasised the importance of
this occasion for the history of Carmel in
Kenya and in the African continent.
During the celebrations, the gener-
ous contribution to this mission on the
part of four provinces was recalled: Up-
per Germany, Arago-Valentina, Catalonia
and India.
The rst assembly of the Delegation
was also held during which both short-
term and medium-term objectives were
set for this promising presence in Africa.
T he Carmelite presence in Kenya isthe result of the efforts of a numberof provinces that made a commit-ment to begin the mission. The decision
to begin this mission in Kenya was made
by the General Council in December of
2000. This decision was based on the
recommendation of Fr. Anthony Scerri,the General Councillor for Africa, Asia
and Australia.
A number of factors led to this de-
cision.
A meeting of the Provincials from the
provinces who were committed to help-
ing the mission took place. These in-
cluded: Fr. Christian Körner, O.Carm.,
Provincial of the Upper German Province,
Fr. Manuel Bonilla, O.Carm., Provincial of
the Catalonian Province, Fr. David Oliver
Felipo, O.Carm, Provincial of the Arago-
Valentina Province and Fr. John Adapoor,
O.Carm., the Commissary Provincial of
the Commissariat of India.
The meeting was held in Barcelona. In making this deci-
sion, the General Council also took into account the Carmel-
ite presence in Kenya of our enclosed nuns in the diocese
of Machakos (since 1998) and subsequently in the diocese
of Ngong (2005), as well as the presence of our Missionary
Workers of the Missionary Family Missionary Donum Dei in
Nairobi, and of many lay members of the Carmelite Third Or-der spread over many dioceses in Kenya. Also, Nairobi, the
capital of Kenya, is an important centre of religious studies in
Africa and could become a Carmelite centre of formation for
Carmelites in an Afri-
can environment and
culture.
The General Coun-
cil also noted that
there are other foun-
dations in Africa and
recognized the will-
ingness for frater-
nal collaboration and
Canonical Erectionof a New GeneralDelegation in Kenya
There are now ve General Delegations in the Order:
France, “Titus Brandsma” in Colombia, Bohemia and Moravia
and now Kenya.
The Prior General also took advantage of the occasion to
present a letter which will be shortly sent to the Carmelite
Family entitled “A Purchased People”. This is to mark the
50th anniversary of a letter by the same name written by the
Carmelite Bishop, Mons. Donal Lamont, against apartheid. In
the letter, Fr. Fernando calls on Carmel to encourage growth
in Africa.
History of the General Delegation of Kenya
CITOC | PAGE 5
Continued on page 9
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The presence of Carmelite friars can be found in thirteendistinct countries in a very large territory that extends
from Canada in the north to Argentina in the south
where we have approximately 530 Carmelites.
The American continent is divided into two regions:
The North American Region1.
The Latin American and Caribbean region.2.
In this rst triennium we visited the majority of the Carmelite
places in this enormous continent. We tried to encourage
greater interchange and mutual collaboration betweenboth regions and between the existing entities. Likewise,
we animated the friars to participate in various permanent
formation programs, to continue studies in specialized areas
after theology and to learn one of the ofcial languages of
the Order. These visits also included visits to monasteries of
cloistered nuns and some convents of sisters afliated with
our Order when time and distance permitted us to do so.
During this time we had the opportunity to participate in
four provincial chapters, four provincial commissariat
assemblies and one general delegation meeting. Also,we were present at various celebrations, congresses
and meetings among which we can highlight: the
Beatication of Madre Candelaria de San José in
Venezuela, the meeting of Superiors of the Americas in
Brazil, the Golden (50th) Anniversary of Crespi Carmelite
High School in the United States, The O.Carm-O.C.D.
Latin American Congress (ALACAR) in Colombia, and
three formation courses for Latin America in Peru,
Bolivia and Brazil.
It should be noted that in the Meeting of Superiors of
2008, the group carefully studied the Global Plan of the
The Dedication of the new “Xiberta Center of Theological Reection” in El Salvador
Fr. Raúl Maraví C., O.Carm.
Americas
Carmelite Novices in Brazil
CITOC | PAGE 6
General Council for the Order in distinct
areas such as: formation, justice and
peace and the integrity of creation,
Carmelite schools and youth, Carmelite
laity. The assistants, friars and someCarmelite sisters worked and analyzed
the most viable ways to implement this
plan in their communities.
On the other hand, it is also important
to note that during the International
Course for formators in August of 2010
in Brazil, the formators of the American
continent met to discuss a plan to develop
three single international novitiates in
the continent (one in English, one in
Spanish and one in Portuguese). The
majority of the participants (around
thirty formators) were in agreement
to continue supporting this initiative in
order to achieve a better interchange
and to enrich the novices and students
with a more international and diversiedexperience of our Carmelite Order.
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A
s a General Councilor, I would like to
continue building cooperation amongCarmelites in the region, and making
more contribution to the whole Order. In order to
achieve this, clear and constructive communication
is needed to facilitate collaboration and consolidation
in the whole regional Carmelite Family.
I arranged the rst meeting for the superiors
of the region in Bali in November 2008, in which
collaboration, especially in Carmelite formation was
the priority. During the Council of Provinces XVI in
San Felice, September 2009, the superiors of the
region agreed to organize training for formators. InMay 2010, 19 formators came together, participating
in a training facilitated by Fr. Joseph Chalmers.
I took advantage of the training by creating
a regional committee for formation whose
responsibility is to facilitate a cooperative formation
in the region. It was decided to organize a seminar
on formation and JPIC for Carmelite students which
will be held in East Timor April 26 – May 2, 2011 and
to have a meeting for formators in India in 2012.
During the International Gathering in Camoçim,
Brazil in August 2010 the regional formators
strongly agreed to continue collaborating in such
areas as joint formation, formators and students
exchange, and sharing experiences.
But meetings are not enough; therefore, visiting
various Carmelite communities is needed. I have
visited India (St. Thomas Province and St.Therese-
St.Albert delegation), Philippines (Chapter and
fraternal visit), China and Vietnam (canonical visit
with Fr. General), Indonesia (Chapter and canonicalvisit with Fr. General), Australia and East Timor
(Chapter and fraternal visit with Fr. General).
I have also
visited CarmeliteNuns of
Indonesia (Batu
& Palangkaraya),
Philippines
(Tanay,
Dumaguete,
Butuan, Guiguinto, Tarlac, Burgos, Roxas), and
some Carmelite sister communities in India,
Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, and
East Timor. We also met Lay Carmelite groups in
the Philippines, Indonesia, and East Timor. They
highly appreciated these visits. Thanks to them
for their hospitality!
The Carmelites of the region are taking part
in the Carmelite mission of the Order. Indonesia
is responsible for a mission in China, India is
partaking in a Kenya mission, the Philippines is
working in their Papua New Guinea mission. These
missions are managed as regional projects in which
provinces, commissariats, and delegations support
each other and strengthen their cooperation.
Br. Amilton Vidotto (Pern) is teaching Portuguese
to our East Timorese Carmelites, and the New York
province is sending some Vietnamese Carmelites
there for sharing Carmelite life during the summer.
The General Council has stimulated the region to
build stronger internationality. Studying or working
in other provinces like Ireland, England, Germany,
France, Italy, United States, and Australia may
strengthen our internationality and should be done
according to a clear agreement among provinces,
commissariats, and delegations; otherwise, it maycreate confusion.
Asia-Australia-Oceania Fr. Albertus Herwanta, O.Carm.
Provincial chapter of Province of Australia and East Timor
CITOC | PAGE 7
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F r o m
among the
p r o j e c t s
for Africa
in these 6
years that
e m e r g e d
from the General Chapter in 2007, we would like to
present the present-day situation and that which
will be realized in the following days.
The current situation (already realized)
a. The formation of formators and formandi are
the highest priority. All of the priors provincial are
concerned with the formation of the members of
their respective missions: Zimbabwe, Rep. Dem.
