Author: ocd web master

On 16 July, at the conclusion of a Mass presided over by Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalaing, the foundation stone for a new convent of Bangui Carmel was finally laid.  We had been waiting for this moment for many years. In 2006 we had built a monastery for the friars.  At the same time, our convent had become more and more such a focal point of reference for so many people that the whole quarter around us came to be called Carmel.  Through the course of the years, demands for lodgings increased and more and more people were coming to  participate at our Sunday Mass.  In 2013 the community acquired a venue for student accommodation and an agricultural school was opened in 2020.

All of this finally forced us to reconsider our situation and to provide adequate structures to correspond with the requirements for seminarians’ formation and the requests for lodgings.  More important still, it was necessary to offer our faithful a dignified venue for prayer – our Sunday liturgical celebrations take place under a simple roof of sheet iron.  After long and patient discernment we decided on the construction of a completely new complex.  It will be made up of three sectors:  1.  A convent with twenty rooms for the community, with everything necessary for conventual life and our apostolate;   2.  Fifteen guest rooms with a dining room and a meeting hall;   3.  A large church.  At the moment, the whole quarter Carmel is involved in building the convent and we hope to be able to take up residence in it by the end of next year.

As you can easily understand, we are talking about an ambitious project, something that will be very costly and will engage us for quite a few years.  We would not have had the courage to even consider such an undertaking without the encouragement of many friends.  They were quite aware of our needs if we were to host the young seminarians, guests and particularly the faithful.  These good friends also appreciated our wishes and hopes for the projects we had in mind.  May we be permitted to thank them sincerely with all our hearts.

More information on web   www.amiciziamissionaria.it/Donazioni.aspx

 

In honour of this year dedicated to St. Joseph, the Ist Interprovincial OCD Congress was held from 9-15 October.  The theme for the Congress was “Saint Joseph: between silence and action”.  The online event, organised by the OCD Provinces of Brazil, was transmitted on the YouTube channels of the OCDS.   At least 8.000 viewers, from different countries, were able to tune in to the videos.

The Congress proved to be a great occasion for fraternity and formation  among the entire Brazilian Teresian family and a significant witness to their sharing of the Teresian charism.  All three branches (friars, nuns and seculars) of both the OCD Provinces, (St. Joseph and Our Lady of Mount Carmel) were involved in the organization, permitting all of them to participate in spreading their common love for St. Joseph.

All the participants had access to the varied formative activities for a deepening appreciation of Josephine spirituality:  a scriptural approach, Papal teachings, patronage, devotions, art etc.  Some artistic performances were also included, especially one of participants in a musical competition honouring St. Joseph.  The opening and closing Masses were celebrated by the respective Superiors of the two Provinces and a Triduum for the Feast of St. Teresa, our Mother, was also part of the agenda.

This Interprovincial Congress, honouring St. Joseph, celebrated, in a Teresian prospective, the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as Patron of the universal Church.  It is our hope that the special event may bear spiritual fruits for the good of all the people of God and the blessing of St. Joseph on the entire Carmelite family in Brazil.

 

Blessed Maria Felicia of Jesus of the Blessed Sacrament, OCD, called “Chiquitunga” (the Little One), is the first Paraguayan to be beatified.  She died on 28 April 1959 at the age of 34 and her relics were transferred to Rome three years ago for a process of embalming and preservation.  Actually two reliquaries have been prepared: one will remain in the monastery of the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Asuncion for veneration by the faithful while the other will be carried around to the more remote regions of  Paraguay. This was the wish of Chiquitunga herself.

The time had come for the return of the relics to Paraguay.  On 18 September, Paraguayan residents in Rome celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving in the parish of St. Teresa of Avila in Rome, before the relics were to leave the General House on 21 September last.  Among those present were Signores Roberto Melgarejo and Alfredo Ratti, the respective Paraguayan Ambassadors to Italy and the Holy See, as well as Frs. Migual Marquez, Superior General, and Marco Chiesa, Postulator General of our Order.

About 2,000 people were gathered at Silvio Petirossi international airport to welcome the relics back to Paraguay.   Blessed Maria Felicia’s own sister, Mirella Guggiari, was among those present.  Monsignor Adalberto Martinez, Bishop of Asuncion, presided at a special Mass at the airport itself.   At the conclusion of Mass the relics were conveyed to the Carmelite monastery on vehicles provided by the Fire Brigade. Huge crowds accompanied the cortege.  Some of the faithful followed in procession, others applauded throughout its journey while others scattered flowers around it.  A police escort maintained safety and order.  Music from the National Police and Army bands filled the air as the relics reached their destination.

