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no. 3 july - september 2005
A former member of the General Council, Wilmar Santin, has been nominated prior of the Saint Albert’s International Center (CISA) in the city of Rome. Wilmar is Brazilian and a member of the Parana Commissariate of the Upper German Province. He had served as Provincial Commissary before his election in September 1995 as the General Councilor for Latin American and the Carribean Region. He currently serves as a member of the International Finance Commission. He replaces Mark Attard who served for the last nine years as prior of the international community. CISA is the seat of the Institutum Carmelitanum, the Order’s institute for research on the history and spirituality of the Order. It also hosts a variety of the international meetings and hosts Carmelites from around the world who come to Rome for meetings, research, or vacation. Last year CISA had nine graduate students, five members in residence of the Institutum, two Carmelites on special assignment, and three staff. There were also eight long term guests, including diocesan priests, lay men and women and one OCD graduate student. Two members of Donum Dei also reside there. Indonesian Carmelites Hold Follow-up to NGO Meeting Carmelites from Timor Leste and Indonesia gathered in Malang, Indonesia for a three day conference. This was a follow up to the earlier meeting of the Carmelite NGO in February 2005 at Lembah Karmel in Cikanyere. Those participating discussed their participation in the work of the Carmelite NGO and ways the Carmelite NGO can serve the people of Indonesia and Timor Leste. The theme for the conference was "Carmelite NGO: A Prophetic Way for Evangelization in Modern Times." Presenters at the Malang conference included Antonio Silvio da Costa, Jr., O. Carm., the secretary to the International Justice and Peace Commission, Michael Agung Kristiputra, O. Carm., who presented A Social Analysis for the Justice and Peace Movement, and Eko Aldianto, O. Carm., who presented The Justice and Peace Movement in the Indonesian Church. The USC-Satu Nama Team, from Yogyakarta, Indonesia provided a working example of an NGO using their NGO as an example. Carmelites as well as members of other Christian denominations are working with their Muslim neighbors in areas that were devastated by the December 2004 tsunami. Recently, volunteers have been working in Nias to help with evacuations and the staffing of the health clinics. The care of the children has been given priority. Carmelites continue their work of tsunami relief in the Medan area of Indonesia. New Date for the Beatification of Mother M. Crocifissa Curcio Mother M. Crocifissa Curcio, foundress of the Carmelite Missionary Sisters, will be beatified on Sunday, November 13, 2005. The ceremony will take place in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. A letter from the Vatican Secretary of State to Felip Amenos, O. Carm., General Postulator of the Order, stated that Servant of God Charles de Foucauld and Mother Pia Mastena, Foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Face, will also be beatified during the same ceremony. The letter also states that the pope will not be the celebrant. This is in keeping with the earlier announced practice that the pope would only lead canonization ceremonies. Beatifications will normally take place in the local diocese. The schedule for related events will be announced via CITOC-online (carmelites.info/citoc) and will be posted on the online General Council Calendar (carmelites.info/generalcouncil) as it becomes available. The beatification was postponed from April 2005 due to the death of Pope John Paul II.
XII Meeting of the Carmelite Family of the Iberian Peninsula June 27-30, 2005 In the evening of June 27, 2005, the brothers from the four Spanish provinces, five religious of the Commissary of Portugal, sisters from the Congregations of Orihuela and Málaga, and a group of Lay Carmelites arrived at "El Carmen" in Onda, Spain. Each found a note of welcome and a copy of the original composition by Daniel Galea of Flos Carmeli. Galea is a novice. His composition uses the exact words of Venerable Juan Sanz, a Spanish Carmelite (†1608), who lived for several years in the Onda monastery. After the evening meal, the General Councilor for the Mediterranean Region, Rafael Leiva, and David Oliver, the Prior Provincial of the Aragovalentine Province, welcomed everyone. David Oliver insisted that "everyone should feel at home and to move around the house as if it were you own community. The brothers are here to assist those brothers and sisters who have come from elsewhere …" The central theme of the meeting was "To Live in Faith and Communion with Jesus." The director of the Cursill movement, Fr. Klemens Stock, a German Jesuit, a world authority on the Bible, former rector of the Biblical Institute in Rome and author of several books on the topic he addressed with the group. Salvador Villota coordinated the work and reflections of the meeting be that in small groups or in plenary seession. The titles of the five conferences were: "The Triple Call of Peter", "The Formation of the Disciples in the Coming to Know Jesus in Faith", "The Prayer of Jesus" Union with the Father and Instructions for the Disciples", "Mary, the Servant of the Lord", "Mary, Called to be the Mother of the Lord." Listening to the participants one would understand that the meeting was very positive. Everything was well done and the expertise of the meeting’s facilitator was greatly appreciated. We were able to live very precious day of fraternity. We saw many brothers and sisters again after a long time. We also met many lay brothers and sisters who we discovered have a great love for Carmel. The beautiful liturgies and enjoyable periods of recreation help set a very positive tone to the meetings. By Rafael María López Melús, O. Carm. A more detailed report on this meeting can be found, in Spanish, in the Provincial bulletin of the Aragovalantine Province. Members of the Carmelite Family from around the Iberian Peninsula pose for a picture during their XII meeting in June, 2005 (Photo courtesy of the Argovalentine Province)
 60th
Anniversary of the Death of Alois Ehrlich, O. Carm.
A four day celebration of the 60th anniversary of the death of Br. Alois Ehrlich, a servant of God and member of the Upper German Province, took place in Bamberg, Germany in June. On the afternoon of June 19, a meditation hour on some of the texts from the life of Bro. Alois officially opened the week long celebration. On June 21, the actual anniversary date, a lecture by Johannes M. Nützel, the prior of Bamberg, explained the life of Br. Alois and its importance for us today. One June 23, a Pontifical Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated by Archbishop Ludwig Schick, of Bamberg. The homilies at each of the Sunday masses at the Carmelite church in Bamberg focused on Br. Alois. Initial Formation Course of the "Mater Unitatis" Federation The Mater Unitatis federation of enclosed nuns in Spain provided a course for initial formation from May 2-27, 2005. The course, the eleventh year such a course has been offered, took place in the Encarnation Monastery in Zaragoza. The first week Carmelite Antonio Ruiz spoke on the study of the Rule. This was followed by "Catechesis and Christian Formation" by Mrs. Lola Ros who holds a licenciate in theology. The third week of the course was given by a Jesuit priest, Pedro García on "Dynamic of Spiritual and Human Growth." The final session, on May 23-27, was on "Consecration in Sacred Scripture". This course was led by Pedro Fraile, a diocesan priest and biblical scholar. |
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