Congo, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Kenya, Tanzania.
b. The existing foundations are asking to be
consolidated. Certainly, the Carmelite charism has
become a reality in these respective places. In
order to afrm the brothers in their faith, fraternal
visits have all been completed in all the missions
by the Councilor of the area.
Regarding canonical visits, the Prior General,
accompanied by the Councilor of the area, went to
the following missions: Zimbabwe, Mozambique,
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Rep. Dem.
Congo.
In certain missions at this time, missionaries
are helping one another out in terms of personnel
in order to support the fraternal life by having a
sufcient number of members in the community
and assisting in the formation of some members.
At the level of governance, and conscious of the
future, progressively new productive structures of
management and the administration of goods are
being created.
Situation for the future (to be achieved)
a. The creation of the Institute of Carmelite
Spirituality in Nairobi (Kenya) “under the immediate
jurisdiction of the Prior General” (Constitutions
166) emerging from the General Chapter is a
crucial question. It demands the preparation of
competent and actively engaged friars. Some
things are moving slowly.
b. The primary need of the animator of the
African geographical area is to afrm the friars in
their Carmelite vocation. Therefore, the canonical
visit to Tanzania will take place in the coming daysat a determined date.
c. Thanks be to God, the new foundations
are not lacking in Africa, whether on the part
of the provinces who want new experiences of
evangelization, or in the internal development of
existing missions.
It is fraternally recommended to follow the ofcial
criteria of the Order: From the start, our charism
Aica
Canonical visitation of the Mission in Camerun
Fr. Désiré Unen Alimange, O.Carm.
CITOC | PAGE 8
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should not be neglected, to provide a
sufcient number of friars to the new
communities to conduct the fraternal
life worthily, in no case to neglect or
sacrice formation, to provide adequate
means of sustenance, to maintain a
good relationship with the local Church
regarding Carmelite patrimony (thedocument Mutuae Relationes can help
very much in this situation), following
the recommendations stipulated in the
norms of universal law.
“The mission ad gentes-in other
words, the task of announcing the
Gospel in places where it is not known
is one of the fundamental activities
of the Church, for the Church is
missionary by its very nature. The main
agent of the mission ad gentes is theHoly Spirit, who inspires Provinces and
Commissariats to appoint members
to this task. It is the Spirit who gives
the missionary charism to those who
are sent. In this work, the Order
recognises “immense opportunities
in such areas as charity, evangelical
proclamation, Christian education,
culture, and solidarity with the poor,
the marginalized, the oppressed, and
those who suffer discrimination.”
All our communities shall support
this essential task with their prayers
and by encouraging the faithful to
become personally involved and,
according to their circumstances, to
provide material help. Missionary
work requires a specic spirituality
and a process of inculturation; we are
condent therefore, that the mission
ad gentes will reveal the heart of the
Carmelite charism in a new way for thegood of the Church and of the Order.”
(Constitutions #105)
generosity of the above mentioned Provinces.
The Upper German Province accepted the main responsibili-
ty for the mission and, especially its Provincial Commissariat of
India, which was committed to providing personnel and taking
on the practical running of the mission. The other Provinces,
Catalonia and Arago-Valentina, expressed their willingness to
cooperate closely with the mission, in part with material means
as well as personnel, because Catalonia had two solemnly pro-
fessed and one Arago-Valentina member from Kenya.
On 1st August 2001, two Indian Carmelites arrived in the
city of Ngong, which is also the seat of the diocese, in order
to begin the mission. Later, they were joined by another In-
dian Carmelite. Later one of them went to the north of Kenya
where he was working separately. The other two Carmelites,
having taken on a quasi-parish entrusted to them by the di-
ocesan bishop and, adjacent to the church, built the house of
formation, which was inaugurated in June 2005. Concerning
personnel, apart from the Indian brethren mentioned above,
in 2005 two Indian students joined the mission. They nishedtheir studies in Nairobi and returned to India.
On the 1st and 2nd of March 2005 the four superiors involved
in the mission of Ke-
nya met in Rome
together with the
Prior General, and
the General Coun-
cillor for Africa,
Asia and Austra-
lia, to discuss the
future of the mis-
sion. They agreed
on the points re-
lating to jurisdic-
tion, personnel,
and nance. With
the erection of the
Indian province of
Saint Thomas the major responsibility for the mission passed
to that Province.
Presently, there is one Indian friar, two Kenyans from the
Catalonia Province, one Kenyan from the Arago-Valentina
Province, one Indian friar studying in Nairobi, four Kenyan pre-novices and three aspirants.
Taking into account the development of this mission and
after considering the views of the members of the Province of
St. Thomas, Fr. Fernando Millán, O.Carm., the Prior General,
together with his Council, erected the mission in as a General
Delegation at its meeting held on May 25, 2010.
The General Delegation of Kenya came into existence on 16th
July 2010 and Boniface Makau Kimondolo was named the rst
Delegate General of the General Delegation. The statutes were
approved on 22 December 2009 and came into force with the
erection of the Delegation. The agreement with the Provincesof Upper Germany, Arago-Valentina, and Catalonia remain in
force during this time, regarding the mission in Kenya.
(from the Degree of the Canonical Erection of the General Del-
egation of Kenya)
CITOC | PAGE 9
Kenya: continued from page 5
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At the General Chapter of 2007 it was agreed to unite
all of Europe into one geographical area having one
General Councilor responsible for the whole area. Up
to this Europe was divided into North and South. The Global
Plan of the General Council (2007-2013) states: “Uniting the
two regions of Europe into one geographical area presents us
with a challenge and an opportunity for re-evaluation, growth
and change.” There are 13 provinces, two commissariats and
two general delegations in this area. About one third of the
friars live in Europe and the majority of the enclosed nuns are
mainly in Italy and Spain. The heritage and tradition of the Or-
der nd deep roots in the European Carmel. Its support to the
developing parts of the Order throughout the world is very sig-
nicant.
Many of the European provinces have either begun or arebeginning to evaluate their situation. Visitations have taken
place in many of the provinces and provincial chapters are ad-
dressing urgent issues common throughout most of these prov-
inces. The age level of the brethren indicates that we are fac-
ing a time of rapid change regarding numbers, and this willbe very evident within the next 10 to 20 years. Many of them
are facing painful decisions regarding closure of houses, -
nancial income, personnel, etc. This necessitates a sense of
priority regarding ministry and location. Some provinces are
addressing the question of unication or “fusion” with oth-
er provinces (Arago-Valentina and Castile, Upper and Lower
Germany). The Church in Europe is going through signicant
change and multiple crises. Pope Benedict XVI has endeav-
oured to address this crisis as a central part of his ponticate.
Europe itself also faces issues regarding political leadership,
economics, secularization, immigration, birth-rate, etc. The Or-
der in Europe provides a vast service to the local church through
its diverse ministries in parishes, schools, sanctuaries and often
quite remarkable service to the poor. The members of the prov-
inces have to address the question of declining church atten-
EUROPE
dance, lack of vocations, closure or
“clustering” of parish communities,
and pastoral service. Those in for-
mation and the number of vocations
are small. Many of the younger Car-
melites in Europe see a new visionfor the future and this is a challenge
for provinces and for inter-provin-
cial cooperation at all levels. These
times are very challenging and Eu-
ropean Carmelites too must look to
the renewal of the face of the Or-
der especially through our spiritual-
ity, charism, and new expressions of
Carmelite presence in the old world.
To this end many inter-province
meeting take place in the three re-
gions of Europe (Northern European
Region, Iberian Region and with the
recent meeting of the provincials of
Italy and Malta, the reestablishment
of an Italy/Malta Region).
The Carmelite Youth European
Pilgrimage of Hope in 2010 has
opened the way for a renewal of
engagement with our young people
and many provinces have set about
building anew its pastoral involve-ment with young people. A number
of provinces already have a well-
developed youth ministry who offer
help to young people and give them
an opportunity to support the mis-
sion Carmel in Europe and around
the world. This is in tune with the Six
Year Plan of the General Curia: “De-
velopment of the a European policy
of youth, forms of youth association
and direct involvement by our laity.”
