Communicationes
Mount Carmel (2010-02-27).- “It is a grace to live in these places in which everyone was born”, emphasized Fr General, Saverio Cannistrà, in his message to the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of the Holy Land, during the visit he made to Egypt and the Holy Land from 6th to 21st of February.

In his words, Fr General stressed the need to live with “great human and spiritual maturity”, while inviting the Carmelite nuns to simplify their lives in order “to go to the essential of their own vocation.” “The existing conflict between the Arab and Jewish world is the present moment which you are called to take upon yourselves, lifting it up in prayer and transforming into an offering of love all that you are called to suffer in communion with the men and women of these peoples.”

The Discalced Carmelite Superior General also placed value on “the multicultural composition” of the communities, describing them as an example of plurality of cultures for the whole Order.
He also pointed out in his message the interest the monasteries had shown in being involved in the preparation process for the V Centenary of the Birth of Saint Teresa of Jesus, with the reading of the Book of her Life of Saint Teresa of Jesus. “We need to discover St Teresa’s fundamental options in order to discern what protects contemplative and fraternal life, as well as what can be detrimental to it and lead it astray”, said Fr Saverio.

Association of the Holy Land

The Association of Our Lady of Mt Carmel of the Holy Land is composed of the monasteries of “Pater Noster” in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Mount Carmel and Nazareth – which celebrated its first centenary of foundation this year.

Sr Ana-Françoise, Coordinator of the Association, during an interview published on their web page www.carmelholyland.org, emphasized hopeful signs for Carmel in the Holy Land. Notable among these signs was an increase of vocations in all the monasteries, where the novitiates remain open with “one of two sisters and some aspirants”. “There are also close friends of Carmel who like to come and pray with us and share our spirituality”.

Communicationes
Chile (2010-02-28).- The first meagre news has begun to trickle in about the situation in Chile, after the strong, early-morning earthquake, measuring 8.8 degrees on the Richter Scale.

The Vicar of Chile, Fr Julio González Carretti reports that, despite the intensity of the shock, there were no victims among the Carmelite friars and nuns. However many of our churches and monasteries suffered much material damage.

The greatest damage was done in Chillán, where various halls used for catechetics were demolished and the church was seriously damaged by cracks. Viña de Mar also suffered damage to the church and part of the monastery was destroyed. Likewise, the churches in Independencia, in Santiago, and the Sanctuary of Saint Teresa of los Andes suffered considerable damage.

As far as we are able to know, important structural damage was done to the monasteries of the communities of Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Puangue, Talca and San Bernardo. However all the nuns are well and were spared from injury.

This terrible news comes from our OCD Carmelites in Chile and was posted on the Cincarm yahoo news group.  It seems an estimated 80% of their buildings have been severely damaged.  The sisters in Auco (St Teresa of the Andes’ community) were well but their building’s roof and statues were broken.

We will include some photographs posted at Cincarm which attest to the tragedy.  The following two letters are presented to those who through their generosity would like to help.

Viña del Mar, March 2, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Teresian Carmelite Order,

Praised be Our Lord!

The Vicariate of the Discalced Carmelite Friars in Chile and the Federation of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns “Teresa de los Andes” send a warm and fraternal greeting to all of you from this suffering country in Latin America.

The dawn on that fateful day, the 27th of February, was a very dramatic and abrupt one. The world press has offered wide and complete coverage of this catastrophe, considered to be one of the five most disastrous earthquakes in the history of the world.

On that fatal dawn our country was the victim of a massive geological cataclysm that struck our houses and churches violently, causing enormous structural damage. It destroyed a large part of our houses in Chillán, Viña del Mar, Independencia, El Melón and Santa Teresa de Jesús de los Andes — the most important Sanctuary in Chile. At this time, it has been estimated that approximately 80% of their buildings, furniture, belongings and religious images have been damaged.

Without pretending to exaggerate or dramatize, we can say, with great sadness, that Carmel in Chile has actually been destroyed since those buildings and churches have sustained structural damage, as well as damage to the  stained glass windows, roofs, images, walls, installations , basic services, etc.

For all these reasons, we wanted you to know about the situation we are living in,–the country and ourselves, friars and nuns, — and we want to share with you our sorrow, because we are hoping and begging for your fervent prayers which we need so much, and also we are asking you with the greatest urgency and humility , for your economic help. We include our bank account:

-         (CARMELITANI SCALZI)

-         Credito bergamasco- Filiale 89 – Via Bomcompagni 14 – Roma

-         IBAN: IT22F0333603200000000001519

-         BIC o SWIFT: CREBIT22089

-         Ayuda para Chile  [As best I can tell, this is a general fund; if you want to earmark your donation for a specific cause, you should probable say so here and also follow up with a letter saying saying that you gave $$ for a certain Project. jm]

If you have any question, please mail them to P. Erwin Montoya del Campo, the Vicariate´s Administrator. Email: rector@santuarioteresadelosandes.cl

We already thank you, from the heart of Chile. All your Chilean Carmelite brothers and sisters, who, today more than ever, need the solidarity of the whole Order, send their best regards.

Hoping for your generous responses, with affection in Jesus and Our Lady of Carmel.

P. Julio González Carretti, Regional Vicar of Chile,

and Counselors

Read the Spanish version by clicking MORE.

Read the rest of this entry »

For all our readers in the St. Louis metropolitan area, the Carmelite nuns invite you to join them on the evening of Palm Sunday, March 28th, 2010, at the Carmelite Monastery, 9150 Clayton rd., St. Louis MO, 63134.  The Rosary will begin at 6:45pm and Benediction will be at 7:00pm.  After Benediction at 7;30pm, Tenebrae, the Church’s song of mourning for Her Betrayed, Crucified and Buried Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, will be chanted and sung by the Crux Ave Choir.  We hope to see you there!