His Holiness, Pope Francis, sent greetings to the people of Paraguay on the return of Chiquitunga to her homeland.  In a letter from the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope expressed his personal joy at the return of the relics and he encouraged the young people of Paraguay to imitate the life of faith, hope and love of Blessed Maria Felicia.

Diritti fotografici Paraguay: © 2021 Grupo Nación

 

Today we came to the end of our General Chapter.  As the ancients said, ”ultima brevior” which means: the last must always be the briefest.

The day was entirely dedicated to working on the Final Document of the Chapter and on the message of the General Chapter. The Commission that had the task of working on these texts presented the fruit of their work. The Chapter Assembly thanked them for this. There followed a debate on the two documents. After this and after the Commission had integrated the contributions from the Chapter members the text were voted on by the Chapter. The texts will soon be made available. We ask you to be patient and to wait for the official translation.

The friars then met to celebrate the Eucharist that concluded the Chapter, presided by our Father General, Fr. Miguel Marquez Calle.

In conclusion, we would like to thank you for your prayers and your close support throughout the General Chapter. We have felt and seen your interest for this ecclesial time that we have experienced. Perhaps the Chapter members were ninety two but with your numerous messages , with your prayerful presence, this moment was for us and for you a time of ecclesial communion “born out of love for the eternal Father, founded in the time of Christ our Redeemer, united in the Holy Spirit” (Gaudium et Spes).

 

The liturgy today was animated by our African brothers, and our missionaries of Africa. The homily was given by Father Philip Sullivan, missionary in Uganda. He asked God one morning: “are all these people who surround me going to heaven?” To this question, God responded: “That is none of your business… but then added: it is your business.” This was the daily preoccupation of St. Paul; the good of the Church. Is it also ours?  We must rediscover the passion and zeal that burned in the heart of the prophet Elijah.

This morning Father Francisco Javier Mena presented the role of the Regional Conference of Provincials. Covid-19 and all its consequences have shown us the importance of this Conference. It is a structure of communion that encourages collaboration among the Circumscriptions. These Conferences allow us to respond to common problems, such as apostolic challenges within the same geographical area. The words of Pope Francis in his apostolic letter to all consecrated men and women (21.11.2014) clarifies the goal : “No one builds the future by isolating themselves, nor with their own strength, but by recognizing in truth of a communion that always opens itself to meeting others, to dialogue, to listening, and to the reciprocal help and which protects us from the sickness of self reliance” (# 3).

This afternoon, we welcomed a collaborator of Fr. Angelo Lanfranchi, the General Archivist, Mr. Axel Alt, who presented the ‘Digicarmel’ project. It is a database created for the management of information, modern or historic. The nucleus of Digicarmel is found in the Conspectus, and in the Acta Ordinis and in various historical publications. The objective of this is to preserve and offer, in a collaborative way, information on the history of our Order, of our Communities, of our Religious and of the various expressions of our charism in the world.

At the end of the afternoon, the Commission for the revision of the Norms presented the modifications to the General Chapter. There were then put to the vote.

 

This morning we welcomed Fr. Miceal O’Neill, O.Carm, the Prior General of the Carmelites. He shared with us his experience on some challenges for Carmelite life today. The expectations of the world to us are three: the witness of our lives, formation and community life. These three are linked: witness is given by individuals who live in community. The privileged place for formation is the community. Fr. Miceal O’Neil underlined the importance of the community and its prophetic dimension for our times. The community, by its nature, is the place where the grace of God is manifested and unfolded. He went on to speak of three concepts: participation (in the sense that Vatican II asks of us), communication and discernment. Through our active participation in community life, to the life of the Church, through participating in the love of God who communicates Himself to us, through the gift/communication that we make to God and to the others, through the discernment/searching for the will of God, we enter into the depths of the mystery of salvation. It is a spirituality of communion that is put before us.

As an extension of his conference, Fr. Miceal O’Neill, presided at our Eucharist and then stayed to share lunch with us.

This afternoon we voted on the charismatic declaration. The final text will be sent to you later. We then experienced another time of grace: our non-clerical brothers came to the Chapter and shared with us the joy of their vocation as religious brothers. Here is a fragment: “Our vocation comes from the love of God who is a friend, Father, Brother, and who calls us to witness to Him and to the Kingdom through fraternity. We endeavour to respond with generosity and give ourselves totally to the gratuitous love of God, who has honoured us by calling us into his service as brothers in our religious family.” It is not a vocation of little worth, as we are fully Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.  This time spent with our brothers was a good experience of communion and of grace in our unique vocation to Carmel.