Youth ministry will be given special
attention in the coming years in the
European area.
Fr. John Keating, O.Carm.
CITOC | PAGE 10
Canonical visitation of the Province of Poland - formation house
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The JPIC Commission
In September 2008, the General Commission
for JPIC had its rst meeting at Sassone, Italy,where Fr. Albertus Herwanta, (Chairman), Fr.
Cees Bartels, Fr. David Blanchard, Fr. Michael
Agung, Fr. Jerry Sabado, Fr. Eduardo Agosta,
Fr. Boniface Kimondolo and Fr. Boby Sebastian
(James) Tharakunnel (Secretary) were present.
It came out with an action plan for 2008-2011
to raise an awareness of the JPIC issues and to
take real action to bring possible solutions in the
whole Order.
The Action Plan
It includes communicating the work of the In-
ternational JPIC Commission to the Order, gath-
ering information from the Carmelite Family re-
garding activities of provinces, commissariats,
delegations related to JPIC, and disseminatingthem to the Order, disseminating the docu-
ments of the Order on JPIC to the members of
the Carmelite Family, setting-up a task-force for
interreligious dialogue, organizing courses and
Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation
We live in a world full of injustice where
the poor and marginalized suffer, where we
are exhausting the Earth’s limited resources
and destroying ecological environments. This
new millennium has witnessed an increase in
domestic and social violence, global genocides
and war.
Fr. Boby Sebastian Tharakunnel, O.Carm.
continued on page 15
CITOC | PAGE 11
The JPIC Seminar in Zimbabwe
resources on JPIC, at local and regional levels,
an immersion and exposure program to JPIC re-alities, setting-up a Web Page on JPIC, publica-
tion and documentation on JPIC issues, an essay
contest for the Carmelite students, Assembly in
2011, and JPIC Commission meetings to evalu-
ate our program in order to face the International
assembly in 2011.
A. JPIC courses: The rst was held in April
14-16, 2009 in El Salvador for the Central Ameri-
can region. The second was on environment, held
in Indonesia (August 1-2, 2009) in collaborationwith the Indonesian Carmelite-NGO. The third
one was held in Harare, Zimbabwe for the Afri-
can region (July 25-29, 2010). We have planned
one for the Asian-Australian and Oceania region
in East Timor, 2011. We are also planning to or-
ganize such a course for the European students
and for the whole Order.
B. Communication: We have been commu-
nicating with the whole Order and the Carmel-
ite-NGO in order to work together and are still
looking for stronger collaborationfrom provinces, commissari-
ats and delegations. Some
activities of the commis-
sion have been dissemi-
nated through CITOC
Online. Fr. Albertus
Herwanta gave a talk
on the commitment
to JPIC and Carmel-
ite Formation at the
International Carmel-ite Formators meeting
in Racife, Brazil. He is
attending different JPIC
meetings around the globe
and organizing different seminars and courses in
the Order in spite of his busy schedule of being
the General Councilor for Asia- Australia-Ocea-
na.
C. Titus Brandsma JPIC Essay Competi-
tion 2009-2010: This competition was aimed
at helping the young Carmelites to reect seri-ously on JPIC topics such as globalization, climate
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T he Pilgrimage of Hope took
place in Rome from 19th-
25th of July. Almost 200
young people from across Europe
participated. The pilgrimage was
based in the Carmelite Conference
Centre in Sassone, but the group
travelled into Rome most days, to
visit signicant Christian sites. Over
5 days, the young people visited St.
Mary Major, St. John Lateran, San
Martino ai Monti, Castelgandolfo,
St. Paul’s Outside the Walls,
the Catacombs of Priscilla, the
Colosseum and, of course, St.
Peter’s Basilica.
The work of the pilgrimage was
structured around a letter from
the Prior General, Fr. Fernando
Millán, O.Carm., which was written
specically to the young people. Each
day had a particular theme, and thepilgrims were invited to explore the
various topics, through discussion,
art, music, poetry, and drama groups.
The aim of the pilgrimage was to
encourage the young people to
investigate the Carmelite tradition,
CITOC | PAGE 12
within the context of both their own
personal experience and the Christian
tradition; to share their reections, and
to listen to their various perspectives.
In order to facilitate the young people
in expressing their thoughts and hopes
in different ways, a “clothes-line” was
erected outside the main entrance tothe Conference centre. This proved
to be a great success, as it was soon
lled with wonderful artwork and poetry
which dealt with all the themes of the
week. On reection, the creative energy of the young people on
this pilgrimage was remarkable. In their work, many of the young
people showed a deep understanding of some essential aspects of
Carmelite spirituality. One signicant example might be this poem
written by one of the participants:
God calls us to reach out to each other,
And Jesus walks with us every step of the way.
We full this duty through obedience and self control,
While we look to the Word of God
for hope, guidance and strength.
We are united with the one God,
and our interdependence strengthens our sense of communion.
We gather to remember, to pray, and to give thanks to God.
by Br. Dave Twohig, O.Carm and Br. Thomas Feiten, O.Carm.
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CITOC | PAGE 13
And are reminded frequently as we journey
through life:
That life on earth is a time of trial.
It is through our suffering, however, that we
emerge as stronger and wiser people.
Many people suffer in silence, but silence is the
way to foster holiness –
And this in its turn strengthens our connection
with God.
Music, whether in liturgy or more informally;
outside the entrance of Sassone or on the
coaches, provided a universal language through
which people from different countries could
communicate. This creativity perhaps found
its greatest expression
during the nal liturgy
of the pilgrimage, a
Mass celebrated by
Fr. Fernando, in which
both the entrance and
recessional songs werecomposed by members
of the pilgrimage group.
There was a great
sense of fraternity among
the young pilgrims and
the Carmelites. During
the pilgrimage, we
overheard several people saying that the Prior
General was “really cool.” This fraternal affection
was highlighted during the concert in Sassone,
when Fr. Fernando was lifted in the air for
some crowd-surng! Since the pilgrimage, the
friendships, both national and international, have
continued to develop, with the aid of the internet,
Facebook and Twitter, many of the young people
are in regular contact; sharing photographs, reections,and their hope to meet again soon, perhaps in Madrid for
the World Youth Day 2011.
At the closing ceremony of the Pilgrimage, each person
was given a simple wooden cross made in a Carmelite-
managed rehabilitation centre in Zaragoza, Spain. This
cross symbolised the renewed commitment to following
Christ, but also looks toward the World Youth Day in
Madrid, and the hope that many of the members of the
Pilgrimage of Hope will reunite there.
On the nal day, there was a plenary session with
Fr. Fernando, which was in the form of questions andanswers. Many of the questions that were brought
forward outlined the difculties facing young people in
trying to live out their Christian faith in today’s society.
Fr. Fernando addressed the questions in a very open
and sincere way, acknowledging the difculties, offering
encouragement and support. In
looking to the future, each pilgrim
was encouraged to write a letter to
the Prior General, responding to
his own letter and outlining their
hopes and wishes. These letters
will be collated and presented tothe whole Carmelite Family in the
weeks ahead. Each provincial
group was also asked to make a
commitment to how they would
continue the work which had begun
at the pilgrimage. All of them said
they would like to meet up again.
Most groups thought about having a concrete project: for
example, walking together to Santiago de Compostella;
informing the different provinces about the pilgrimage;
nding new members to join the provincial groups; havingan exchange with other countries and so on.
It is difcult to convey the energy, the enthusiasm, and
continued on page 15
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BEING AND DOING
At this time I want to share with my brothers in
faith and Carmel, something that my mother taught
me from childhood which is that God has something
set aside for us, and in my life I have to discover it.
Several years have passed and these words have
stuck with me, and each time I witness that God has
many things in store for his children and thanks to
Carmel I can discover them.
