9 May Optional Memorial (Mandatory Memorial in the province of Malta)

He was born in Valletta, Malta, on February 12, 1880. As a child, according to the custom of the time, he was incorporated into the Carmelite Family by the imposition of the Scapular. While still young he felt the vocation for the priesthood. He was ordained a priest on 22 Di-December 1906. In the early months of 1907, young Fr. George began his mission by gathering around him and forming a small group of young men in their twenties, inculcating in their hearts moral principles, the fear of God and an awareness of the Lord's infinite love for humanity. They formed the first offshoot of the Society of Christian Doctrine, commonly called MUSEUM, initial letters of Magister, Utinam Sequatur Evange-lium Universus Mundus. Fr. George's work was and is the religious education of children, boys, girls and young people by trained lay people. Central thought of his spirituality and theology was the Incarnation "Verbum Dei caro factum est." He took these words as the motto and distinctive emblem of the Society.

A Carmelite tertiary, he enrolled at Santa Venera on July 21, 1918, and professed on Sept. 26 of the following year. At his profession he chose the name "Franco," after the Blessed Carmelite Franco of Siena. In 1952, in recognition of his tireless spreading of devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Fr. George was affiliated with the Carmelite Order by Prior General Kilian Lynch.

He lived the last years of his life in Santa Venera, in the parish of the Carmelites. He died at the age of 82 on July 26, 1962, and was beatified by John Paul II on May 9, 2000. On June 3, 2007, Benedict XVI canonized him.

Prayer

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8 May Optional Memorial

Born in Erice (Trapani) in the mid-15th century (probably 1443), he entered the Order of Carmel at an early age.

He was prior of the reformed convent of Randazzo, where he died in 1490 (perhaps on May 8). He knew how to combine the duties of impeccable observance with those of love of neighbor imposed on him by his priestly ministry and enlightened charity. It is said that the cause of his death was a blow of "bolcione" or "bolzone": iconography often shows his death from an arrow. B Luigi, forgiving his attacker, did not want to reveal his name.

Popular worship began immediately, and two diocesan trials on the reputation for sanctity and miracles took place in the 16th century. The devotion was recognized by Gregory XVI in 1841.

May 5 - Memorial

Angelus is thought to have been one of the first Carmelites to return to Sicily from Mount Carmel and, according to a long-standing tradition, he was murdered in Licata during the first half of the 13th century.

The cult of Saint Angelus spread throughout the Order and among ordinary lay people. Angelus and St Albert of Trapani are considered the "fathers" of the Order because they were the first two saints to have devotion in the Order.

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Jesus, our Way, Truth and Life
(Jn 14:1-12)

In the opening words of the Gospel Jesus calls the disciples to trust him and to trust God. He does so in the context of announcing his departure to them.

Understandably, the disciples are afraid and uncertain which the questions of Thomas and Philip show.

Jesus calls them to trust him as the way to the God, the living truth about the God and the very life of God.

In a sense, Jesus is our map, our road and the destination of our journey. But arriving at the destination is not something which only happens in heaven. We are meant to start arriving now through the gift of the Spirit.

It is the spirit of Jesus who holds us in communion with God, who reveals to us the truth about God and who is the very life of God within each of us. Jesus is the reign of God in person and that is what we are called to be, too.

We want to live true to the vocation God has given us, aware of the Spirit which has been placed into our hearts, allowing that Spirit to change us into true believers so that the face of God might be seen within our own.

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May 4 - Optional Memorial (Obligatory Memorial in Provinces of Spain)

In 1936 seventeen Spanish members of various Carmelite communities gave their lives in defence of and in witness to their Christian faith and consecration to Jesus Christ.

On 28 July at the railway station in Tarrega, twelve religious belonging to the Tarrega community were arrested. They were moved to Clots dels Aubens di Cervera and were shot at dawn on 29 July while they called on Jesus’ name and that of the Mother of Carmel.

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The Chapter of the General Commissariat of Portugal was held from April 26-28, 2023 in Hotel Casa São Nuno in Fatima. Both the Prior General Míċeál O'Neill and the General Councilor for Europe, Richard Byrne, participated.

In 1251 Carmelites, coming from Mount Carmel, made a foundation in the town of Moura. In 1397 St. Nuno Álves Pereira, a hero as commander of the Portuguese in their war for independence from Castille in 1383-1385, entrusted the magnificent monastery and church in Lisbon which he had built in honor of the Blessed Virgin, to the Carmelites. He himself then entered the Order.

In 1423 the Province of Lusitania was established in the Order. During the 15th century, the province was completely reorganized with the foundation of several houses, among them the house of studies in Coimbra (1536). In 1580, the first Carmelites established Carmel in Brazil.