 

Today the entire General Chapter had an audience with Pope Francis. It was arranged for 11.00. The friars made their way to the Vatican either on foot or using public transport. They had to be at the Bronze door by 10.15 in order to be conducted to the Sala Clementina. When the Holy Father arrived our General, Fr. Miguel, spoke to him in his name and that of the entire Order: friars, nuns and seculars. “Holy Father, today with my confreres and my sisters we would like to dedicate our lives without delay without fear of getting hurt, as ‘knghts without pay’ (Life 15.11) according to the expression of St. Teresa, to help Jesus to carry his cross, and to help the Pope carry his cross. We want to do this with obedience and in a spirit of service without looking back, desiring to know and love Jesus ever more and to make him known and loved, according to the words of St. Therese of Lisieux.”

Nb you can find the complete text of this discourse (in spanish) on your Facebook page. www.facebook.com/CuriaGeneraliziaCS

The words of the Pope resonated fully with those of our Fr. General. “Fidelity requires a firm commitment to the gospel values and to your own charism and the renouncing of what ever impedes you from giving the best of yourself to the Lord and to others (…) Friendship with the Lord is for St. Teresa to live in communion with Him, it not only to pray but to make our lives a prayer, and to walk – as your Rule says – ‘in obsequi Iesu Christi”,  and to do this with joy. (….) Friendship with God grows in silence, in recollection, in listening to the Word of God, it is a fire which grows and is looked after day by day.

You can find the complete text  in: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2021/09/11/0553/01221.html

Uplifted by the words of our Holy Father, the friars returned to their base.

This was necessary: in the afternoon we had invited Fr. Vicenzo Mancusi, a Capuchin friar, to face up to with him the question of abuse. Fr. Mancusi has been, among other things, General Procurator of the Capuchins and has worked in the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life. He came to the Chapter with a great deal of experience. His talk included the physical, psychological and spiritual abuses of minors and vulnerable people. He presented us with the developments in canon law, he defined the terms used in the code of canon law and then he explained how to confront these matters when they arise.

It has been an intense but also a beautiful day.

 

At the beginning of the morning, Fathers Francisco Javier Mena Lima, of the Caribbean Commissariat, and Fabio Silvestri, Provincial of Venice, presented the working method adopted for the revision of our Norms: the members of the commission, the reasons for integrating or not the observations put forward by the Chapter members. After these explanations the Commission for the revision of the Norms was given more time to complete its work.

Fr. Marco Chiesa, General Postulator, presented the work of Postulation: how it functions, the promotion of the Causes of the Saints of our Order, the relics of the Saints and the relationship with the Congregation for Saints. The Postulation office also covers the liturgy proper to our Order. He explained how the our liturgical books are prepared in the various linguistic areas and these areas links with the General Postulator.

Fr. Christophe-Marie Baudouin, Definitor, from the Paris Province, reminded us that on the 16th April 2021 the executive council of UNESCO approved the candidature of Therese of the  Child Jesus for the biennial 2022/2023, in occasion of the 150th anniversary of her birth. This candidature was presented to the French State and the Basilica of Lisieux.  2023 will also be the centenary year of her beatification (29/04/1923). Fr. Christophe-Marie invited the Chapter to honour this centenary. The Chapter assembly welcomed this invitation. How this is done will be decided later.

Finally, Fr Daniel Ehigie, of the Regional Vicariate of Nigeria, presented to us the situation of the Order in Africa and its representation at the General Chapter and to the Extraordinary Definitory. He informed us of a request from our brothers in Africa to have one more representative (at the General Chapter). The Chapter will vote on this request at the end when it will vote on the various resolutions.

This afternoon the Chapter members voted, one by one, on the revised Norms.

 

Today, Fr. Fausto Lincio, the Provincial of Lombardy, presided at the Eucharist. He asked us: what word could light up our journey when we find ourselves at an impasse? …  To accept that in our lives there we have experienced injustice, but it is there that God come to us and renews our lives.

This morning, the brothers once more came together in the Chapter hall to work  again on the Charistmatic Declaration. Fr Martin MartinezDefinitor, and Fr. Gabriele Morra, the Provincial of the Central Italian Province, explained to us, one by one, the changes (corrections, insertions, clarifications) made to the said Declaration. The revised text that was presented to us is the fruit of work done by various groups, and the commission assigned to synthesize the observations from the Chapter members. After their interventions the friars were free to express their views on the news proposals for the Declaration. At about 11.00 there we were let free to reflect and dwell on the theme.