I want to share the wonderful experience that
touched my life in the ALACAR-COLOMBIA meeting
of 2009. It is through these words and the title this ar-
ticle “Being and Doing” that I arrive at the conclusion
that today a Christian has:
To Be = Mystic and Prophet = To Do
The Carmelites in accordance with their rich his-
tory, tradition and charism, show us through their 800
years of existence how we can nd criteria that tell
us whether we are really close to God, if God exists
and lives in us, and thus in our lay lives to nd a role
(propositum) to live “En Obsequio Jesucristo” – (In
allegiance to Jesus Christ).
Carmelite spirituality permits us to give a place
for God or to let God BE God in our lives, but not
like something occasional or temporary, but some-
thing that makes me act in freedom, to feel invaded
by God’s presence in my life and come to look, act,
talk, react as Christ would. Galatians 2.19 to 20: “It is
no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
A lay person must be an evangelizer, not only do
what Christ does but BE HIM. Because we all have
something to give. From the useless God brings out
usefulness. (Retreat of the Carmelite Family - Vac-are Deo. August 2009. Lima, Peru).
Being a Prophet Today
How can we be Christ?
Carmelite mysticism tells us that being a
prophet today is not only to announce and pro-
claim with words but to act in a Christ like manner.
Therefore we not only have to DO, we have to BE.
To be in the presence of God (like Elijah) is to al-
low the same God to act in my life; only then willwe be recognized as sons and daughters of God.
Prophecy is nothing else but to announce
what we receive from God: Love. And this
we give in how we each day treat others.
We will be known by love, whatever my service if I do
it out of love and charity, all works will be meaningful.
1 Cor 13:1-13.
Everything is possible when Christ is the center of
my actions in the manner of the rst Carmelites who
modeled their lives around Jesus Christ. That’s why
they were recognized as brothers, they all had a sense
of God and that is the great legacy that they left to us.
The Carmelites gifted us and presented us with their
Charism, and through this beautiful spirituality linked
to God under the example of holy Mary, we can be
partners in building the Kingdom of God.
THROUGH:
Contemplation and Prayer: How do I decode
the language of God who talks to me all the time?
Can I differentiate what is from God and what is not
ALACAR: OCARM - OCD CONGRESS Asociación Latino Americana de Carmelitas
Mr. Abraham Maximiliano Camino
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from God? Listening to the heart. Discern in the
Spirit, since everything is put there to be discovered
in contemplative prayer.
HERE AND NOW
FRATERNITY:
How do I share the language of God? Confront-
ing and discerning with my brothers, which will give
me condence that this is God’s language, what we
do together will be so that we all form this “Reign”
(Kingdom of God): Here and Now.
SERVICE AND PROPHECY:
Understanding reality through the eyes of God
leads me to proclaim the good that I receive from
God and denounce what is not of God. From the
love and mercy he has with me, and so you can
have the same feelings of Christ (Philippians 2:5)
and thus care for the poor and needy and rever-
ence in them the living God.
The laity have a great challenge and indeed a
prophetic mission, to denounce without fear in these
difcult times anything that takes away from thepresence of God while the world in which we live is
encouraging us to become what is false. There we
see the Prophecy of our father Elias, embodied in
our Carmelite lives.
The history of Carmel, was no stranger to dif-
culties in each of its periods, and this has been
demonstrated since the rst Carmelites.
As committed lay Carmelites, in the spirit that
guided our Father Elijah on Mount Carmel and out
sister, the Blessed Virgin Mary in Nazareth, by theexample of them, we can live according to God’s
will that the same spirit helps us to insert ourselves
and be a main force in this reality that we live.
Fr. Saverio Cannistrà, O.C.D, General Superior,Fr. Fernando Millán, O.Carm., Prior General,
Fr. Raúl Maraví, O.Carm., Councillor General.
Justice and Peace: continued from page 11
CITOC | PAGE 15
the good will which caused this pilgrimage to be a
great success, and a truly memorable experience
for all who participated. However, Fr. Hung Tran’s
video, which he made for the closing session of the
pilgrimage, provides a wonderful glimpse of this
spirit. The video is available on both the website
of the Order and YouTube, and is denitely worthviewing.
To conclude, the Pilgrimage of Hope was exactly
that; an experience of Hope. Drawing from the
richness of the Order’s tradition, together, we
sought new ways to express the Carmelite charism
in the world of today. Many of the young people on
the pilgrimage showed a genuine desire to know
more about Carmel, and to nd some way to live
out the Carmelite values. As such, we think it is
important for us, as Carmelites, to respond to these
young people, not only by sharing our tradition, but
by being open to new expressions and new ways
of living that tradition. This will be a big challenge
for us, but we think it is a great sign of hope that
young people want to continue their way with us in
the “Land of Carmel”. Now it is up to us to take this
challenge and to go together into future.
Pilgrimage of Hope: continued from page 13
change, just investments in relation with Carmel-
ite spirituality. The winners of the competition
are: (1) Bro. Glen Attard, O.Carm. (Mel), (2) Bro.
David Augusto Sosa, O.Carm. (Arg-Cast), (3) Bro.
Praveen Lawrence, O.Carm. (Indian Delegation),
(4) Bro. Edgar A. Cayanan, O.Carm. (Phil).
D. Interreligious Dialogue Task Force,
consisting of Albertus Herwanta, Cees Bartels
and Boby Sebastian (James) Tharakunnel, has
been working in order to respond to the recom-
mendation of the General Chapter 2007. They
attended different meetings on interreligious dia-
logue, met different experts, and had discussion
with some members of the Pontical Council for
Inter- religious Dialogue and other competent
persons in this eld.
JPIC Commission is grateful to all for the co-
operation and support for the realization of itsaction plan.
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After a process that lasted 287 years, on
25th April of this year, Fr. Angel Paoli was
nally declared “blessed.” We were used
to calling him simply “venerable,” from 21st Jan-
uary 1781, when Pope Pius VI issued the decree
of heroic virtue with which the ecclesiastical in-
vestigations conducted on Fr. Angelo’s life and
renown of holiness were concluded. From that
day long ago began the wait for the miracle thatwould bring along with it the beatication of this
Carmelite. The pictorial and sculptural works
created in various Italian Carmelite churches
hinted at the restless wait for the beatication
fostered by his confreres, a desire that remained
frustrated for so many years that one began to
think, with bitter resig-
nation, that Fr. Angelo
would simply and always
remain “venerable.” Thus
the memory of his lifeand the great works that
he accomplished began
to diminish, almost to the
point of disappearing al-
together.
Rome, which in Janu-
ary 1720, saluted him with
great triumph, declaring him a saint, had in fact
practically forgotten this humble Tuscan son born
in Argigliano in the province of Massa Carrara on
1st September 1642.
The eldest of a large family, he had parents
who were known in their area as people who
were profoundly Christian. His mother, remem-
bered as a living saint, died when Francesco (as
Fr. Angelo was called prior to becoming a Car-
melite) was an adolescent. His father, a man
dedicated to his family and whom he loved as
a holy patriarch, was a model for his children
through his courageous gestures of charity to-
wards his neighbor, to the point of getting into
debt through helping a friend in need.
Francesco, growing up in an environment
where faith united to charity breathed, entered
Carmel in the fall of 1660 together with his broth-
er Tomasso, choosing our religious family for the
Marian devotion of our Order. He was professed
in 1661 in Siena, and after his studies in Pisa,
was ordained a priest prob-
ably in the rst few days of
January 1667 in Florence. He
was sent to different houses
in the Tuscan province, tak-ing on the appointment of
master of novices, pastor at
Corniola near Empoli, organ-
ist and grammar teacher.
From the beginning of his re-
ligious life he showed that he
was sensitive to the suffer-
ing of people, doing his best
to alleviate the hunger of the many poor and the
despair of the sick, visiting them in hospitals and
offering them his humblest services. He was of-
fered the opportunity to continue his academiccareer and study for a doctorate in theology, but
he refused the offer, choosing for himself those
activities which were largely performed by the
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Fr. Franco Granata, O.Carm.
