The numerous guests, who came from near and far, were not disappointed when they arrived in the small village of Marienthal on the river Issel to attend the solemn opening of this year’s production of the annual art exhibition in the Carmelite Cloister.

After the opening ceremony, which included selection of organ music and vocal pieces, speeches, and a splendid introduction to the exhibition’s theme by Sister Margret Schrader, FC (Aspel Seminar House), the works were presented to the public.

Following the suggestion of the Carmelite friars, the twelve artists from North-Rhine/Westphalia chose a quote from Saint Augustine to be the exhibition’s theme: "If I Am Mistaken, I Exist," from his most famous work, "City of God." Building on last year’s first ever exhibition, the artists again recalled the commitment of Fr. Augustinus Winkelmann, who ministered in Marienthal from 1924 until 1954.

The exhibition included such diverse media as rock sculptures, pictures, wood carvings, mirrors, ceramics, as well as photography and gold metal work. The pieces are done in a contemporary style.

The various pieces, created for this exhibition, allow the visitors to lose themselves in thought. The viewer will find himself contemplating several different interpretations before coming to an understanding of the piece.

Art and the Church have worked together for centuries in order to assist people in approaching God. The aesthetic representation in art - with all its various possibilities - is part of the Church’s identity.

This year’s exhibition was a marvelous and successful example of this. It carried out the intention of the German bishops "to open the local churches in order to make them more reachable and vital" in a very impressive way.

by Rolf Willemsen, GerS

The Carmelite Monastery in Marienthal Website

Participation of the General Archives with an Exhibition in Rome

An exhibition on "Rione Borgo 1935-1950" the neighborhood of the Carmelite Church of Santa Maria in Traspontina was open to the public at a hall in the center of Rome from September 23 – October 31, 2003. The show focused on the streets that were destroyed in the reconstruction of the Rione Borgo and as part of the construction of the Via della Conciliazione which leads into St. Peter's Square.

Appropriately focusing on the watercolors of Giuseppe Fammilume, the exhibition took the viewers back to a time that was rich with suggestion and discovery. The illustrations of Santa Maria in Traspontina and of the former Carmelite monastery before its demolition were an important part of the exhibition. They were part of the photographic documentation offered by the General Archives of the Carmelites to the organizers of the exhibition.

In addition, the archivist, Emanuele Boaga, O. Carm., provided the organizers with a very complete documentation on the activities and the businesses in that particular Roman neighborhood. He was also able to clarify and, in some cases, discover the commercial activity on the streets of the Rione Borgo.

The choir of Nuestra Señora del Carmen Coronada was founded in 1993. It is based at the Basilica of the Carmelites in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), Spain and under the direction of Fray Antonio Pérez González, O. Carm.

Most of the performances are given within the Carmelite basilica, adding a great deal to the liturgical celebrations. However, the choir receives many requests from other churches, in Jerez as well as other cities throughout and even beyond the province.

The choir’s repertoire is not limited to religious music but includes works of Spanish and South American folklore. Some 80 members make up the choir.

Among its many performances is the Concert of St. Cecilia as well as those in Spring, at Christmas, and the novena and Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in the month of July.

The choir recently received major recognition when it was included in the book Coros de España 2003, a listing of the top choral groups in the country.