In less than 300 days thousands of young people from the four corners of the world will be gathered in Lisbon for World Youth Day 2023.
The invitation is open to join in singing and celebrating with one voice from August 1-6, 2023.

«Mary arose and went with haste» (Lk 1:39) is the bible quote chosen by Pope Francis as the motto of the World Youth Day that will be held for the first time in the capital city of Lisbon, Portugal.

On the occasion of WYD 2023, Míċeál O'Neill, Prior General of the Order, sends a message to encourage young people and Carmelites who work with them to participate in the celebrations.

In the words of Fr. Miceal, WYD "has proven to be the kind of event where young people find inspiration, companionship and nourishment for their lives".

pdf Read the Letter here(108 KB)

The royal shepherd
(Luke 23:35-43)

On this last Sunday of the Church’s year we celebrate the Feast of Christ, the King. Today is a day to give thanks to God for all the blessings received during the past year. Most of all, we thank God for the great gift of his son. We celebrate Christ as King of the Universe and look forward to the coming of his kingdom in all its fullness at the end of time.

We are also conscious of the reign of God here and now. The Preface of today’s mass says that Christ’s kingdom is

‘a kingdom of truth and life,
a kingdom of holiness and grace,
a kingdom of justice, love, and peace’.

Whenever we act like Christ, the Kingdom of God breaks into our world. Whenever we are moved by the Spirit to proclaim the truth, to respond to need, to work for justice, to transform and heal our society, the Kingdom of God breaks into human reality and the grace of God becomes clearly visible in our words and actions. May we be a people who always seek to bring the reign of God’s goodness into our world. That would be the very best way of celebrating this feast.

The first reading from the book of Samuel tells the story of David’s election as king of Israel. Under David all the twelve tribes of Israel gathered to form one kingdom. The reading recalls God’s commission to David to be ‘shepherd of my people Israel’. David is not to lord it over his people, but to be a shepherd to them.

Like David, Christ comes to gather all people into the one Kingdom of God. He, too, acts as a shepherd-king to God’s people.
The Gospel illustrates this clearly. Here is a king who gives up his life for his people. He has no fine clothes. His throne is the cross. His crown is made of thorns, not of gold. Even in the throes of death faith and forgiveness are at work and entry into the kingdom of God gained and granted. Indeed, the final act of the dying King Jesus is to grant forgiveness, mercy and admission to the kingdom – a gospel within the Gospel.

The Gospel readings throughout Ordinary time have lead us on a journey of accompanying Jesus on his earthly journey, listening to him unfold God’s desire for the human family, watching him restore health and wholeness to many, being taught how to pray properly, to be aware that the Kingdom is both ‘here and now’ and ‘yet to come’, the lengths God goes to in order to win us back, and how God meets us with mercy, forgiveness, healing and peace.

Our journey has been about discovering who God is and therefore, who Jesus is, and therefore, who we are called to be when we enter into a faithful relationship with him.

• pdf Celebrating At Home - Feast of Christ, King of the Universe [PDF](3.67 MB)
• default Celebrating At Home - Feast of Christ, King of the Universe [ePub](2.81 MB)
• pdf Celebrando en Familia - Solemnidad de Cristo, Rey del Universo(538 KB)
• pdf Celebrando in Casa - Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo Re dell’Universo(540 KB)
• pdf Celebrando em Família - Solenidade de Cristo, Rei do Universo(384 KB)

INITIUM NOVITIATUS
03-10-22  Israel Muskus Díaz (CAT) Salamanca, España
03-10-22  Jonathan José Barrios Kanzler (CAT) Salamanca, España
03-10-22  Yorgan José Montana Martínez (CAT) Salamanca, España


PROFESSIO TEMPORANEA
01-11-22  M^a de la Misericordia del Padre Eterno (VAL) Valencia, España
01-11-22  M^a Faustina del Corazón de Jesús (Val) Valencia, España


ORDINATIO DIACONALIS
12-11-22  Marcolino Gomes (Aust-TL) Middle Park, Australia


ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
15-10-22  John Mutisi (Hib-Zim) Mutare, Zimbabwe
15-10-22  Munyaradzi Emmanuel Murungu (Hib-Zim) Mutare, Zimbabwe
15-10-22  Vincent Chipisa (Hib-Zim) Mutare, Zimbabwe
03-11-22  Wilibaldus Rade (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Sonobius Rua (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Kristoforus Rawi (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Yoseph Kua (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Yohanes Adrianus Muga (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Fabianus Masi (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Adelbertus Nenis (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Maksimus Labut Rao (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
05-11-22  Florentinus Kopong Belang (Indo-East  Larantuka, Indonesia
05-11-22  Yoseph Watun Diaz Alffi (Indo-East)  Larantuka, Indonesia
11-11-22  Albino Dos Santos (Aust-TL) Middle Park, Australia