In the afternoon, Fr. Daniel Chowning, from the Washington Province, presented our Ratio Institutionis. As Potissimum Insitutionis  confirms #1: “The renewal of Religious Institutes depends principally on the formation of its members”. Fr. Daniel concentrated on some elements of the Ratio that need to be reviewed. He began by giving us a panoramic view of the context of the process for the redaction. Then he indicated three important points in which our Ratio is lacking: the absence of any referrals to the recent documents of the Church’s magisterium on consecrated life; the text is too theoretical and does not take into consideration concrete experience; the lack of references to the Teresian charism. In the end, he proposed to integrate three big elements in the future Ratio: formation of the formators; the challenge presented by social media and telecommunications; the protection of minors and the criteria of competence for this ministry (of formation). After his intervention the assembly took time to discuss the theme of formation in the Ratio.

We concluded the session about 7 pm.

 

Today the eucharist was presided by Fr. Lazaro Iparraguirre, the Provincial of Navarre (Spain). On this day of the birthday of the Blessed Virgin he invited us to upon Mary: with faith, she knew how to recognize the presence of the Lord where she found herself.

This morning we had the reports from the different working groups on the Norms. The nine groups took it in turns to express the fruit of their discussions and to propose their modifications and suggestions.

This afternoon the General Chapter elected the entire Definitory:

  1. Fr. Augusti Borrell (Spanish Province)
  2. Fr. Pius James D’Souza (Karnataka-Goa Province)
  3. Fr. Philbert Namphande (Malawi, Delegation of the Navarre Province)
  4. Fr. Robert Maria Pirastu (Austrian Province)
  5. Fr. Christianus Surinono (Delegation of Indonesia)
  6. Fr. Martin Martinez Larios (Mexican Province)
  7. Fr. Christophe Marie Baudouin (Paris Province)
  8. Fr. Jean Baptiste Pagabeleguem (West African, Delegation of the Spanish Province).

We congratulate our confreres on their election and thank them for accepting this service to the Order. We entrust them to our prayers and ask our Lady of Mount Carmel to bless them and accompany them in this new step along the way.

Tomorrow the Chapter should proceed to correct and approve of our Norms.

 

 

Our confreres from India took the lead in our prayer today. Fr. Joannnes Gorantla recalled that foundations are important in any building. Ours must be in Christ, whose whole life was one of an intimate relationship with the Father. This the source of all his work. The unity of the Apostles, of the Church, of our Order also has its foundation in Christ, who unites in Himself all our differences.

The day was dedicated to the revision of our Norms. In the Extraordinary Definitory in Goa (2019) it was decided not to change our Constitutions but to elaborate in a Declaration what is our charism. The same Definitory also decided to revise our Norms. So, after having listened to the various Circumscriptions following the rereading of our Constitutions, and keeping account of our their own experiences, the General Definitory reviewed the Norms and proposed today to the General Chapter to make some modifications/clarifications. This morning, Fr. Francisco Javier Mena presented and explained to the Chapter members, one by one, the proposed changes, with the view of discussing them and then voting on them.

In the afternoon, the friars met again in their groups to work on the revision of the Norms. Fr Miguel took the opportunity to visit each group in order to meet them personally.

 

Yesterday, Sunday 5th September, was a day with few commitments for the confreres. The morning was free to allow a certain relaxation, but also to meet up informally. The Eucharist was celebrated at midday by Mgr. Joao de Aviz, the Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.  Then we came together for lunch. We asked the chef at the Generalate to prepare a dessert fitting for the celebration of our new General. It was a feast of taste and colour. In the middle of the afternoon the chapter members met for a while to work in groups.

The eucharist today was presided by Fr. Paul de Bois, from the Semi-Province of Flanders. In his homily he recalled how Saint Teresa invited us to remain close to Christ so that the dispositions of his Heart become ours and we become in truth friends of Christ.

Today was dedicated entirely to the Charismatic Declaration. This morning in the first session we listened to reports from the various linguistic groups. This was followed by an open exchange among the friars of the Chapter. The debates looked seriously at the challenges we confront.

In the afternoon, the friars met again in their working groups. Our Father General visited each group to meet them and dialogue with them. Then, at 5.30, we met again in the Chapter meeting room for another time of exchange. Given the importance of the text we have decided to not to vote on it today.

 

Today, our brothers from the Spanish speaking group led the liturgy. In his homily Fr Carlos Alberto Ospina Arenas, Provincial of Columbia, told us that in our diversity we must be united by the Word of God. If we hold fast to the Word of God, there is no fear or narrowness, but the breath and the freedom of the Spirit. We are here for the Church founded on the love of Christ.

