June 7

Bl. Anne of St. Bartholomew, Virgin

OCD Memorial

Ana Garcia was born at Almendral, Castille, in 1549. In 1572 she made her
profession as a Carmelite in the hands of St. Teresa, at St. Joseph’s,
Avila. The saint later chose her as her companion and nurse, and she
subsequently brought the Teresian spirit to France and Belgium, where she
proved herself, like Teresa, a daughter of the Church in her great zeal for
the salvation of souls. She died at Antwerp in 1626.

Office of Readings

Second Reading

A reading from the “Meditations on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ” by
Bl. Anne of St. Bartholomew

According to St. Bernard it is the person who keeps silent and says nothing
when things go wrong who is really humble. It is very virtuous, he says, to
keep silent when people are talking about our true faults; but more perfect
when we are slighted or accused without having committed any fault or sin.

And though it is virtuous indeed to bear this in silence, it is more perfect
still to want to be despised and thought mad and good-for-nothing, and to go
on, as our Lord Jesus Christ did, wholeheartedly loving those who despise
us.

If Jesus kept silent, it was not because He hated anyone.

He was simply saying to His eternal Father what He said on the cross:

‘Lord, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ What
infinite love burned in that sacred heart of yours, Lord Jesus! Without
uttering a single word You spoke to us; without a word You worked the
mysteries You came to accomplish– teaching virtue to the ignorant and blind.

What our Lord did was no small thing. Where should we get patience and
humility and poverty and the other virtues, and how could we carry the cross
for one another, if Christ had not taught us all this first, and given
Himself as a living model of all perfection?

Blessed silence! In it You cry out and preach to the whole world by Your
example. Volumes could be written about Your silence, Lord! There is more
wisdom to be learned from it by those who love You than from books or study.

Our Lord became a spring for us, so that we should not die of thirst among
all the miseries that surround us. How truly He said in the Gospel that He
came to serve and not

to be served! What tremendous goodness! Can we fail to

be shamed by Your words and deeds, and the patience You show with us every
day? How truly, again Lord, did You

say: ‘Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart.’

Where can we obtain this patience and humbleness of heart? Is there any way
to achieve it except by taking it from Christ as He taught it to us with
those other virtues we need–faith, hope and charity? Without faith we
cannot follow that royal road of the divine mysteries. It is faith that
opens our eyes and makes us see the truth; and where faith is wanting there
is no light, and no way leading to goodness.

Prayer

Father,
Rewarder of the humble, You blessed Your servant Anne of St. Bartholomew with outstanding charity and patience.  May her prayers help us, and her example inspire us, to carry our cross and be faithful in loving You and others for Your sake.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

It is a beautiful and grace-filled Carmel we are privileged to have here in St. Louis.  Our dear cloistered nuns have a special apostolate and mission here to the Archdiocese in which they open their public chapel each day for Eucharistic Adoration.  Since their early days in St. Louis, the nuns have practiced eucharistic devotion and they have inspired countless souls to find peace with Christ in His True Eucharistic Presence.  Every day inside the chapel you will find souls quiet in prayer before our Lord; His peace emanating from a small, humble host containing the immensity of His eternal love for humanity.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis is going to be celebrating Christ’s True Presence in a special way as it has announced a Eucharistic Congress to be held here next month!  To kick off this exciting event, they have produced a special “promotional video” which highlights many of the devotional aspects of our Eucharistic life here in St. Louis.

As the event relies much on the support of prayer from our contemplative communities it is certainly a blessing that through this short film we are privileged to see a bit of the life of  one of those communities – the Carmelite nuns of St. Louis.  Viewers not only see the nun’s most beautiful public chapel, but their personal chapel too.  What an incredible inspiration our nuns are to the whole of the Church by allowing their most beautiful hidden life of prayer to be glimpsed through the eyes of the heart!  How they help us all to recognize the presence of the Lord hidden in the Eucharist and found by those who keep watch with Him day and night.

You may share this video with everyone, embed it on your own blogs and send it around the world.  You can find it in a HD version at YouTube here: http://youtu.be/PNvg6UnTtcE?hd=1

The website for the Eucharistic Congress can be found here:

archstl.org/eucharist

May 25
St. Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi, Virgin
OC: Feast
OCD: Memorial

Born in Florence in 1566, she had a religious upbringing and entered the
monastery of the Carmelite nuns there. She led a hidden life of prayer and
self-denial, praying particularly for the renewal of the Church and
encouraging the sisters in holiness. Her life was marked by many
extraordinary graces. She died in 1607.

