ocd web master, Autore presso DISCALCED CARMELITES

Carmelite Family of Mangaluru Region celebrated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Carmelite Friars in India, on Sunday 3rd of November 2019 here at Carmel Hill, Infant Jesus Shrine. Rt. Rev. Dr. Aloysius De Souza, the Bishop Emeritus of Mangaluru celebrated the Thanksgiving Eucharist. Fr. Archibald Gonsalves OCD preached a meaningful homily highlighting the contribution of Carmelites to the local Church. After the Mass, a Music Dance Narrative followed on the open stage. The 8 Stages that led to the arrival of Carmelites in Goa was depicted through beautiful music, dance and narratives. Fr. Alwyn Sequeira OCD wrote the narrative and composed the songs. Joel Pereira rendered the music and Cliyon D Souza prepared the audiovisuals. The students of St. Agnes CBSE School performed the dances. The contribution of Dhanraj a dance Teacher from St. Agnes School though a non-Christian and non-Konkani, was recognized and appreciated. Fr. Wilfred Rodrigues OCD who was the Convener and MC of the programme said that Sir Dhanraj choreographed the dances so well that the expressions were so well synchronized with the music. Incidentally, most of the dancers too were non-Christians. The rendition of “Havem tuka apovn hadlam” by the Carmelite Scholastics in four parts was the highlight of the program. Earlier the President, Rev. Fr. Charles Serrao OCD, the Provincial of Karnataka Goa Province recalled how the Carmelites from Goa and Verapolly and the first 3 Bishops of Mangalore took care of Canara Christians for almost 300 years and the contributions of Affiliated Congregations such as Cloistered Sisters, Apostolic Carmelite Sisters, Sisters of St. Teresa, and the Secular Carmel in forming this Diocese. He also mentioned that the Carmelites were responsible for the starting of St. Joseph’s Seminary Jeppu for the formation of the local clergy and the first English Medium School in Mangaluru. Sr. Dr. Olivia AC thanked all those contributed to the program. Many religious priests and nuns and lay faithful participated in the programme.

As reported in the Definitory’s September letter (11/09/19), within the context of the process of rereading our laws initiated after the Avila Chapter (2015) and taking into account what was approved by the Goa Extraordinary Definitory (2019), the General Definitory has prepared a first draft of the Declaration on our Charism, which largely reflects the proposals made by all the Circumscriptions of the Order during the first phase of the process: the rereading of our Constitutions.

The first step in improving this draft is the reading and study of it by groups of religious between 30 and 45 years old – coming from all the Circumscriptions and gathered by geographical areas – as already indicated in the above Letter.

The first study days took place in Latin America – specifically in Villa de Leyva, Colombia, where 25 religious from Latin America and the Caribbean met together with the General Definitors, Agustí Borrell and Javier Mena.

As those taking part commented, the meeting took place in a prayerful, fraternal and industrious environment, which was most helpful for developing the work in hand, which concluded with a good assessment of the Declaration on our Charism and a serious commitment of all present to share the fruit of this work in their circumscriptions.

Dear brothers and sisters,

It Advent time! Soon it is Christmas! Christmas is also sharing with those who cannot celebrate the birth of the Lord because they have nothing or they are very limited.

As you surely know, each year the Missionary Cooperation Office of the Order supports dozens of concrete mission projects in our missions around the world. We call upon all of you to participate directly in supporting our missions.

Your support is vital: it is the main source of funding that will enable our missionaries to pursue specific social and pastoral projects for this year 2020.

With your generosity, we are sure that thousands of lives that count on the socio-economic and pastoral projects of OCD missionaries, all over the world, will have a new hope, a new breath, a new beginning …

The generosity of each one of you is the concrete way in which the Great Gift of God reaches to those who cannot celebrate Christmas!