This morning Fr. Augsti Borrell, the Vicar General of the Order, presented the Charismatic Delcaration on the teresian-carmelite charism. This text is the fruit of a long journey for the the Order that began with the General Chapter of Avila in 2015. The first thing we did was to   read the writings of our Holy Mother, then we reread of our Constitutions, and lastly the decision was made by the Extraordinary Definitory in Goa (India) in 2019 to write a Declaration of our charism. This text will be discussed and approved at the Chapter.

In the afternoon, at 4pm., the Chapter members met in the Chapel to invoke the Holy Spirit before the election of the new General. We began by singing the Veni Creator Spiritus, then listened to a reading from the Word of God and from the Rule of St Albert, and finally we spent time in silent prayer. After this we went to the Chapter room to proceed with the election of the new Father General. The Chapter Assembly elected Fr. Miguel Marquez Calle (Miguel de Maria) as the new General of the Order.

Fr. Miguel was born on the 5th October 1965 in Plascencia (Caceres), in Spain. He made his first religious profession on 21st October 1985, and solemn profession on 21st October 1989 and was ordained priest on 23rd June 1990.

After the election we returned to the chapel to sing the Te Deum. Every one then came forward in turn to greet the new General.  We concluded by singing the Salve Regina.

We thank Fr. Miguel for accepting this office. We will accompany him and assure him of our prayers in his new mission in the service of the Order and of the Church.

 

The liturgy today was presided over by the English speaking group. Fr. Daniel Chowning ocd, in his homily, reminded us that our relationship with God is often compared by Christ to a marriage,  where one experiences the joy of intimacy with God. Such a marriage is the place where we receive the new wine of the love of God. It is in this spirit that we must welcome the present challenges presented yesterday by our Father General. And we must ask ourselves: what is the new wine that God is offering us today?

This morning we began with a votation of the members of the two commissions: one for the revision of our Norms and the other for the editing of the final document of the Chapter and the message from the General Chapter . The rest of the morning was then dedicated to the financial report from Father Paolo di Carli, the General Bursar. Our Constitutions establish the rules  regarding our General finances: ’Constitution 227: The General Bursar has the task of administering the assets of the Order under the authority of the General and the Definitory’: Norm 257: a) It is up to General Bursar to ask the Provinces for a report of their financial status and to refer it to the Definitory,  b) Every six months the General Bursar gives a report to the Definitory on the financial situation of the Order, c) On the occasion of the Extraordinary Definitory the General Bursar gives a report on the economic situation of the Order.’ Because we are speaking about an internal document, we cannot unfortunately give you  an account here. We can only say that all together the financial statements are positive, in spite of the impact of the pandemic which we have all experienced in recent times. Nonetheless, we must be attentive and discerning in the administration of our assets.

At the end of the morning Fr. General presented to the Chapter a proposal to revise the role of the Vicar General of the Order, as well as a possible change in the structure of the Definitory (number of friars, their geographical origin and a strong emphasis on the aptitudes required).

This afternoon the chapter members met in working groups based on language and then at 17.30 in the Chapter meeting room for an open discussion about the financial report and the proposal of the General.

 

Each linguistic group takes its turn to preside at the eucharist. Today It was the turn of the French group. The president was Fr. Christophe-Marie ocd, Provincial of the Paris Province. His homily offered three words for us to reflect upon: listening, conversion and communion. This synodal process should lead us to the fulfilment of Christ’s prayer: “That we all be one”.

 

Today concentrated on Fr. General’s report of the state of the Order. The morning was dedicated to the listening to this report of the state of the Order by Fr. Saverio Cannistra. In the afternoon, the chapter members met in various language groups to discuss the report. At 17.30 we came together in the Chapter room to discuss together with Fr. General.

 

His report, more than an observation, was an expression of someone who for twelve years has dedicated himself to the service of the Order. Father Saverio highlighted four changes in the Order:

 

  1. We Carmelites are becoming more apostolic and less contemplative.
  2. Community life is losing its central importance.
  3. The formation of our young friars is more orientated to priesthood and to pastoral ministry than to religious growth.
  4. The present differences between the regions and the circumscriptions are really testing the unity of the Order.

 

After these observations Fr. General presented the present challenges that the Order must face and to which it must reply concretely; not only rhetorically: interculturality, formation, communion between the three branches of the Order.

The complete report has been published on our website.

REPORT OF THE GENERAL SUPERIOR ON THE STATE OF THE ORDER