Office of Readings

Second Reading
From “On Revelation and On Temptation of St. Mary
Magdalen de’ Pazzi”

How truly wonderful You are, O Word of God, in the Holy Spirit; You cause
Him to infuse the soul with You, that it may join itself to God, conceive
God, savor God, taste nothing but God.

The Holy Spirit enters the soul, sealed with that pre- cious seal of the
blood of the Word, the Lamb that was slain. Indeed it is this blood that
urges Him to come, although the Spirit is moved of Himself and desires to
come.

This moving Spirit in Himself is the substance of the Father and of the
Word, proceeding from the essence of the Father and the will of the Word,
coming like a fountain into the soul, which is submerged in it. And just as
two streams which rise separately mingle together so that the lesser loses
its own name and takes the name of the greater, this divine Spirit acts in
the same way when He enters the soul in order to join Himself to it. The
soul must lose its own name, which is the lesser, and relinquish it to the
Spirit; it will do this if it so turns towards the Spirit that it becomes
one with Him.

This Spirit, the dispenser of the treasures that are in the Father and
keeper of the counsels that are between the Father and the Son, pours
Himself so sweetly into the soul that He is not perceived, and His greatness
is understood by few.

Drawn by the force of His love and yet moving with supreme freedom, He moves
into all places that are suitable and disposed to receive Him. He is heard
by all in His frequent utterances and in His profound silence. By the force
of love, being both unmoved and swiftest of all in movement, He enters all
things.

You do not remain, Holy Spirit, in the unmoved Father, nor in the Word, and
yet You are always in the Father and in the Word and in Yourself, and in all
blessed spirits and creatures. All creatures need You, since the
only-begotten Word, by shedding His blood, in His burning love placed all
creatures in need of Him. You repose in creatures who dispose themselves so
that, by receiving Your gifts, they may in purity receive Your own image in
themselves. You repose in those who receive in themselves the effect of the
blood of the Word, and make themselves worthy dwelling- places for You.

Come, Holy Spirit. May the union of the Father and the will of the Son come
to us. You, Spirit of truth, are the reward of the saints, the refreshment
of souls, light in darkness, the riches of the poor, the treasury of lovers,
the satisfaction of the hungry, the consolation of the pilgrim Church; You
are He in whom all treasures are contained.

Come, You who, descending into Mary, caused the Word to take flesh: effect
in us by grace what You accomplished in her by grace and nature.

Come, You who are the nourishment of all chaste thoughts, the fountain of
all clemency, the summit of all purity.

Come, and take away from us all that hinders us from being absorbed in You.

Prayer
Father,
You love those who give themselves
completely to Your service,
and You filled St. Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi with heavenly gifts and the fire
of Your love.
As we honor her today
may we follow her example of purity and charity.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

May 22
St. Joachina de Vedruna de Mas, Religious
Optional Memorial from the Common of Holy Women

Joachina was born in Barcelona in 1783. She married Theodore de Mas in 1799
and bore him nine children before being widowed in 1816. Then in 1826 she
was prompted by God’s Spirit to found the Congregation of Carmelite Sisters
of Charity, which spread throughout Catalonia, establishing houses for the
care of the sick and the education of children, especially the poor. She
was greatly drawn to contemplating the mystery of the Holy Trinity. Her
spiritual life was marked by prayer, mortification, detachment, humility and
love. She died at Vich in 1854.

Office of Readings

Second Reading
From the Letters of St. Joachina

If only we were all on fire with love for God! If we were, we should preach
love, proclaim love, and yet more love, until we had set the whole world on
fire. We must have great desires: then God will give us whatever is best
for us.

We must be careful to free our hearts from everything that might get in the
way of the pure love of our beloved Jesus. He is love itself, and wants to
give Himself to us through love. Jesus is calling us all the time–how long
are we going to remain deaf to His voice? No, let us keep our hearts ready,
our wills completely for Jesus, our faculties and our senses for our Lord.

There must be no undue attachment in our hearts for created things: they
must burn with love alone, love ever more fervent; for love never says
‘enough,’ never rests until it is completely on fire. When our hearts are
com- pletely on fire with pure love for Jesus, everything that might hinder
love from taking complete possession will be cast out.