_______________________________________________________________________

Your contributions or donations can be sent to the following bank account:

IBAN: IT07P0569603237000009000X37

BIC / SWIFT CODE: POSOIT22XXX

BANK: Banca Popolare di Sondrio

BENEFICIARY: MISSIONI CASA GENERALIZIA PADRI CARMELITANI SCALZI

_______________________________________________________________________

You can also do this by a bank check in the name of:

• MISSIONI CASA GENERALIZIA PADRI CARMELITANI SCALZI

To all of you who carry our missionaries and their daily sorrows in your prayers, those who promote missionary needs to their families, friends and acquaintances and those who make a financial contribution to mission projects, we are very grateful . Without you we can do nothing but with you we can do everything.

The Missionary Cooperation Office

This was the theme of the V Encounter of the CICLA-central OCDS (Secular Carmelites from the central section of the Circumscription of the International Confederation of Latin American Carmelites) which took place from the 25^th to the 29^th of September in the St. Joseph of Cluny retreat house in Lima, Peru.

Some 100 Secular Carmelites from Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and one representative from Panama met. Present were the Commissary of Peru, Fr. Alfredo Amesti, OCD, as well as the Delegates for the Secular Carmelites of Ecuador, Fr. Juan Berdonces, and Colombia, Fr. Carlos Plata, and the General Delegate for Secular Carmelites, Fr. Alzinir Debastiani.

Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si, was the source of reflection in the development of themes related to the commitment of the Secular Carmelites in the care for our common home through concrete gestures, even small ones.

At the same time, themes were developed for the various OCDS Provincial Councils related to formation as the care of the community (Peru), the expansion that builds and brings life to the community (Ecuador), and the difficulties in building the community (Colombia). The introduction was followed by a time for sharing and a plenary for the conclusions and illuminations.

For all the experiences, very positive and time well spent, we thank the friars and seculars of Peru for their fraternal and cordial reception. The next assembly of the CICLA-central will take place in the year 2022 in Colombia.

The Warsaw Province has created the Carmelitanum Insitutes of Spirituality with the purpose of promoting the Discalced Carmelite spirituality.

So far, three exist, situatated in the cities of Poznan, Sopot, and Wroclaw. This past October 8th, the doors of a new branch were opened in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, in the facilities of the Discalced Carmelite convent inaugurated two years ago in the city’s center.

Fr. Wojciech Ciak, OCD, led the building of this new branch. The Institute marked the official inauguration on the Solemnity of St. Teresa of Jesus with the celebration of the Eucharist in the convent’s church followed by a conference offered by Dr. Rafal Tichy on the subject: Time for the Apocalypse. Currently, 87 students are enrolled in a three-year cycle for the specialization. The Discalced Carmelite professors and a team of invited professors give the Institute a level of quality that makes it a point of reference for the Church in Warsaw.

Fr. Javier Mena, OCD, participated in the “Santa Teresa de los Andes and the Family Spirituality” Congress that took place in the city of Guatemala this past November from the 6^th to the 10^th. Participants in the Congress, organized by the Secular Carmelites of Central America, included 147 secular Carmelites and some religious from 12 Central American countries. The Congress was offered as an homage to St. Teresa of the Andes in the centenary of her death.

When the gathering ended, the Definitor for Latin America and the Caribbean traveled to the capital of Colombia, Santa Fé de Bogota, where he joined Fr. Agusti Borrell, the OCD General Vicar, to encourage a meeting of young friars from the Circumscription. During the gathering, a draft of the Charismatic Declaration prepared by the Definitor General will be debated. This document will be presented for revision and final approval at the coming General Chapter. The Vicar General was able to make a brief visit to the brothers in Ecuador before his arrival in Colombia.

From September 14^th to 20^th of this year, the Federation “San José de Guadalupe” of Discalced Carmelites of Mexico gathered to celebrate their XVI Federal Ordinary Assembly. The Priors and Delegates of the 37 monasteries that form the Federation participated.

Accompanied by the Provincial Council of Discalced Carmelites of Mexico and with guidance inspired by the documents Vultum Dei Querere and Cor Orans, the participants reflected on themes related to the life of the Federation in the process of preparing a brief guide for canonical visits and that will help the president in the work of co-Visitator. A draft for the activities of the coming quatercentenary was also prepared.

