On May 13, 2003, Sr. Ana María Gomez Sánchez, a member of the Monastery of "La Madres de Dios" in Fontiveros (Avila) died. She was 94 years old and had lived in religious life for 77 years.

She was born in Alba de Tormes. She was a woman of proven virtue, blessed with a good work ethic and a truly heroic sacrifice of prayer.

Sr. Maria Mercedes de Sacro Cuore di Gesù, O. Carm., known in the world as Terza Latini, died on June 13, 2003 at the age of 85. She was a member of the Carmelite monastery in Jesi (Ancona), Italy where she made her Simple Profession on November 1, 1953.

Sr. Maria Jesús Muñiz Pajín, O. Carm., member of the Carmelite monastery of Antequera (Málaga) in Spain, died on June 16, 2003 at 79 years of age. She made her Simple Profession on May 31, 1942.

Born on April 24, 1922, Fr. Gabriel made his first profession on September 8, 1942 in the Argo-Valentine Province. He was ordained priest on June 22, 1947 and died on June 23, 2003.

Fr. Redemptus M. Valabek, member of the Saint Elias Province (NY-USA) and long time member of the international community of CISA in Rome, died on August 5, 2003 from injuries suffered in a car accident earlier in the day in the United States. 

Redemptus was born on July 3, 1934 and made his Simple Profession on September 8, 1954. He was ordained on July 25, 1960.

Redemptus taught at several universities in Rome, was a member of the Institutum Carmelitanum, a confessor at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, and author of several books and the editor of the English language magazine, CARMEL IN THE WORLD.

Sr. Maria del la Salud Cabrera García, O. Carm., member of the Carmelite monastery of Aracena (Huelva), Spain, died on August 13, 2003 at 71 years of age. She made her Simple Profession on June 16, 1957.

Fr. Devin Griffin, member of the Most Pure Heart of Mary Province, ministered as a teacher and then served as a chaplain in the U.S. Navy for many years. Following a serious stroke, Fr. Devin retired.

He was born on February 6, 1938 and made his first profession as a Carmelite on August 18, 1958 and was ordained priest on September 7, 1964. He died on August 13, 2003 at the age of 65.

Bishop Donal Lamont, died on August 14, 2003 in Dublin, Ireland. Born on July 27, 1911 in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, Bishop Lamont was professed in the Order of Carmelites in 1930 and ordained priest in Rome in 1937. He was appointed Superior of the Carmelite Mission in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1946 and was Bishop of Umtali (now Mutare) from 1957 to 1982. He attended the Second Vatican Council 1962-1965 and was a member of the Vatican Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity 1962-75.

He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978.

Bishop Lamont resided as a member of the Carmelite community at Terenure College since his retirement. He was 92.

Fr. Arnold Hutten, a member of the Dutch Province, died on August 18, 2003 at age of 84, in Malang, Indonesia where he had lived since 1950. He was born in Twello, The Netherlands, on January 8, 1919 and made his simple profession on September 15, 1941 in Boxmeer. He was ordained on July 13, 1947 in Merkelbeek.

After eleven years of working among the people on the plantations, he went to the city of Malang where he became involved with the poor. In 1965 he began a new mission in North Sumatra. In 1976 he worked as a parish priest in Jakarta until his retirement to St. Elias Monastery in Malang, a residence for the Carmelites needing care.

Fr. Oswald (Oswaldus Antonius Joseph) Olieslagers, O. Carm., died on August 22, 2003, in the monastery of Zenderen (The Netherlands). Born on April 30, 1912 in Sambeek (The Netherlands), he was 91 years old when he died.

Following his profession on September 8, 1932 in Boxmeer and his ordination on July 10, 1938, he worked as an assistant and chaplain (Aalsmeer and Deventer).

Through his involvement with pastoral work in ‘Open Door’ and ‘Una Sancta’ in Deventer and Almelo, he became fascinated with the variety of the People of God and he turned his attention to ecumenism. Making space for the encounter with God and people was a deep and intense focus of his life.

Sr. Teresa died in the evening of August 26, 2003 in Boxmeer (The Netherlands) in the K.V.H St. Anna (a home for aged religious). Sr. Teresa (Wilhelmina Gerarda Maria) Heuthorst was born June 1, 1919 in Doetinchem. She entered the monastery "Flos Carmeli" (Heerlen) in 1942 and made her profession July 16, 1944.

In December 1961, she was asked to go to the Carmel of Blackburn (Great Britain) where she fulfilled various ministries (prioress, novice master, and treasurer). She brought many gifts to the community, especially in the art of making fine chasubles and other items for the liturgy.

In 1996 she returned to the Netherlands (Boxmeer) together with the other members of the Blackburn community.

A member of the Pernambuco Province, Fr. Luciano was apparently murdered on August 27, 2003, at the Carmelite monastery where he lived. A police investigation is continuing.

Fr. Luciano was born on January 19, 1963. He made his Simple Profession on January 20, 1985 and was ordained priest on November 30, 1991.

Fr. Sean Reid, a member of the St. Elias Province (SEL), died on September 14, 2003 at the age of 93. He was born in Kilkenny, Ireland on February 17, 1910 and made his simple profession on October 4, 1927, 76 years ago. He was ordained on April 15, 1933.

Fr. Metodej (Methodius) Minarik, who spent several years in a communist prison because he refused to give up his life as a Carmelite priest, died on Friday, September 19, 2003, following a stroke the previous Wednesday.

Fr. Methodius was born on August 20, 1912. Following his novitiate in Straubing, Germany, he professed Simple Vows on December 20, 1934. He was ordained priest on June 6, 1938 in Bamberg, Germany.

By the time of the so-called "Velvet Revolution" in 1989 in the Czech Republic, which was the end of the communist government and religious oppression, Fr. Methodius had trained and professed a number of young men as Carmelites in secrecy. Following the restoration of the Carmelite monastery in Kostelni Vydri, Fr. Methodius returned to live there, in the same monastery where he had been arrested years before.

Fr. Methodius was 91 years old. He was buried in the monastery cemetery in Kostelni Vydri.

Fr. Noel Ahrens, member of the PCM Province, died on September 25, 2003 at the age of 74. He was born in Englewood, New Jersey (USA) on December 1, 1928. He made his Simple Profession on August 15, 1947 and was ordained priest on June 6, 1953.

Fr. Jan van Galen, member of the Dutch Province, died on October 8, 2003 at the age of 90. He was born in Zoeterwoude on December 31, 1912. He made his Simple Profession on September 8, 1932 and was ordained priest on July 10, 1938.

After studying sociology at Louvain, Fr. Jan taught sociology and ethics in Merkelbeek until 1952. He worked for seven years in the industrial pastoral apostolate and then, until 1967, as the leader of the Pastoral Institute. He served in the provincial government for 25 years and served 18 years as the "Regens Studiorum" of the Province.

He was a one of the founders of the Titus Brandsma Institute in Nijmegan. He also served as the editor of several periodicals: Carmel (1948-1970); Speling (1971-2000) and as member of the editorial board of Concilium.

Fr. Jaime Calvo Esteras, O. Carm., died in Ondo (Spain) on October 18, 2003 at the age of 76. Fr. Jaime was born in Madrid on August 12, 1927. He made his first profession in 1963 and was ordained a priest in 1970.

When he left the parish of Artesa (Castellón), where he had made a profound impression, the people, as a sign of their affection, named a street of the town after him. In the funeral homily, three virtues of Fr. Jaime were highlighted: the gift of brotherhood; the gift of a naturalness with the ordinary people; and the a gift for study and a theological passion to always go deeper into the Mystery of God.