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14 March 2022

FATHER GENERAL VISITS THE HOLY LAND

Our General, Fr. Miguel Marquez, paid a fraternal visit to the Carmelites in the Holy Land from 19 January until 2 February 2022. Going back to a General Chapter of 1632, there is a tradition that Fr. General is also the Prior of Mount Carmel. This tradition is also noted in no.193 of our Applicative Norms.

In his own words, Fr. Miguel went to the Holy Land as a “Pilgrim General”. He wanted to visit Israel and Palestine to meet our friars and nuns, to see and hear at first hand about their lives there. His programme included the Pastoral Visitation of our friars in the Stella Maris monastery (Haifa), plus fraternal visits to the friars of St. Joseph’s Parish in Haifa and to the four communities of Carmelite nuns in the Holy Land (Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jerusalem and Haifa). Other Carmelite Congregations and lay people associated with our spirituality and our family were not forgotten either. The General was also able to meet the Patriarch, Mons. Pierbattista Pizzaballa.

His visit concluded on 2 February, Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple and World Day for Consecrated Life.