Carmelite News this week...
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena - Eigth Night
Saturday, July 19 - The Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians Rev. Noah A. Waldman, Newly Ordained, Associate Pastor, Sts. Joachim and Ann Parish in St. Charles
It was another beautiful St. Louis evening and as the sun set and Holy Mass began, a cool breeze gently comforted us all on the front lawns of the Carmel of St. Joseph here in St. Louis, Missouri. Newly ordained Priest, Fr. Noah Waldman spoke so very beautifully about Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, his beautiful understanding and love of Carmelite spirituality and about Our Lady Help of Christians.
Of particular beauty is Father's prompting to us to consider the holy life of Our Lady and her life with the young St. John after he was entrusted with the care of our Holy Mother from the dying Christ on the cross.
The "Filipino-American Friendship Choir" uplifted us with their beautiful singing throughout the evening. Thank you!
Listen to Father's Homily HERE.
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Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena - Seventh Night
Friday, July 18 - The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Hope
Rev. Edward G. Nemeth, Newly Ordained, Associate Pastor, St. Joseph Parish in Imperial
For the 7th Night of the Novena to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Father Nemeth spoke to us about the Blessed Virgin Mary as our Mother of Divine Hope. His beautiful sermon was briefly muffled by the sound of a car alarm, but please persist in listening for it only last a minute or so!
The photograph of St. Michael shows the newly reclaimed statue which guards the front lawn of the Carmelite Monastery. After a storm damaged his sword, a restoration company came to assess the damage. The found that this statue was actually painted and that underneath the layers of paint lie the most beautiful and very old marble! Through a careful restoration St. Michael now again gloriously guards the Monastery and his guilded sword brightly reflects the sun!
Listen to Father's Homily HERE.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena - Sixth Night
Thursday, July 17 - Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of PeaceRev. Michael J. Houser, Newly Ordained, Associate Pastor, Holy Trinity Parish in St. Ann
Listen to his homily here!
The Carmelites best known for their martyrdoms during of the French Revolution are the Martyrs of Compiegne, who were guillotined in Paris in mid-July, 1794. The memorial of the beatified Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne is today, July 17 and we celebrated their memory during the Novena tonight. Newly ordained Priest in our Archdiocese, Fr. Michael Houser was the main celebrant and he spoke beautifully about Peace and the Martyrs.
The sixteen Discalced Carmelite nuns were condemned to death by the revolutionary tribunal for their fidelity to religious life, for their "fanaticism" (especially for their admirable devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary), and for their attachment to constituted authority. These were all considered crimes against the "State" which was adamant about removing all forms of clerical thought from their secular government and rule.
The prioress of these Discalced Carmelite Nuns, Teresa of St. Augustine, offered themselves to the Lord as a holocaust "to placate the anger of God and so that divine peace, brought to earth by His beloved Son, would return to the Church and to the state."
After their Monastery and lodgings were invaded again in June, their devotional objects were shattered and their tabernacle trampled underfoot by a Revolutionary. This soldier told them that their place of worship should be transformed into a dog kennel!
The Carmelite sisters were taken to the prison to await their trial. There they composed a canticle for their martyrdom, to be sung to the familiar tune of the people at the time. The original writing still exists. It was written in pencil and given to one of their fellow prisoners, a lay woman who survived.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena - Fifth Night
Wednesday, July 16 - Our Lady of Mt. CarmelRev. John L. Suenram, OCD, Pastor of theNational Shrine of the Little Flower
Listen to his homily here!
Wednesday, July 16 - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Rev. John L. Suenram, OCD, Pastor of the National Shrine of the Little Flower
This evening's beautiful mass on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was just beautiful. Fr. Suenram spoke to us of the special motherly relationship Our Lady has for her loving Carmelite children. She has clothed us with a special garment of grace and we implore her heavenly protection. Father spoke of the special relationship Our Lady played in the life of St. Therese of Lisieux and how we all are guided by Our Lady's maternal care.
Also of significant note... this broadcast of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel repreasents our 100th Podcast!!! Deo Gratias!
Amen
Listen to Father's homily here!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena - Fourth Night
Tuesday, July 15 -The Blessed Virgin Mary Pillar of FaithRev. John L. Suenram, OCD, Pastor of theNational Shrine of the Little Flower
This evening's Holy Mass was again celebrated by Father John L. Suenram, OCD. Despite difficulties with his microphone halfway through the sermon, a fast thinking Father quickly picked up another microphone and kept on with his homily!
The choir tonight was composed of fellow Carmelites. The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Divine Heart of Jesus. Their mission is to serve the elderly at their St. Agnes Home for the elderlyhere in St. Louis. How wonderful it is to have them with us! Thank you Sisters!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena - Third Night
Monday July 14 -
Holy Mary Queen and Mother of Mercy
Rev. John L. Suenram, OCD, Pastor of theNational Shrine of the Little Flower
This evening's Holy Mass was celebrated by Father John L. Suenram, OCD who came all the way from San Antonio, Texas and the National Shrine of the Little Flower! How wonderful it was to have a Carmelite Friar come and preach to us during this Novena and his special understanding of Carmelite Spirituality filled our hearts.
