The presence of the Teresian Carmel in Morocco, as made evident by the community of Discalced Carmelites in Tangiers, continues its work in those Islamic lands with God’s help.
It has been involved with various activities promoted by the Archdiocese, throughout 2016, punctuated by the Jubilee of Mercy. The community serves as a point of reference for all Christians travelling in Tangiers.
Several Carmelite religious friars have accompanied our sisters, the first of whom was the Fr. Provincial, Miguel Márquez, OCD, Ordinary of the community, giving courses of formation or exercises and the sisters have also been able to attend meetings organised by the Federation or those organised by the Centre of the Order. In addition to their link with the Federation of Discalced Carmelites of Andalucia, the sisters in Tangiers are deepening their relationship with their Carmelite sisters in the Holy Land. Making the most of their stay in Rome, at the request of Pope Francis, sisters María Inés Agnès, coordinator of the Association of the Holy Land and Prioress of the Carmel in Jerusalem and Maira, Prioress of the Carmel in Haifa, were able to visit the community in Tangiers at the beginning of February.
Our sisters are assiduously continuing with their study of the languages of the country, since Spanish is continuing to diminish in use among the citizens of Tangiers. Thus, they have received help from different sources to improve their knowledge of French and Arabic.
The stay of Sr. Julia in Tangiers, from the community of Pescara, has come to an end. Sister Anastasia, from the Carmel in Osiny, Poland, has also been part of the same community since 10th October. María Ana from the Campinas Carmel, Brazil, joined the community this year as well. The presence of the Teresian family in Morocco has thus been enriched thanks to the generosity of these sisters and their communities.
To conclude, we will quote the words of our sisters in Tangiers: “We give thanks for everything we have received from our benefactors, thanks to whom, we have been able to take on some restructuring work in the house, some of which was very urgent. Thanks to them, we have been able to revamp the interior of a new, little chapel, which was blessed on 22nd December by our Sr. Archbishop and named by him, the Tent of meeting.
‘Believing that a being called Love is indwelling at every moment of the day and night and who calls us to live in society with Him, trust me, this is what has made my life an anticipation of heaven’ (St. Elizabeth of the Trinity).
May this eternal meeting with Jesus, who dwells in us, help us to always be a place of communion and encounter”.