The Council for 2019 – 2023 is comprised of:

Sister Gema de Jesús Crucificado (Ayala Flores), President

Monastery of “St. Joseph of Guadalupe,” México City

Sister Edna María de Jesús Sacramentado (Salcido Kitazawa), 1^st Counselor

Monastery of “St. Teresa,” Guadalajara

Sister Maria Eugenia de Jesús (Beltrán Ramírez), 2^nd Counselor

Monastery of “St. Joseph,” Celaya

Sister Miriam del Monte Carmelo (Viveros Sotelo), 3^rd Counselor

Monastery of “The Tranverberation of St. Teresa of Jesus,” Guadalajara

Sister Maria Guadalupe de la Eucaristía (González Camacho), 4^th Counselor

Monastery “Jesus Transubstantiated and St. Mary of Guadalupe,” Tulpetlac,

And in the new Federal office:

Sister María de Lourdes de Jesús Sacramentado (Salas Mar), Ecónoma

Monastery of “St. John of the Cross,” San Juan Ixtayopan, CDMX

May the Queen and Beauty of Carmel accompany them in their service.

Fr General, Saverio Cannistrà is visiting the United States of America at the moment, in particular the Province of Washington. This Province, which bears the name of the Sacred Heart of Mary, was born in the late forties of the last century, but sinks its deepest roots in the arrival in Wisconsin in 1906 of the Discalced Carmelite friars from Bavaria. These religious erected the Shrine of Mary Help of Christians and in 1914 added to their duties care of the parish of St. Florian, in Milwaukee West.
Fr Agustí Borrell, Vicar General, has ended his visit to the Navarre Province. In addition to dialogue with all the religious and visiting the monasteries of this circumscription, he was able to celebrate a fraternal day on October 12th with the Carmelite family of Navarre. On the 30th of October, the official conclusion of the visit took place.
For his part, Fr Javier Mena paid a visit to the sprawling delegation of Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay, which belongs to the Iberian Province, while Fr Mariano Agruda visited some monasteries of Discalced Carmelite nuns in the Philippines.

The Association of Carmelites in the Holy Land is a fraternal bond of mutual help, it has existed since the end of the 90s. Today we have become a new reality which is now called, “Federation our Lady of Mount Carmel of the Carmelite Nuns in the Middle East and North Africa “. For it has been enriched by the carmels of Egypt (Al Fayum), Morocco (Tangier) and Syria (Aleppo). We met in Cyprus from the 16th to the 21st of September. It was a rich moment of meeting, exchange and working on our Statutes, revised according to the last documents of the Church.

“By listening, we know ourselves more and more. Those who are wise are the ones who never stop discovering », said Fr. Miguel Marquez (Carmelite father, provincial of the Iberian Province) to introduce and accompany our exchanges.

Father Antoine-Marie Leduc (Discalced Carmelite, Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life) helped us to deepen our mission in the Church of the Middle East and North Africa by accompanying our work on of our statutes. “One can never oppose the law and the Holy Spirit, the charism and the institution”.

The fourth Teresian Carmelite Congress of Africa, Madagascar, and the Islands and the Indian Ocean took place from October 13 to 18, 2019. The focus was fraternal life.

On Sunday, October 13, 2019, the activities began with a Pontifical Mass presided by His Excellence Monsignor Jean Mbarga, Metropolitan Archbishop of Yaoundé, at the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, in Mvolyé.

During this Congress, Superior General Father Saverio Cannistrà and the Definitor General in charge of Africa, Madagascar and the Islands of the Indian Ocean, Father Daniel Ehigie, were present.

Our brother, Cardinal Anders Arborelius, OCD, Bishop of the Diocese of Stockholmn, Sweden, also participated actively in the program. All the Carmelite family of Africa, Madagascar, and the Islands of the Indian Ocean expressed their gratitude for his inspiring and supportive presence.

The final message of the Congress is available, in French and English, on our web page in the document section.

As we informed a few days ago, Father Saverio Cannistrá, Superior General, participated in the first elective assembly of the Association of the Most Holy Trinity, recently created in Italy.