We must not give in to weariness: we must spend every minute in loving God.
God alone, the maker of heaven and earth, must be our rest and our
consolation. The love of God is the only thing we can possess for ever:
everything else will pass away.

Love, love, and yet more love–love that is never satisfied! The more we
love God, the more we shall long to love Him. And when we have Jesus in our
hearts, we shall have everything else in Him and with Him.
PRAYER

Lord God,
You gave St. Joachina de Vedruna to Your Chruch for the Christian education
of youth and the care of the sick.
May we follow her example,
and lovingly devote our lives
to serving You in our brother and sisters.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A letter of gratitude from Fr. Francois‐Marie Lethel ocd

To all the nuns and brothers of the Carmelite Family

And to All the friends who have supported me with their prayers

For the spiritual exercises preached to the Pope and the Roman Curia

13th – 19th March 2011

Dear Brothers and Sisters, dear Friends,

On 4th February, when my appointment was made public, I wrote a letter to you afterwards to ask for your support in prayer so that I could fulfil this task that Pope Benedict XVI confided in me. Now, I feel I should thank all

of you, because I felt lifted up by an immense spiritual current, though I felt small, so small for such a great mission, too great a mission for me. Thank you, everything went very well, much better than I could have imagined. In a short while, you can read the text of the 17 meditations that were first written in Italian and afterwards will be translated into different languages. I would just like to quote three texts from these meditations, in relation to the words spoken and written by the Pope at the end, which I shall relate to you in their entirety.

The first meditation, given during the first vespers of Sunday 13th March, before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, began with these words:

“Holy Father, Venerable Fathers, Dear Brothers, When Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone called to tell me that the Holy Father had chosen me as the preacher of the Lenten spiritual exercises this year, for the Pope and the Roman Curia, I said yes, in obedience to our Lord Jesus in the person of His Vicar, abandoning myself to the power of the Holy Spirit and to Mary’s maternal help, to fulfil this mission; a mission too big for me. It was the morning of 31st January, the feast of St. John Bosco. I then celebrated the Eucharist for this intention, and afterwards went to the sanctuary of the Virgin of Divine Love, where I remained the whole afternoon in prayer. There I was enlightened and could see very clearly the direction I should take for these exercises, which were a spiritual preparation for the beatification of John Paul II. I also saw clearly the title: The Light of Christ in the Heart of the Church, and the subtitle: John Paul II and the Theology of the Saints; the Holy women and men who would lead us in the days of the retreat.

Afterwards I had to write all these meditations, intending to work as much as possible, as did John Paul II, in front of the Blessed Sacrament, to receive and communicate his Light.”

The Pope and all the participants (about 80 people, among them Cardinals, Bishops and Priests), had a leaflet in their hands with a brief presentation of the titles of all the meditations. On the cover was the image of the ‘choirs of saints’ painted by Fray Angelico, where the Saints and the Angels are holding each other.

This was really the icon of these exercises, which drew everyone’s attention and contributed a lot in creating an atmosphere of evangelical simplicity and joy that characterised these days of grace. On the last day, the Pope himself made reference to this ‘choir of Saints’ and, afterwards, so did Cardinal Sodano in his brief address.

Before each meditation everyone was given the text on a leaflet. I spoke very freely, at the same time tried not to go over the 30 minutes allotted to me. Saint Therese of Lisieux had been favoured with four meditations. In the first, I recalled the special involvement of our Order and of our Superiors for her Doctorate.

These are the words that I spoke before the Pope and the Cardinals: “I had the joy of participating personally in the preparation for the Doctorate of Teresa of Lisieux, with my Carmelite religious family, and particularly with the Teresianum in Rome. I remember how at the end of February 1977, through the Secretary of State, John Paul II asked the then Superior General of the Discalced

Carmelites, Fr. Camilo Maccise, to prepare a Proposito [an official document that forms part of the process for the Doctorate] – in only a month and a half, exactly the same time that I had for the preparation of these exercises.

