From the 2nd to the 20th November 2016, the Delegate General for Secular Carmel carried out a fraternal visit to the communities of Secular Carmel in Venezuela and other lay groups inspired by Carmelite spirituality, as well as to the religious communities of Discalced Carmelite friars and nuns. The present time is one of particular difficulty for the country, with lacks in in essential sectors, such as food and medicine.
In each one of the communities visited in company with Fr Daniel, OCD Delegate General in Venezuela, in the cities of San Cristóbal, Mérida, Valera, Maracaibo, Barquisimeto, Valencia, San Joaquín and Caracas there could be sensed that there is a growth in canonically erected communities with 5 canonically erected and 8 more in formation. In each one of them the members have pastoral activities or others concerning the charism.
Among the many lay groups of Carmelite inspiration there stand out the Teresian Carmelite University of Barquisimeto with its presence in the UCLA university of medicine, the youth groups (“Project of Love”) and those at the service of families (for example, “Emmaus” and “Holy Family”) as well as those involved in music, such as the “Vinyard of Carmel”. In Barquisimeto there is also a School of Christian Spirituality, which offers classes in theology and spirituality and collaborates a great deal in the Christian formation of the faithful in general and of the members of Secular Carmel.
Concerning the whole of the journey, we can see images in a video made by Fr Daniel for the web: https://youtu.be/nTwEdxGNczI