Elected in this assembly are:

President: Sister María Clara de Cristo, of Florence

1st counselor: Sister Isabel de Jesús, of Terni

2nd counselor: Sister Annalisa de la Madre de Dios, of Genoa

3rd counselor: Sister Paula Victoria de Cristo, of Loreto

Before participating in the Teresian Congress celebrated in Yaoundé, Cameroon, the Superior General made a fraternal visit in Zambia to our missionary brothers who belong to the Province of Manjummel.

In addition, Father Agustí Borrell, who is making a canonical visit to the Province of Navarre (Spain), celebrated the Day of the Carmelite Family with the religious, the members of the OCDS, and lay associations of Carmel of that region in Vitoria this past October 12. Father Daniel Chowning, together with the Discalced Carmelite nuns of Notting Hill (London, Great Britain), also celebrated the Solemnity of Saint Teresa of Jesus.

Rome, 24 September 2019

Dear Fathers,

Today, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has handed over to the Order the approval of the new Proper Calendar, which was signed on the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

As you can see, there are some modifications respect to the Proper Calendar until now in

force. Some memories, which before were obligatory, are now optional. Others have been changed places to avoid coincidences. We can said the Congregation promotes “local memories”, all of the Blessed are celebrated in their own area.

The Order presented a draft, respecting the Calendar in use in the Order, extending some

memories. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments did not consider opportune to approve the proposals made and decided to “lighten” the Calendar.

We can always celebrate with joy and happiness all our saints, and to follow them, in order to imitate more the Lord Jesus our only good.

In communion of prayers,

Jean Joseph Bergara

Procurator General OCD

Between the 16^th and 21^st of September, the Discalced Carmelite Nuns’ Association of the Holy Land and North Africa met in Cyprus to review their statutes, according to the Holy See’s provisions in the document Cor Orans. Nuns from the monasteries of the Holy Land, Egypt, Morocco, Syria and Greece took part in the meeting. Fr Antoine Marie, ocd, of the General Curia, at the service of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, accompanied the work of the religious, together with other Discalced Carmelites who attended in the capacity of advisers or Ordinaries of the monasteries at the meeting.

Between the 19^th and the 22^nd of September 2019, nearly 80 members of the OCDS family from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, accompanied by some OCD religious, gathered together in the house of the Episcopal Conference of Argentina (The Cenacle, Pilar City) to share a few days of formation and fraternity.

The meeting focussed on the study of the Constitutions of the Secular Order, by means of conferences and group meetings. Attending the meeting was Fr General’s Delegate for the OCDS, Fr Alzinir Debastiani. During the meeting, we were also able to enjoy moments of happiness and recreation, as well as a visit to the sanctuary of the Virgin of Luján, close to Pilar City.

September the 27^th last, Father General, Saverio Cannistrà, ocd, visited the group of twenty Discalced Carmelite Nuns who were at the Teresianum beginning the training course prepared by two of the Italian federations, in which collaborated Fr Christof Betschart, ocd, professor of our faculty and the Higher Institute for Formators (ISFO), dependent on the Institute of Psychology of the Gregorian University.

This course will be developed over three years and aims to offer an itinerary in which elements of formation are integrated into the Teresian charism, Christian anthropology and psychology. Each year, the nuns will reside eight full days in the Teresianum, with theoretical classes in the mornings of a more practical cut ─with the possibility during the afternoon of sharing the content received.

After sharing dinner with the Nuns and the Teresianum community, Fr Saverio was able to listen to our Carmelite sisters’ impressions of the first session of the course. He expressed satisfaction with both the development and the contents of the course and encouraged the religious to continue to take care of their formation. He was accompanied by Fr. Rafal Willkowski, his personal secretary and secretary also for the nuns.

Subsequently, Fr General took part in the first elective meeting of the Holy Trinity Association of Discalced Carmelite Nuns, the third among the Italian Nuns and whose establishment has just been approved by the Holy See. This meeting was held at Montecompatri, near Rome.