Fr. Camilo then got involved, with his typical intelligence and generosity, to animate this work as a team, which was undoubtedly our greatest service to the Magisterium of John Paul II. Mgr. Guy Gaucher, the Auxiliary Bishop of Lisieux, got out a very important paper as well as the lecturers at the Teresianum who today are in their Father’s home: Fr. Jesus Castellano and Fr. Mario Caprioli. The Proposito highlighted the eminent doctrine contained in her Writings and the extraordinary ecclesial acceptance that continues to grow in all the world.”

With these words and also at other times, I always wanted to express myself before the Pope and his Collaborators as a Teresian Carmelite, and not simply as an individual, a ‘private’ theologian. This desire produced a very positive effect, and was referred to again by the same Holy Father in his Letter of thanksgiving. It is a real reason for all of us to be full of joy!

The most beautiful day of these exercises was, without doubt, the last, the solemnity of Saint Joseph, Custodian of the Redeemer, Patron of the Universal Church, the Holy Father’s baptismal Saint, and greatly loved by our Holy Mother and her sons and daughters! The teaching of our Mother was at the heart of the last meditation on Saint Joseph. I insisted particularly on the profound ecclesial sense of her first foundation, this small house of St. Joseph’s in Avila, where Jesus is at the centre, while Mary and Joseph, watch over the doors (cf. Life 32.11). This was also true for the entire Church, and we experienced this with the Pope and the Cardinals during these days, in a spiritual atmosphere that was precisely that of the Holy Family.

At the end of the last meditation, I got to my feet, and before everyone, I said these words to the Pope:

“Holy Father, my last words are for You. Thank you! I cannot find the words to express sufficiently how to thank you for asking me to do this service, such a great mission to preach these spiritual exercises for You and the Roman Curia. It has been for me an enormous grace, undoubtedly one of the greatest in my life, together with my religious profession and my priestly ordination.

It has been for me an extraordinary experience of Light, of Jesus, Light of the World. The Light of Christ in the Heart of the Church: these were the four words that came to me with great clarity when I prayed to the Virgin of Divine Love, on 31st January, on the feast of Don Bosco, the same day that Cardinal Bertone confided in me this great mission from His Holiness. During my intense preparation for the meditations, the same words repeated themselves, each time more clearly.

At the beginning, when I said “yes”, it seemed impossible to write these 17meditations in such a short space of time. However, later, returning to the Virgin of Divine Love, I understood that ‘nothing is impossible for God,’ and decided, with the help of His grace, to write down everything before the exercises, knowing that You, Your Holiness, preferred to have the text at the beginning, and that it would be good to publish these mediations before the beatification of John Paul II.

I can tell you that I wrote under obedience and with trust, and immersed myself in an atmosphere of prayer and work such as I have never experienced before in my life. I felt so small, so very small, in the face of so great a calling, too great for me. However, I lived this lowliness with Mary, and with the help of my great Teacher, Saint Therese of Lisieux, I put myself totally in God’s Hands to write these meditations ‘to measure’, for You, Holy Father. I experienced more than ever how obedience takes us into new dimensions. It has been for me a rediscovery, something completely new, of this ‘great science of the saints’ that is an enormous treasure that belongs to the Church, and not to me. It has been for me an immense grace to pray each day with You, Your Holiness. Each day I prayed also for a long time at the tomb of John Paul II, praying his intercession for You, for all the Church, for all the world, renewing with him the ‘Totus Tuus.’ And it was he who led our spiritual exercises before his beatification. It was him, really, who has guided our ‘choir’ of saints, and who will be an exceptional mirror of the Light of the Resurrected Christ for us and for all the world.

Holy Father, on this solemnity of St. Joseph, your baptismal Saint, we have all come together here in profound communion with You. To him we confide the protection of Your Person, of Your Mission as Universal Pastor, your personal journey of Holiness, so that You continue to uphold in our world the great Truth that shines out in Love, and that is the Light of the love of Jesus!”

Immediately after these words, the Holy Father approached the altar and spoke spontaneously, without notes. It was the most beautiful moment for me. He responded briefly but clearly to everything I had tried to express with my mediations. These were his words:

“Dear Brothers, Dear Father Lethel,

At the end of our reflection, our meditation, our prayer in the company of our Saints, the friends of Pope John Paul II, I would like to say with all my heart: Thank you, Father Lethel, for Your sure guidance, for the spiritual richness that you have given us. The Saints: You have shown us they are ‘stars’ in the firmament of History and, with Your enthusiasm and Your joy, you introduced us to the choir of these Saints. You taught us that precisely the ‘lowly’ Saints are the ‘great’ Saints. You taught us that the science of faith and the science of love go together and complete each other, that true reason and great love go together, even more, that great love sees more than reason on its own.