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lay brothers and maintaining that he had an-
other call to which he had to respond.
In 1687 he was called to Rome by the Prior
General, Fr. Paolo di Sant’Ignazio, who chose
from among the various provinces of the Order
brothers known for their holiness of life, with
the purpose of creating near the general curia a
community that would be an example for all ofthe other Carmelite communities at that time.
Fr. Angelo was named master of novices. Know-
ing the misery of the many poor who crowded
the streets of Rome and the state of abandon of
the sick recovering in San Giovanni hospital, he
started an organization of volunteers belonging
to different social classes, committing them to
collaborate with him. In this way, he was able
to feed more than three hundred people a day,
to nurse the poor sick and abandoned people
and to help prisoners materially and spiritually.
Particularly devoted to the passion of Christ,
Fr. Angelo provided for the recovery of the Col-
osseum, which at that time was left in a state
of abandon and became a place for prostitution
and a refuge for vagabonds, and since it was
considered that in that arena many martyrs had
shed their blood for the faith, he wanted to re-
store it to the Christian devotion, fencing it off
and erecting a cross on the site.
To prevent the necessity to beg by so manyconvalescents, who were discharged from the
hospital while still weak and unable to return
quickly to their occupations, and therefore un-
able to provide for them-
selves and their
families, Fr.
Angelo in-
s t i t u t e d
a conva-
l e s c e n t
h o m e ,a sort
of mod-
ern fam-
ily home,
w h e r e
those who
were dis-
charged
f r o m
hospi ta l
could still
be caredfor until
they com-
p l e t e l y
regained their strength.
Consumed by charity and a life lived in con-
templation of God in prayer and in the service
of his brothers, especially the poorer and un-
derprivileged, Fr. Angelo died in Rome on 20th
January 1720. Twice he was asked to become acardinal, but he always refused in order to con-
tinue to serve the poor and the sick. So great
was the admiration and the awareness that the
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pope had for the heart of this simple friar, to
whom he would often turn for advice in the
more delicate moments in the gover-
nance of the Church, that he or-
dered that the tomb of this re-
ligious be inscribed with the
title “Father of the poor.”
The initiatives forthe beatication of
Fr. Angelo begin
in October 2009,
when the tomb
was reopened for
the canonical rec-
ognition of his re-
mains, which were
then submitted for
conservation. It
will be because thattitle of “Father of
the poor” naturally summarized the essence of
the life of Fr. Angelo, that in the course of the inves-
tigations it was found etched not only on the grave-
stone visible to all for many centuries, but also on
the lead cofn and on a metal plate placed beneath
the feet of our humble and great confrere.
A meticulous awareness campaign was car-
ried out in Rome, the city where Fr. Angelo lived
his adulthood and the crowning achievement of his
route of evangelical delity and where it was de-cided to celebrate the beatication, although at the
start, it seemed that the celebrations would have
had to have taken place in the diocese where our
confrere was born. Material was sent to every par-
ish in Rome, and the Cardinal Vicar wrote a letter
with which he illustrated through a brief account the
life and holiness of Fr. Angelo, exhorting the parish
priests to make known the gure of Fr. Angelo and
inviting faithful Romans to participate in the event
of the beatication.
The religious of the Italian Province convened in
Sassone for days of formation, and since it was the
Year of the Priest, through meetings and conferenc-
es, they had a way of getting to know Fr. Angelo as
a witness to the priesthood lived according to Car-
melite principles. Particularly touching was the vigil
celebrated in the internal chapel of the convent of
St. Martino ai Monti, which saw brothers from many
Italian communities, from the General Curia to the
College of Sant’Alberto, coming together, and dur-
ing which the wooden urn that contained the relics
of Fr. Angelo was blessed.
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FORMATION
Looking at formation within the Order today
the picture is indeed a positive one. This is
not to say that there are not problems. In
the older provinces in Europe, the United States and
Australia, the numbers of those joining the Order are
small, but across the continents of Asia, Africa and
South America we see an expansion that is bringing
with it new life and many vocations. Following the
General Chapter of 2007, the General Council set up
a new international formation commission. The mem-
bers are John Keating, Councillor General, Mario Alfarano, Secretary, Quinn Conners (PCM), Günter
Benker (GerS), Desiderio García Martínez (Arag),
Giampiero Molinari (Ita), Dionysius Kosasih (Indo),
Romauldo Borges de Macedo (GerS-Par) and Vitalis
Benza (Hib-Zimb).
The commission is the guiding force behind the vi-
sion and direction of the formation policy within the
Order today. It has attempted to prioritize the issues
relating to formation for the years ahead. These they
have identied as Carmelite community lifestyle, vo-
cational promotion, the training of formation person-
nel and intercultural formation within an international
Order. Initially, the commission examined the recom-
mendations regarding formation that came from the
General Chapter. The rst task of the commission
was to prepare a series of formation courses for the
six-year term of this Coun-
cil. A special meeting of the
commission took place in
2008 to examine the course
methodology to be used
during these courses. Withthe help of the Prior General
and Professor Donna Or -
suto (Gregorian University,
Rome) a mystagogical approach was adopted “as a
means of deepening the transformative experience”
of the participants. A course for students in initial for-
mation then took place in the Holy Land, applying this
theory, in July and August of 2009. There were just
over 40 participants who spent one week on Mount
Carmel and a second week in Jerusalem. Members
of the formation commission gave presentations on
key Carmelite topics and the guide for the visit to key
locations was Fr. Alexander Vella, O.Carm. (Mel).
An International Course for Carmelite Formatorsfrom around the world took in Camoçim de São Félix,
Brazil from 1st to 15th August 2010. The two-week
course provided an opportunity for the 69 participants
to engage in a common reection on the Ratio Insti-
tutionis Vitae Carmelitanae (RIVC). There were four
main areas of discussion: the roles of formator and
formandi; the interior spiritual journey; human devel-
opment and the vows; internationality, inculturation
and fraternity. Principal speakers were: Frs. Desiderio
García Martinez (Arag), Michael Plattig (GerS), Quinn
Conners (PCM) and Carlos Mesters (Flum). A paperfrom Charlò Camilleri (Mel) was read for the partici-
pants. There were also a number of special topics
addressed by Frs. John Keating (Curia), Francisco
de Sales Alencar (Pern), Albertus Herwanta (Curia),
Giampiero Molinari (Ita) and Raúl Maraví (Curia).
In line with the Order’s Constitu-
tions (no. 129) the commission be-
gan a consultation process within the
Order regarding the updating of the
RIVC by sending a questionnaire to
all provincial, commissaries, generaldelegates and their formation person-
nel in October in 2008. Both the com-
mission members and a small sub-
CITOC | PAGE 19
Fr. John Keating, O.Carm. c o u r s e f o r s t u d e n t s i n i n i t i a l f o r m a t i o n i n t h e H o l y L a n d
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committee then drafted some new articles
for inclusion in the new edition of the RIVC.
There was a common feeling expressed in
the responses to the questionnaire that only
small changes should be made to the exist-
ing text. Formators in Camoçim has the op-
portunity to look at the changes and make
suggestions.
Two further courses for on-going forma-
tion will take place in 2011 and 2012. The
rst in 2011 will take place in Spain in August
“In the footsteps and John and Teresa” and
a further course will take place in the Holy
Land in 2012.
The crucial issues facing formation in the
Order today relate to: the training of forma-
tion personnel; the role of the formation com-
munity in the formation process in line with
the RIVC (37 & 55); that all in formation learnat least one of the ofcial languages of the
Order; the emerging importance of the pre-
novitiate as solid preparation for the novitiate
and the religious life; the promotion of higher
studies relating to our history, spirituality and
charism; and nally the international aspect
of formation within a world-wide, multicultur-
al community.