The province continued to grow in the 17th and 18th centuries, until the earthquake of 1755, which was devastating. The province was suppressed in 1834 along with other religious orders in Portugal. The work to reestablish Carmel in Lusitania was initiated in 1930 by the Province of Baetica. Beginning in 1949, the daughter province of Rio de Janeiro joined in the efforts, replacing the Baetica Province in 1954. A provincial commissariat was created shortly thereafter. On December 8, 1992, the General Commissariat of the Lusitania was created.

The following members were elected to leadership:

.     .      .

Provincial | Provincial | Provinciale
Fr. Agostinho Marques Castro, O. Carm.

1st Councilor | 1er Consejero | 1^o Consigliere
Fr. Ricardo dos Reis Rainho, O. Carm.

2nd Councilor | 2do Consejero | 2^o Consigliere
Fr. Pedro Bravo Pereira da Silva, O. Carm.

3rd Councilor | 3er Consejero | 3^o Consigliere
Fr. Manuel Ribeiro de Freitas, O. Carm.

4th Councilor | 4to Consejero | 4^o Consigliere
Fr. João Manuel Oliveira Costa, O. Carm.

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The Electoral Assembly of the Federation of St. Mary Magdalene de'Pazzi, a federation of the Carmelite monasteries of nuns in Italy, was held April 17-20.

The Federation was created, after years of cooperaton between the monasteries, on July 16, 2010.

The results of the elective chapter were as follows:

.     .     .

Federation President | Presidente de la Federación | Presidente della Federazione:
Sr Maria Valentina Rossin, O. Carm. (Carpineto)

1st Councilor | 1ª Consejera | 1ª Consigliera:
Sr Maria Martina Simeone, O. Carm. (Sutri)

2nd Councilor | 2ª Consejera  | 2ª Consigliera: 
Sr Maria Rosalia Mangiarotti, O. Carm. (Vetralla)

3rd Councilor | 3ª Consejera  | 3ª Consigliera:
Sr Marilla Pia Fiumana, O. Carm. (Sogliano)

4th Councilor | 4ª Consejera  | 4ª Consigliera: 
Sr Maria Archangela Parisi, O. Carm. (Fisciano)

On April 20, the latest volume of the prestigious TPM (Texts for a Millennium) collection, entitled "Flowers of the Carmel of Andalusia", was presented at the Carmelite Monastery of Seville. It is the work of Fernando de la Corte (1685-1759), a Carmelite from Granada, in which he recounts the founding of some of the most important monasteries of the contemplative Carmel in Andalusia: Seville (Santa Ana), Seville (Belen), Villalba del Alcor, Cañete la Real and Utrera. De la Corte also presents the lives of a series of venerable figures of the Andalusian female Carmel. It is, in short, a very valuable work to know the evolution of the Carmel in this part of Spain in the post-Tridentine period. The book also includes an extensive introductory study by historian Pedro Godoy Domínguez, in which he frames the founding of these convents in their historical context.

The book was presented by Doña Rosario Vera, Prioress of the Third Order of Carmel of Seville, and Father Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm. and the editor of the book, Pedro Godoy Domínguez, intervened. Both highlighted the contribution of this work to the Carmelite historiography and the need to make known these texts that form the living history of the Carmel of a certain historical period.

The Provincial Chapter of the Province of Great Britain was held April 17-21, 2023, in Aylesford, Kent (England).

Carmelites arrived in England about the year 1241 and quickly established a province. Records indicate a certain “W. provincial in England," in the years 1256-1257. At the time when the province was most flourishing, there were about a thousand brothers and about 37 houses. The first division of the province into two, namely, England and Ireland-Scotland, was recorded already in 1291 or 1294; which division, apparently, lasted until the year 1300. The autonomous province of Ireland was established in 1305. The establishment of the province of Scotland, established in 1321, was finally carried out in 1324.

In the course of time the Province of England was greatly reduced and it finally ceased with the suppression of Henry VIII (c. 1538). Some failed attempts were made to restore houses until c. 1926, when the brothers of the Province of Ireland opened the houses of Faversham and Sittingbourne in southeastern England.

Other houses were later added. Among these was ancient monastery in Aylesford which had been founded by 1242 but lost in Henry VIII suppression. On January 1, 1952, the general commissariat was established; and on September 12, 1969, the province of England and Wales was established under the title of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The name of the province was changed to 'Great Britain' in May 1999.

The following members were elected to leadership:

.     .      .

Provincial | Provincial | Provinciale
Fr. Brendan Grady, O. Carm.

1st Councilor | 1er Consejero | 1^o Consigliere
Fr. Kevin Melody, O. Carm.

2nd Councilor | 2do Consejero | 2^o Consigliere
Fr. Gerard Walsh, O. Carm.

3rd Councilor | 3er Consejero | 3^o Consigliere
Fr. Michael Cox, O. Carm.

4th Councilor | 4to Consejero | 4^o Consigliere
Br. Paul de Groot, O. Carm.