Providence has deemed that these Exercises should conclude on the feast of Saint Joseph, my personal Patron and Patron of the Holy Church: a humble saint, a humble worker, who was considered worthy to be the guardian of the Redeemer.

Saint Matthew describes Saint Joseph with one word: ‘He was just’, ‘dikaios’, from ‘dike’, in the

vision of the Old Testament, as we encounter it for example in Psalm 1, ‘just is the man immersed in the Word of God, who lives the Word of God, and lives the Law, not as a ‘yoke’, but with ‘delight’. He lives, we can say, the Law as ‘Gospel.’ Saint Joseph was a just man, immersed in the Word of God, written, transmitted in the wisdom of his people, and for this he was prepared and called to know the Incarnate Word – the Word made man – and predestined to be the custodian, to protect this Word Incarnate; it will be his mission for ever: to be the custodian of the Holy Church and Our Lord.

We commend ourselves at this time to his protection, we ask him to help us in our humble service. We are going ahead with confidence under his protection. We thank the humble Saints, we ask them to intercede for us to the Lord that we also be humble in our service and likewise saints in the company of the Saints.

Once more, thank for Fr. Lethel for Your inspiring words. Thank you!” I was overjoyed to receive these inspired words directly from the Holy Father, words that were fully his own, that came spontaneously and straight from his heart. I experienced again in a most beautiful and personal way what I had already discovered on other occasions: the particular value of the talks he gives without notes, which come spontaneously from Him (as, for example, his homily to theologians on 1st December 2009, which I quoted in my first meditation). His words, with respect to the two forms of theology of the Saints; as a science of faith and a science of love and, the particular importance of the latter, were obviously very valuable for me. I was also struck by his stress on humility, the humility of St. Joseph whom we should all imitate, but even more his witness of great humility.

It was a very emotional time for me, especially when the Pope changed the scheduled programme. He should normally have left the chapel – and I with him – to be greeted in the hall next door.

However, here he remained and I had to approach him in front of the altar. Then he put a letter addressed to me in my hands and, through me, to the whole Carmelite Order: ‘Reverend Father FRANCOIS‐MARIE LETHEL, O.C.D. Secretary of the Pontifical Academy of Theology

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for the precious service you have given us, to me and my collaborators from the Roman Curia, preaching the Spiritual Exercises during these days,. Thank you, too, for the effort you made under these circumstances, which helped us enter into the spirit of Lent. Our Mother Church, following the Word of God, asks us: be more attentive to the voice of God.

I am particularly grateful for the itinerary that You, Reverend Father, took us on with your meditations: a spiritual journey inspired by the witness of my predecessor, the Venerable John Paul II, who with his forthcoming beatification suggested to us the theme of holiness, which you deepened through an encounter with the living images of some Saints, who are like shining stars that revolve around the Sun who is Christ, Light of the World. With this project, You adjusted very well to the catechetical programme that he [John Paul II] developed over the years during his General Audiences, with the purpose of making the Church better known and loved, as he showed by his life, his works and the teaching of the Saints: beginning with the Apostles, followed by a long list of the Fathers and other ancient writers, the theologians and the mediaeval mystics, with particular attention to a large group of women, and up to a series on the Doctors of the Church, that I am to complete.

This line of reflection and contemplation on the mystery of Christ reflected, so to speak, in the existence of his most faithful imitators, constitutes a fundamental element that John Paul II inherited and that he developed with total conviction and great joy.

I would like you to know, dear Brother, that I address my thanks also to the entire Carmelite Order of which you form part. I, and the entire Church, appreciate and share your sentiments that the Church is a communion of Saints, which this course of Exercises has made us feel more than ever. I would like to express our gratitude to the Church, animated by the Holy Spirit, and to our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. May the Virgin and Saint Joseph, Spouse and Patron of the Universal Church, whose feast we celebrate today and to whom You dedicated the meditation this morning, concede to you an abundance of their celestial gifts, and I impart to you from my heart a special Apostolic Blessing, that I extend very willingly to all your dear brothers and sisters.