The youth choir from St. Marks parish was the special choir for this evening. Apparently they have just returned from a visit at the University of Stubenville in Ohio. Their passionate singing was so uplifting!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena - Second Night
This evening our Celebrant for the Holy Mass on the Second Night of our Novena to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was Msgr. Richard Stitka who is the Pastor at Annuziata Church here in St. Louis and he also serves at the Chaplin to the Sisters here at the Carmelite Monastery. You can hear Father's beautiful homily in testimony of Vocations.
Also available here as a podcast is a recording of the recitation of the Most Holy Rosay which was prayed in Chapel before the outdoor mass. The rosary was lead by a Seminarian from Kenrick-Glennon Seminary here in St. Louis and it is followed by prayers for Benediction of the Holy Eucharist and completed with a song entitled Queen and Beauty of Mt. Carmel. This hymn is a special favorite and ritually sung here at the Novena each night.
LISTEN to Msgr's homily here!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Novena - First Night
While the skys opened and showered us early this evening, the sun came back out again and the First Night of the 60th Annual Outdoor Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel was a beautiful celebration. Please stop over to our Podcast to hear the wonderful homily of Bishop Robert Herman who spoke to us all so well about the importance of the Contemplative Life.
LISTEN to Bishop Herman's homily here!
60th Diamond Anniversary of Our Solemn Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel announced
Beginning Saturday July 12th and continuing through Sunday, July 20. Novena Celebrants include some of our newly ordained Priests from our Archdiocese! For dates and information Click Here!
Planning to attend the outdoor Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel? Sixty years ago in 1948 you could go to the Clayton Courthouse where busses awaited to take you to the Monastery. Every fifteen minutes a bus would load and then depart filled with pilgrims. During those years special arrangements were made with the Public Service Comapny to handle the ever-increasing crowds.-MORE information about the Novena here!-
Communicationes #105
01-07-2008 from the Order of Discalced Carmelites General House of the Teresian Carmel - Rome
Blessed Mary Josephine of Jesus Crucified (1894 - 1948)
ROMA (15-06-2008)
The beatification of the Venerable Mary Josephine of Jesus Crucified, a discalced carmelite nun, from the Ponti Rossi convent (Naples) took place late on Sunday, June 1, in the cathedral of St Januarius, Naples. Four cardinals, five bishops and between 150 to 200 priests took part, together with many of the faithful who packed the building. Naturally, there was plenty of festive colour and joy among the local people. The vibrant music resounded throughout the sacred building and the congregation heartily participated in the singing. The metropolitan archbishop, Cardinal Crescencio Sepe, presided at the celebration. Fr General joined the cardinals and bishops around the altar. Present at the ceremony was Francesco Natale, who when just three months old on June 30 1999 was miraculously cured through the intercession of Mother Mary Josephine.
Fr Luigi Borriello, ocd, postulator for the cause, read a short biography on this "daughter of Naples and daughter of Carmel". Cardinal Joseph Saraiva Martins, prefect of the congregation for the causes of saints, in the name of the Pope proclaimed the beatification formula. There was loud and prolonged applause when the painting of the blessed was unveiled above the main altar, the work of Fr Vincent Caiffa, a Carmelite provincial. The mother general of the carmelites of Montefalcone led the procession of the relics to the altar.Right at the end of the celebration cardinal Saraiva Martins addressed a message to the Order and to the church of Naples, with a greeting and blessing from the Pope. "There is no member of the church, recalled Thomas Merton, who does not owe something to Carmel". He also recalled the words of Paul VI to the carmelite general chapter in 1973: "You are sons of saints, look closely at the enormous spiritual inheritance that has been entrusted to you..."
Naples rightly feels that the new blessed Carmelite is one of their daughters. Blessed Mary Josephine was healed in 1923 of a serious illness while in Carmel when she touched a relic (an arm) of Saint Francis Xavier. Prioress of Carmel, she was an oracle of God for many people, above all priests, when they visited her. "Her cloistered life" commented the cardinal in his homily "was not a barrier or a wall, but rather in God's providence an occasion and an opportuntiy for others to come and to pour out their souls and to receive encouragement..." Paralysed by multiple sclerosis, she died of gangrene March 14, 1948, Passion Sunday, aged 54. In spite of the clinical cause of her death, and while her body lay exposed for veneration, she remained incorrupt for 14 days before her burial; there was no sign of decomposition. Professors from the university said the phenomenon was "inexplicable". In the same year, 1948, the ordinary process for obtaining information about her began. The apostolic process ended on June 26 1980. On January 23, 1987 whe was declared Venerable.
The day after the beatification Fr General presided at a solemn concelebration in the chapel of the convent, where the tomb of the new blessed is to be found. Her liturgical memory will henceforth be celebrated on June 26.
For books, leaflets and relics please contact: Rev. Mother Prioress of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns Santa Maria dei Monti ai Ponti Rossi, 301 80141 Naples, ITALY