For this reason, at the Council of Prov-
ince in 2009 a strategic plan for international
cooperation on formation was presented
by the commission to the provincials, and it
received a positive response. International
cooperation is now beginning to take place
especially with regard to novitiate formation.
T he First International Congress of Carmelite
schools was held from April 8-13, 2010 at “Teren-
ure College” in Dublin, Ireland. All of it, from the
beginning to the end, was a great moment and wonder-
ful opportunity to share our educational and personal
experiences with all those present.
There were religious and lay people from ve conti-
nents gathered to discuss education, specically catholiceducation with a Carmelite stamp. This congress made
us see how in spite of the geographical diversity, the
core values of our Order are present in all our educa-
tional centers. These values we try and live out in each
concrete reality within the culture and time that each
one of us is living in our place of origin.
Also, we could live the internationality of the Order,
which I think was a great discovery for the laity that
accompanied us and for the many religious who partici-
pated, especially the young people.
The four lectures that were presented helped us to
rethink the reality of our schools and can be a good ref-erence in Carmelite formation for our houses if we are
able to share it and work with it.
The round table discussions were moments to share
Fr. Goyo Señor Benedí, O.Carm.
InternationalCongressof
CarmeliteSchools
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our education and pastoral experience and
helped us to see how the geographic, cul-
tural and economic situations of the differ-
ent participants do not make our local edu-
cational projects very different. In fact, the
opposite is true.
We observed values, so important to us,
including: prayer, commitment to the poor
in all places, devotion and fondness andworship of Our Lady of Mount Carmel are
present in the daily life of all our schools.
An important and well-liked part of the
Congress was working in small groups where
we could get down to discussing the spe-
cic reality of each school, where we could
share concrete and daily experiences of our
educational work, of our social commitment
and solidarity as Carmelite schools and how
we collaborate with the local church in each
place. In these small groups we also found
concrete ways of applying the human and
religious values (especially those arising
from the charism of the Order) to both the
students and faculty of our schools and with
the families that entrust the education of
their children to us.
The setting was very nice and unbeat-
able: we could participate in the celebration of the 150th
anniversary of Terenure College. Without a doubt, the
best part in regards to logistics was the support that
was given at all times by the local religious community
and the teachers and students of the school who werealways conscious of the needs, suggestions or requests
of the participants.
Another special moment was the celebration of the
Eucharist that was held in the school gym with the
school community and presided by our Father General.
It was a celebration that impressed many of us, not
only because the student body and teachers were par-
ticipating in different parts of the liturgy, but also by the
silent atmosphere that was present in the gym. The
surprise was greater for those of us who live in places
where the celebratory and sacramental practices are
cooler than in our school in Dublin.Another important aspect of this rst congress,
especially for the religious men and women who par-
ticipated in it, was the ability to check the support
and involvement of the lay people who work in our
schools. Their support and commitment to educa-
tion assists the Order in the different educational
projects that we have in many parts of the world.
The vitality and existence of our schools would be
endangered without this support and commitment
to the continuation of our schools in those countries
where there is a decline in the number of religious.
Both in the breaks and in the times of sharing
the participants commented on the great oppor-
tunity that the congress provided to know
each other personally, to know the dif-
CITOC | PAGE 21
ferent educational projects of
the Order that are happen-
ing and the opportunity that
is before us with respect to
enrichment that can bring
to our students and teachers
the reality of the exchanges
or visit that can be realized
between schools and families
of the Carmelite Family.
Personally, I hope and
wish that this great educa-
tional opportunity will not
remain wishful thinking of a
moment of euphoria, but that
we are truly able to open up
personally and make avail-
able our facilities for this pos-
sibility that many are realiz-
ing in centers that have been
discovered and are not Car-melite Schools.
Perhaps this experience
between us was more en-
riched, more easily and, in
one way, better able to cre-
ate the reality of our Carmel-
ite family.
Thanks to our Father General for his effort
and participation in this Congress as a partici-
pant and for his translation work which is es-
pecially important for those who do not handle
English well.What stands out nally is the necessity to
continue this Congress, perhaps on a regional
or national level so that it is not just a pass-
ing event. Its continuance would provide an
opportunity for a greater number of members
of our school communities to participate and
this would produce a greater enrichment of our
schools.
May Our Lady of Mount Carmel help us reap
the fruits of what has undoubtedly been the re-
sult of much hard work and dedication of our Fa-ther General and the International Commission
for the organization and development
of the First International Conference
of Carmelite Schools.
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1. Members of the International Commis-
sionPP. Antonio Silvio da Costa Junior (Flum.),
Wilfrid McGreal (Brit.), Ronald Oakham (PCM),
Matteo Palumbo (Ita.), Francisco Daza Valverde
(Baet.), Christopher Exala (Phil.), 1 Cleophas
Kakule (Ita. RDC), Désiré Unen Alimange.
2. Activities
The General Chapter of 2007 had as its
theme: In obsequio Iesu Christi. Praying and
prophetic communities in a world of change.
The General Council erected at the same Chap-
ter gathered various opinions and ideas, cre-
ating general commissions amongst which is
the Commission for Evangelization. Because
of this, the global plan for the sexennial 2007-
2013 is to expound on the ideas discussed re-
garding the rubrics of evangelization.
From 19th to 23rd January 2009, the Gener-
al Commission for Evangelization held its rst
meeting at the Carmelite General Curia.
Extending a welcome to the members of the
commission, Fr. Christian Körner, O.Carm. com-mented on Ratio 41 which speaks on Brothers
in mission. We can all be servants like Jesus,
the Evangelizer serving the poor as proclaimed
in Luke (4:16-21).
The Chapter insisted very much on the fact
of maintaining our Carmelite identity, commu-
nicating our charism in delity to the spiritual
patrimony of the Order, for the benet of the
whole Church.
Therefore, the theme for our rst meeting
was the theme: how we communicate the Car-melite charism in the diverse geographical ar-
1 He died in a trafc accident on 6th June2010 in the Philippines. Let us please rememberhim in our prayers.
eas in which Carmel is found.
The Commission carried out their work in seven ses-
sions, both at home and outside, i.e., Radio Vaticana,
and one table meeting. Each of the members prepared
ad hoc documents for presentation and sharing: Latin
America and East Timor (Antonio Silvio da Costa Junior),
North America and Central America (Ronald Oakham),
Europe – Italy (Matteo Palumbo), Europe – Spain –
Africa – Burkina Faso (Francisco Daza Valverde), Asia
(Christopher Exala), Africa + Society of the Little Flower
and Evangelization (Désiré Unen Alimange).
The following points emerged: the formation,shrines, centres of spirituality, parishes, pastoral work
of health and Carmelite medical centres, peace and jus-
tice, the ecumenical movement, dialogue with Islam
and the other great religions, pastoral work with prison-
ers (chaplaincy), education (Carmelite schools).
The members of the commission looked at the fol-
lowing documents: “Doctrinal note on certain aspects of
Evangelization” from the Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith (Rome 3rd December 2007), “Purchased
People, Pastoral Instruction of the Right Reverend Don-
ald Raymond Lamont, O. Carm., Bishop of Umtali” (AAS
1959).
3. Observations
a. Carmelite communities are qualied as communi-
ties of hope for the people in certain countries in mo-
ments of turmoil and social suffering, war, etc. Such
is the case in East Timor, the Democratic Republic of
Congo, etc.
In countries where the Carmelite presence is new,
the friars watch over and establish Carmel, favouring
above all structures that reect the spirituality of the
Order. Parishes are not an absolute priority. In the
end, they belong exclusively to the dioceses. Where will
the vocations to the diocesan priesthood in our sister
churches of the countries that belong to the Congrega-
“Jesus said to them: Go out to all the
world and preach the gospel to every
creature” (Mk 16:15)
Fr. Désiré Unen Alimange, O. Carm.