The Vatican, 19th March 2011

Benedict PP XVI

I am very happy to be able to share this beautiful Letter from the Pope with all the Carmelite Order and with all the dear people, with all of you, according to his same words. Afterwards, we all left the Chapel, and in the other room all of us, Cardinals and Bishops, wished the Pope a happy feast. It was a very simple and fraternal moment. In his brief address, Cardinal Angel Sodano, Deacon of the College of Cardinals said to the Pope: ‘We, the members of the Curia, and with the weight of our advanced ages, would also like to form a choir above You, to express our joy.’ We were all caught up in the atmosphere of Therese of Lisieux’s ‘spiritual childhood!’

However, for me, it had not ended yet. The Pope invited me to eat with Him, and I was so very happy to be with him for an hour, together with his Maltese Secretary, Mgr. Alfred Xuereb, a former student at the Teresianum. It was a marvelous time. I had the audacity at the time to ask the Holy Father for a special grace,not for me, but for my brother Carmelites at the Teresianum, i.e., that he would receive us in a special audience; obviously with Our Father General and his Collaborators. The Holy Father afterwards said yes to this, and some days later, an audience was fixed for 19th May. “The Almighty has done great things for me and holy is His name” (Lk 1.49). I end with these words from the Blessed Virgin. Yes, in these days of grace, God really did do great things for the Church, for the Order, to deepen our communion with the Pope.

Tuesday 12th April 2011

REGIONAL MEETING FOR THE MIDDLE-EAST AND THE LEBANON

Communicationes
Kobayat-Lebanon (11-04-2011).- Fr. General, Saverio Cannistra, underlined the cultural and religious richness of the Middle East and asked us to work to consolidate our Carmelite presence.

In the course of the regional meeting held in the Lebanon at the beginning of April, as part of the methodology for pastoral visitations by the General, approved by the Definitory, Fr. General invited everyone to search together for the means to animate our missionary situation in this part of the world.

Those present also heard reports of the Order’s situation in places of great importance, like the Holy Land and of our present position in Cairo and Baghdad.

The Superior of our priory in Baghdad, Fr. Ghadir Attar, explained the delicate situation the Order is living through in the Iraqian capital, in the midst of a convoluted socio-political setting, of security and conflict in the country. The presence of the Carmelite friars and the pastoral mission we fulfil are intermingled with the continuous threats against our Church, explained Fr. Attar. At the same time he explained how they worry about their work with young people, who are the future of the Church in Iraq, and the challenge of making our Order known in the north of the country.

Fr. Flavio Caloi, in his turn, stressed the need for to have religious who know the Arab language and who are well prepared to work in the Delegation of Israel, to help young people deepen their faith and stimulate liturgical and pastoral life.

Among the reports presented was that of Fr. Patrizio, Superior of our house in Cairo (Egypt) who referred to the state of our mission in the country of the Nile; while the Lebanese Provincial, Fr. Raymond Abdo, offered us a vision for cooperation between Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt.

Apart from Fr.Saverio and the Definitor responsible for the area, Fr. Robert Paul, eight religious related to the Order’s presence in the Middle East were present at the meeting: Fr. Raymond Abdo, Superior of the Semi-Province of the Lebanon, accompanied by two Councilors, Frs. Michel Abboud and Michael Haddad; and Fr. Flavio Caloi, General Delegate for Israel, and Fr. Milton Moulthon, recently appointed to the Delegation; Fr. Patrizio Sciadini, Superior in Cairo; and Fr. Olivier-Marie Rousseau, Provincial of Paris, accompanied by Fr. Ghadir Attar, Superior of the priory in Bagdad.

A busy schedule

When the General arrived in the Lebanon, 3rd April, he and Fr. Robert Paul took part in the Eucharist with the Carmelite Family and later joined in a meeting with the Discalced Carmelite friars, as well as the Religious of the Congregation of the Carmelites of St. Teresa of Florence and the Carmelite nuns of St. Joseph, members of the Secular Order and different groups of young Carmelites: prayer groups and scouts.

The following day, Fr. Saverio visited the school, Al Carmalya, situated in the north of the country, near the city of Tripoli. After meeting the teachers and students and greeting the religious he went on to Tripoli, where again he met with students and teachers and shared a meal with the members of our communities in Tripoli and Becharre, in the company of the Maronite Bishop of the city.