OCDS WESTERN REGIONAL CONGRESS

DOUBLETREE HOTEL

BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA

JUNE 24 – 27, 2010

Theme:

“Our Carmelite Saints and their Families:
Inspiration for Us Today”

The Bakersfield OCDS Community began in 1999 and was already canonically established in 2007. We are a dynamic, vibrant Community! We are enthusiastically looking forward to welcoming you to the first OCDS Congress in California’s Central Valley.

You will not want to miss the opportunity to hear an exciting group of speakers:

• Father Aloysius Deeney, OCD-OCDS General Delegate in Rome.  Topic to be announces
• Rev. Mother Regina Marie, OCD-Superior General, Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles, Alhambra, California “A Shower of Roses (and Thorns!) in Community Life and Family Life”
• Father Christopher La Rocca, OCS-Rector and Student master, Carmelite House of Studies, Mt. Angel. Oregon “Called to Carmel, Called to Communion”
• Father Ramiro Casale, OCD-Director of the Institute of Spirituality, Stanwood, Washington “The Discalced Carmelites: A Family Called to Joy”
• Dr. Rosemary Ludwig, OCDS-President, St. Joseph OCDS Community, Phoenix, Arizona “From Trial to Triumph: Léonie Martin, Patron of Youth”
• Cindy Sliger, OCDS-Provincial Councilor, President, St. Joseph OCDS Community, Seattle, Washington

“The Family Three Ring Circus: Tension, Dissension, and Reconciliation”

• Panel discussion with the OCDS Provincial Council

Chris Hart, OCDS (Eugene Community)

Thomas Moore, OCDS (Coeur d’Alene Community)

Doreen Glynn Pawski (San Francisco Cristo Rey Community)

Ann Seargeant, OCDS (Albuquerque Community)

Cindy Sliger, OCDS (Seattle St. Joseph Community)

Fr. Donald Kinney, OCD (OCDS Provincial Delegate)

We know you will appreciate the welcome you receive at the beautiful DoubleTree Hotel in Bakersfield.  Our Congress Committee has been most impressed by the exceptional hospitality of its staff. Bakersfield has its own airport (BFL). The DoubleTree has a free shuttle bus to the airport.

Please check out our website at congress.ocds.info and join us at the OCDS Congress in Bakersfield, CA, June 24-17, 2010.

Mount Carmel Center, 4600 W. Davis Street, Dallas, Texas 75211 Phone: 214-331-6224 Fax: 214-330-0844
www.mountcarmelcenter.org

Unsubcribe

It was heartening to see the devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel which exists in St. Louis outside of the Carmelite Monastery.  Here is a little story from our local FOX station which shows the devotion to Our Lady and her beautiful brown habit.  It tells the story of  parishoners at St. Cecilia’s who have loved ones in Chile.  They pray through the intercession of  Our Lady of Mt. Carmel during this time of hardship in the aftermath of the great earthquake.

For more information on Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Our Lady of Carmel of the Maipú) and her devotion in Chile you can visit the University of Dayton’s Marian Resource webpage.

The O.C. D. S. community of Grand Junction CO. has begun their own blog.  There are some wonderful posts on their blog and I believe many of our readers will enjoy the Grand Junction Secular Carmelite’s blog also.  To visit the Grand Junction Carmelite’s blog click on the link below.

http://gjcarmelites.wordpress.com/

On March 11th, the Discalced Carmelite nuns of the Carmelite Monastery of St. Joseph in St. Louis MO will begin the Solemn Novena to Saint Joseph.  The Novena will conclude March 19th, the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary.  The following is taken from the St. Joseph Novena brochure:

St. Joseph – called to respond with faith and trust in God

During this time when so many people are struggling to find work to support their families, we remember St. Joseph, who so often struggled to support his own wife and accepting responsibility as Jesus’ foster father and guardian and then in moving the family to Egypt to protect Jesus from King Herod’s persecution, St. Joseph was called to respond with faith and trust in God.  The Church celebrates St. Joseph as a man who was devoted to hard work, but also as a humble man who knew that, beyond trusting in the strength of his own two hands, it was necessary to place himself and his family in the hands of God.

As we make our Solemn Novena to St. Joseph, let us ask his intercession for all those who are unemployed or struggling in any way to support their families during these economically hard times.  But above all, let us ask St. Joseph to intercede for the graces we need to trust in God’s love and care for us, especially in the midst of our own trials and difficulties, whatever they may be.

Saint Joseph, pray for us and for all families.

We invite you to join us for the Solemn Novena to Saint Joseph, Most Powerful Advocate of all who call upon him.

March 11th to March 19th

Daily Mass: 7:30 a.m.

Sunday mass: 8:00 a.m.

Rosary and Benediction each evening at 7:50 p.m.  The Chapel is open each day with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for anyone wishing to make a visit.

“Dear St. Joseph, all our confidence is in you.  Come to our aid in our present trouble and distress and grant the following petitions”

Mail your intentions for the Novena to the Discalced Carmelite Nuns, Carmelite Monastery, 9150 Clayton rd., St. Louis, MO 63124-1898

The buzz on Tuesday night in Los Angeles as reported by the local Fox News KCOP station is that  the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus were “hitting all the right notes with their heavenly singing.”

Apparently the Sisters are giving a concert along with some friends.  Have a watch of the video from Fox.

The Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus have a community in St. Louis where their apostolate is to assisted and intermediate care for Senior Citizens and Daycare for youngsters.  You can visit their LA website:  www.carmelitesistersocd.com or the St. Louis site: www.stagneshome.com.