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First International Congressof the Carmelite Family
The last General Chapter of 2007 approved the proposal to hold an International Conference of the
Carmelite Family. The General Council has been commissioned to convene representatives of the
various groups to organize this conference. The Prior General in his letter of August 23, 2010 con-
voked the rst meeting that will be held from May 23-26, 2011 at the Carmelite house in Sassone (Rome).
The Preparatory Commission has chosen for the theme of this meeting: As Living Stones Around One Font:Share the Charism of Carmel in the Church and the World Today. Representatives from the entire Carmelite
family: friars, nuns, religious, lay people as well as lay Carmelites and other lay groups, will be part of this
international conference (cf. Const EN, 28).
The main purpose of this meeting is to create a tool for collaborating and communicating between the dif-
ferent sectors of the Carmelite family in places where there is a Carmelite presence. Other objectives are to
promote fellowship among the different realities of the Carmelite family, to discuss issues of common interest
and, nally, to seek to promote the spirit and ways of cooperation in the mission of Carmel in the Church.
In practice, this rst meeting must work in organizing the Conference: statutes, the president, what to do,
meetings, how to contribute nancially, etc. The General Council hopes that in addition to experiencing the
joy of brotherhood between the different realities, these days will enable the participants to share projects,
dreams and energy to meet the challenges that the modern world throws at us as Carmelites.
After the conference, there will be a meeting of the General Council of Superiors General of the AfliatedCongregations (May 26-28, 2011) with the theme Carmelite Charism and Specic Charism, during which they
will talk about common problems and possible ways of collaborating.
We pray for the success of the two meetings. May the Mother of Carmel help us to grow as a family so that
we may better serve the Church and the men and women of our time.
tion for the Evanglization of peoples end
up? The Church would like that the reli-
gious enrich the faithful with their charism
using the appropriate structures. Some of
these organisms that are set in place can
contribute in the future to self-sufciency.
c. In reality, the Order is present in
45 countries. There are 214 parishes, 37
shrines, 33 centres of spirituality. Thanks
to the shrines, the Carmelites are able to
respond to the spiritual expectations of
the people of God, for a profound incarna-
tion of the Gospel. “The Marian shrines,
near which we develop our apostolate and
where the faithful traditionally go in large
numbers, should be held in great con-
sideration and should become more and
more centres for prayerful listening to the
Word and the liturgical life, with adequate
cultual celebrations (Eucharist and Recon-ciliation). In particular, our shrines should
become more and more centres of reec-
tion on the way of Mary and of evangeli-
zation with attention to the popular piety
toward the Mother of God, of the Church,
and of humanity. In their exemplary func-
tion, the shrines are also places of welcome, even vocational;
places of solidarity with initiatives towards those brothers and
sisters in need; places of ecumenical commitment with meet-
ings and prayer.” (Constitutions 90)
The suggestions made by the theological commission will
help the members of the Commission for Evangelization to
elaborate on the above themes. The next meetings will be
held in Rome in November 2010 and 2012.
In practice, the Commission for Evangelization must col-
laborate with all of the general commissions of the Order.
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Fr. Josef Jančář, O.Carm.
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August 1-15, 2010
Ordinarily, a 10th Anniversary may not seem like a very sig-
nicant event to celebrate, however, it has been ten years
since the second edition of the Ratio Institutionis Vitae Car-
melitanae (RIVC) was published. The RIVC has been described as
the fundamental document for formation in the Order, and as the
best document the Order has produced since Vatican II because
it heralds a break-through in the understanding and presentation
of our Charism. The International Formators’ Course, held in our
monastery at Camocin de São Félix, Brazil from August 1st -15th,
2010, marked the occasion. It was time again to revisit and engage
in a common reection on the RIVC and to deepen our commitment
to the profound work of formation.
The two week course focused on four main areas of Carmel-
ite Formation: Carmelite Identity and The Role of Formator and
Formandi; The Interior Spiritual Journey and The Role of Commu-
nity; Human Development and The Vows; Internationality, Liturgy
Inculturation and Fraternity. The presentations, given by experts
in the Order, focused on the existing RIVC
text together with new material drafted
for inclusion in a new edition. The new
material in- cludes improved
sec t i ons
on The Liturgical Life of Commu-
nity, Work on our Journey, Silence
as the Meeting Place with Others,
and an Inter-cultural Project.
The course was excellent, en-
riching and very intense. It was so
well planned by the International
Formation Commission that each
day together was seamless. It was
a meeting full of hope for the future
as many of the 60+ formators were
younger than forty - a sign of new
life and vitality in many places. The
diversity of cultures, the younger
participants and the realization
that many of our formators are no
longer from Europe highlighted the
new and emerging reality among
us that the Order has a very dif-
ferent presence in the world thanit did ten years ago when the RIVC
was rst published. This in itself
was something to celebrate!
While vocations are plenti-
ful in Africa, Asia, South America
and parts of Oceania, sadly, there
are very few vocations in Europe
and Australia. The course not only
h i g h - lighted the cross-cultural
context in which for-
mation is happeningin various parts of the
Order, it also drew our
attention to the impor-
tance and urgency of
the international di-
mension of the Order
for our future as we
continue to explore
the new and exciting
challenges that face
both formators andformandi.
Each day began
with Morning Prayer
The InternationalFormators’ Course
Br. Daryl Moresco, O.Carm
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and Eucharist. The magnicent icon of Christ
the Teacher in the newly refurbished chapel at
Camoçim, reminded us that He is the way, the
truth and the life. We paused for Midday Prayerand then celebrated Evening Prayer at the con-
clusion of the day’s work. Each meal and social
gathering was lled with lively conversation as
participants became more and more eloquent
in languages other than their own. Building
fraternal relationships, sharing our experience
of formation ministry, hearing more about the
challenges that we face, and being in solidarity
with one another, strengthened the bonds and
deepened our dialogue each day.
Our “free day” became a day of pilgrimage,visiting several places of major historical sig-
nicance to Carmel in Brazil. Every place and
every community we visited, every meal and
every encounter with our Carmelite brothers
and sisters and the people they serve was a
festive gathering. The hospitality extended to
us by our brothers of the Pernambuco Province
was extraordinarily generous. We marveled at
what awaited us at each place we visited.
Each presentation and discussion provided
new insights, fresh challenges and thought-provoking material for formators to consider as
we deepened our knowledge and experience of
implementing the RIVC. I would like to share
some brief extracts from the major talks that
continue to resonate with me in the hope that
they might encourage you to revisit the RIVC
document for further reection.
1. Internationality and our Cultural
Roots: We are not exclusively linked to our cul-
tures, however our culture is essential to each
one of us for we are concretely incarnated intoit. The challenge is that we cannot be too local-
ized in it or too scattered by this reality. How do
we achieve this balance? Prior General
2. Self-Knowledge and Carmelite Identi-
ty: A Carmelite is called to a spiritual experience
of deep attraction to and love for Jesus Christ,
an attraction that commits us to Christ in a jour-
ney of transformation. This requires an interior
freedom reached only by self-knowledge: to ac-
cept and love myself as I am because God loves
me and accepts me as I am in the secret that
leads the candidate to personal interior freedomwhich enables him to embrace the God and the
value of the Kingdom. Charlò Camilleri (Mel)
3. Formator as Sculptor: The sculptor is
one who works with the beauty that is hidden
in the stone. The formator liberates the beauty
that is hidden in the person. This is a contem-
plative task in which the formator sees with the
eyes of Christ. It recognizes that we begin the work of
formation but it is ultimately God’s work for He is at the
center. This is a mystagogical process that pervades for-
mation. Desiderio Garcia Martinez (Arag)
4. The Challenge of Silence: Our Rule gives special
emphasis to silence in our life as Carmelites. We need
to be anchored in it in order to be sustained by God “to
live in allegiance to Jesus Christ. It is not a silence that
is merely the absence of noise or sound but a silence
that is nourished by relationships, a silence that is at
the service of one another and God. It is a silence that
enables us to nd a balance, a way of putting things in
order in our living and being with one another and God.