Finally, the General and others moved to Harissa where they visited the community of Discalced Carmelite nuns.

The General also visited the recently elected Maronite Patriarch, His Beatitude Bechara Pierre el Raii; the Latin Bishop of the Lebanon, Paul Dahdah, a Discalced Carmelite, and the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Kfarmashoun.

Just before leaving Fr. General shared a formal meal with the Apostolic Nuncio, Gabreile Caccia, together with the Latin, Maronite, Chaldean and Greek Catholic Bishops of Beirut, the Italian Ambassador and about thirty male and female Superior Generals and Provincials from different Congregations, including the Religious from our Lebanese semi-province.

DURING WORLD YOUTH DAY AND THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL TERESIAN MEETING

A booking-office has been set up for groups to reserve visits and celebrate the Eucharist in those places connected with St. Teresa

Communicationes, MADRID-SPAIN (18-04-2011).-

The Organizing Committee for the First International Teresian Meeting to take place in Avila on 16th August, to coincide with the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid, has published information for those organizing a visit to the places in the city connected with St. Teresa.

According to the communication, many young people linked to Carmel will arrive in Madrid next August, because of World Youth Day, and will visit the places linked with Saint Teresa of Jesus.

Carmel-Youth has set up an email address (carmelojoven@gmail.com) so that each group will be able to reserve a day and time for their visit and for the celebration of the Eucharist. It is hoped that in this way the visits can be organized as well as possible to the Church-Birth Place of Saint Teresa of Jesus and to the convents of the Incarnation and Saint Joseph’s, as well for those who wish to celebrate the Eucharist in the said places.

The booking-office for reservations will remain open until the coming 7th May; after this date, reservations will have to be made directly at each one of the sites.

Also, Carmel-Youth informs us that ‘every Priest who wishes to celebrate or concelebrate the Eucharist in a Church during this time will have to bring with him a document (celebret) from his Ordinary, stating that he is an accredited Priest and has all the correct faculties for ministry.’ The document will only be considered valid if signed after the year 2005.

85 NUNS FROM 45 CONVENTS

Communicationes
Oklahoma-USA (07-04-2011).- A meeting of Fr. General, Saverio Cannistra and the General Definitor, John Grennan, with the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of the USA, in the city of Oklahoma concluded on 20th March.

A total of 85 nuns belonging to 45 convents, three of which were from the 1990 Constitutions, met with Fr. General of the Discalced Carmelites. The meeting was coordinated by the ‘Association of Carmelite Communities’, ‘the Association of St. Teresa’ and ‘the Association of Mary, Queen of Carmel’; three of the four Associations of Carmelite Nuns from the United States.

On 18th March, Fr. General was able to speak with the Councils of the Associations, and the following days with the Prioresses and the Delegates from the 45 convents.

The agenda included a list of questions on: the identity of the Teresian Carmel, formation, unity in diversity, the new practical problems due to the lack of vocations and the ageing of communities. Besides responding to these questions, Fr. Saverio referred in two talks to the pedagogy of prayer, the re-reading St. Teresa and the use of the Constitutions. Fr. John Grennan also gave two talks, one on identity, the other on formation.

The meeting was seen to be a success by both Fr. General and the Discalced Carmelite nuns who were grateful for the initiative, as well as for the amount of time everyone dedicated to the task, for Fr. Cannistra’s willingness to listen and the stress that was placed on the radicalness of the vocation.

“MARTHA AND MARY (ST. TERESA) GO HAND IN HAND. WOMAN IN HISTORY, THE CHURCH AND TRADITION”

Communicationes
Riga – Latvia (03-04-2011).- An International Conference of the Edith Stein Cultural Institute was held in Riga on April 2nd.

“Martha and Mary go hand in hand (St. Teresa). “Woman in History, the Church and Tradition” was the theme of this International Conference organised by the Edith Stein Institute, in collaboration with the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order and “Dzintars” (Latvian Association of Catholic Students and Academics).

Among those taking part in the Conference were:- Fr. Ulrich Dobhan OCD (German Province), Heidi Tourila Kahanpee (Finland) and Vita Viksne (Latvia), both members of OCDS, and the following Professors:- Solveiga Krumina-Konkova (University of Latvia), Mara Kiope (University of Religious Sciences, Riga) and Inese Runce (Latvian Historical Institute).