Michael Plattig (GerS)
5. Sexuality as Gift from God: That our sexuality
is a great source of energy for every person, an energy
that moves us into relationship with another because of
our desire to connect as human beings. We recognize
that both the physiological and psychological ground-
ing needed for our capacity to love is what God desires
for each one of us, which enables us to live authentic
humanness, not in isolation but deeply connected with
others. Quinn Conners (PCM)
6. Internationality, Inculturation and Frater-
nity: These three elements come together in our Rule.Albert found a way to bring the various countries and
places that the early hermits came from into one lan-
guage, a way of life, a formula vitae. How do we do this
today? Inculturation occurs in limited time and space
but it is concrete. In the concrete situations and reali-
ties that we live, how do we help people discover God’s
presence in their lives? Like Elijah on Mount Horeb, we
need to rediscover our mission. Fraternity is an attitude
of life that permeates everything we do. Carlos Mesters
(Flum)
The Carmelite formation process is also called “AJourney of Transformation”. The RIVC invites us all of
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NCI (Nederlands CarelitaansInstitut) Boxeer
In August 2009, a well prepared reorganiza-
tion of the staff of in the Dutch Carmelite Institute
(NCI) took place. Fr. Tjeu Timmermans has been
appointed as the new director and Fr. Rudolf van
Dijk as the academic secretary. The staff holdsits monthly meetings of which a report will be
given to the NCI commission. This commission
functions as the daily board of the institute and
reports to the Provincial Council of the Dutch
Province.
The Dutch Carmelite Institute consists of
seven main sections: 1) Carmelite library, 2)
Carmelite archives, 3) Titus Brandsma archives,
4) documentations, 5) iconographic collection, 6)Carmelite scientic research and publication and
7) formation and education.
The staff of the institute decided to give high
priority to the Titus Brandsma archives. Sr. Susan
van Driel has been given the task of reorganizing
these archives, to analyse and describe their
contents and to digitise them. The Titus Brandsma
archives contain material that can be used
worldwide for publications on Bl. Titus and his
inheritance.
Recently, Fr. Harrie Reinders was appointed to
work on listing, describing, digitising and opening
up the iconographic collection. The collection
contains several thousand Carmelite illustrations,
cards, etchings, prints, pictures, slides and lms.
By reorganising the iconographic collection the
NCI will be able to full the growing need of
Carmelites icons.
Asian Forators Conference,Cikanyere, Indonesia, 25-30May 2010
The Asia-Australia-Oceania Formators
Conference was held in Cikanyere, Indonesia
from 25th to 30th May 2010. Although the
facilitator, Fr. Joseph Chalmers, O. Carm., was
unable to come due to unforeseen problems, theconference ran smoothly using procedures Fr.
Chalmers provided for use in his absence.
On 25th May, the conference was opened by Fr.
Albertus Herwanta, O.Carm., General Councillor
for Asia, Australia and Oceania, and then
continued with a discussion on the reality (world)
in which the formators live. In the session, they
discussed the descriptions and expectations of
their respective realities.
The titles of the topics discussed were:
‘Transformed in Order to Transform’, ‘Living
Carmelite News
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in Allegiance to Jesus Christ’, ‘Fraternity’,
‘Dealing with Darkness’, ‘Into the Night’, ‘Into
the Castle’, ‘The Call to Contemplation’, ‘Mary
and the Eucharist’, and ‘Carmelites in the Midst
of the People’.
On the nal day, the participants were invited
to evaluate the program together. Each of themshared their experiences and what they felt
and learned during the conference. Then the
participants were invited to study the statement
of the Asia-Australia-Oceania Formators which
will be sent to the International Conference of
Carmelite Formators to be held in Brazil this
coming August.
25th Anniversar of the Car - melite Form
The annual Carmelite Forum, with the theme
“Carmel’s Quest for the Living God,” took place
on June 16-20 at St. Mary’s College in Notre
Dame, Indiana (USA). The theme was inspired
by the popular book, Quest for the Living God, by Sr. Elizabeth Johnson. Some 250 people from
the various branches of Carmel in North America
(priests, brothers, cloistered nuns, sisters of the
various congregations, Third Order, and laity from
various groups) participated in the conference.
The three principle conferences were given
by Camilo Maccise, OCD, who dealt with the
theme from the biblical perspective; Ms. Dolores
Leckey, who approached the theme from the lay
point of view; and Fernando Millán Romeral, O.
Carm., who spoke on Titus Brandsma and Edith
Stein as examples of the quest for the living God
in dramatic and dark times. These three addresses
will be published in full in the next issue of The
Sword, the journal published by the Carmelites
of the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary
(PCM). In addition, there were workshops on
various themes in Carmelite spirituality and two
roundtable discussions with representatives of the
various participating groups.
This Carmelite conference marked the 25th
anniversary of the North American Carmelite
Forum’s annual seminars at St. Mary’s College. We
congratulate Keith Egan and those who organized
the congress for its valuable contribution to the
growth of Carmel in North America.
Recogition of the mardomof Fr. Carelo Maria MoyanoLinares and 9 companions
Another group of Carmelite martyrs from the
time of the religious persecution in Spain in 1936
will now join those of the Catalonian Province
who have already been beatied. Pope Benedict
XVI during an audience granted to His Excellency,
Archbishop Angelo Amato, SDB, Prefect of the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints on 1st
July, authorized the Congregation to promulgate,
together with a number of others, the decree of
martyrdom of the Servants of God, Carmelo Maria
Moyano Linares and 9 Companions of the Order
Carmelite. They belonged to the monasteries of
Hinojosa del Duque and Montoro, in the Betica
Province.
Fr. Carmelo Maria Moyano Linares, who had been provincial of the Betica Province, was killed
on September 23rd, 1936, and prior to him, Fr.
José Mª González Delgado was martyred on the
July 27th 1936. On 14th August 1936, Brothers
Eliseo Mª Carmargo Montes, José Luis Mª Ruíz
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Cardeñosa, Antonio Mª Martín Povea and a
postulant Pedro Velasco Narbona were killed.
At Montoro on July 22nd 1936, Fr. José María
Mateos Carbadillo, Fr. Eliseo Mª Durán Cintas,
Brother Jaime Maria Carretero Rojas and Brother
Ramón Mª Pérez Sousa were killed.
Regarding the beatication ceremony, theadvice of the Spanish Episcopal Conference and
the Congregation for the Causes of Saints will be
followed.
The judgment on two other groups of
presumed martyrs are pending and are presently
with the congregation: namely, those of Castile,
which is in the hands of the General Postulator
of the Brothers of Christian Schools, and those
of Arago-Valentina Province, who form part
of a larger group of martyrs of the Diocese of
Segorbe-Castellón. Our Postulator General is
presently completing this Positio.
Announcement of theTits Brandsma JPIC EssayCompetition 2009-2010 forCarelite Stdents
The winners of The Titus Brandsma JPIC
Essay Competition 2009-2010 for Carmelite
Students are:
First prize 1000 Euro: Bro. Glen Attard,•
O.Carm. (Mel) writing on “Contemplation and
globalization in a Carmelite Perspective”.
Second Prize 750 Euro: Bro. David•Augusto Sosa, O.Carm. (Cast-Arg) writing
on “Ensayo sobre el hombre en su relación de
comunión con Dios y la creación. Un matiz
Carmelita”.
Third prize 500 Euro: Bro. Praveen•
Lawrence, O. Carm (CSTSA) writing on
“Contemplation and globalization in the
Carmelite Perspective”.
Fourth prize 250 Euro: Bro. Edgar•
A. Cayanan, O.Carm (Phil) writing on
“Globalization and the Carmelite Lifestyle”
The prize-giving money will be sent to the
winners to be spent on any Justice, Peace, and
Integrity of Creation project in their communities.
Following a textual revision, their essays will
then be published.
The General Commission for JPIC of the
Order is deeply grateful to all participants and
to the prov
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