Picture Captions:

November 14 | Feast

From "De Patientia" of Bl. Baptist of Mantua

"I will say something, however, to urge you to desire to see those things that mortal eyes are unable to see. Such desire, by raising the mind from earthly things to heavenly things, causes them, while still remaining earthly and mortal, at least in part to become heavenly. If it is true that where your treasure is, there will also be your heart, if our treasure is in heaven it is necessary that our heart also be in heaven. If it is in heaven, it has heavenly dimensions, and we need the desires of our heart to be heavenly, through the commitment to meditate on great and infinite things starting from the smallest."

For more information, go to ocarm.org

On November 13th the Carmelite Order celebrates the memorial of Blessed Maria Teresa Scrilli.

Mother Maria Teresa was profoundly connected to Carmelite spirituality which she knew, since childhood, from her reading of St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi. The spirit of contemplation, total abandonment to the will of God, and deep union with the Lord were the characteristics of her spiritual life. Her prayer added the aspect of reparation for offences inflicted on God, of praise, of joy in Him, of profound union, of faith. The "pure love" for God pushes one to the generous offering of oneself to others, "to leave God for God," even to the point of making a fourth vow: "to give oneself over to neighbour by means of both Christian and civil moral instruction."

Read more here

Thirty-two Carmelites from Australia and Timor-Leste gathered in Melbourne, Australia, this week for the triennial Provincial Chapter meeting. The prior general, Miċeál O'Neill, also participated in the gathering.

The Chapter comes at the end of an 18-month consultation process looking at the needs and hopes of the Carmelites and our ministries in the future as well as the realities we face in the present.

In 1881 five members of the Irish Province went to Australia to establish the Order. Five years later the Australian commisariat was established but ended two years later although the foundation continued. On March 22, 1930, a general commissariat was established, expanding to have houses in Coorparoo, Queensland (1937) and Donvale (1937). On September 13, 1948, the Australian province was canonical erected. A foundation was made in New Zealand following year, lasting until 1970.

At the Provincial Chapter of 2001, the Australian Province agreed to accept responsibility for the Carmelite presence begun by the Indonesian Province in Timor-Leste. Three years later a novitiate was opened in Fatuhada, Dili. A month later, in late September 2004, the name of the province was officially change to “Province of Australia and Timor-Leste.”

During the Chapter the following were elected to leadership:

Prior Provincial | Prior Provincial | Priore Provinciale: 
Fr. Bruce Clark, O. Carm.

1^st Councilor | 1er Consejero | 1° Consigliere: 
Fr. Wayne Stanhope, O. Carm.

2^nd Councilor | 2do Consejero | 2° Consigliere: 
Fr. Januario Pinto, O. Carm.

3^rd Councilor | 3er Consejero | 3° Consigliere: 
Fr. David Hofman, O. Carm.

4^th Councilor | 4to Consejero | 4° Consigliere: 
Fr. Carlito Da Costa Araújo, O. Carm.

Not so soon
(Luke 21:5-19)

Passages of Scripture, like today’s Gospel, can leave us feeling disturbed.
Talk of destruction, wars, revolutions, persecution and betrayal by close family members can be quite unsettling.
We have to read the Gospel as Luke’s community would have received it, knowing that the Temple and Jerusalem had already been destroyed (ca 70AD) at the end of the Jewish-Roman war, some 10-20 years before Luke’s Gospel was written. In the light of that destruction, and the ongoing persecution by both Romans and Jews, perhaps many in Luke’s community thought the end was near.
Looking at the world today many of us, too, are dismayed by the wars, persecutions and destruction in our own day.
Like Luke’s community, perhaps we, too, long for a saviour to come to our rescue, to make it all right. Maybe that is why so many are prepared to put their trust in harsh dictators who promise to make things right and restore a sense of control and national identity, even at the expense of basic human rights.
The words which Luke places on the lips of Jesus are designed to comfort and give hope. Jesus warns them not to listen to those who think they know God’s plan for the end of time – rather, they should know that God is with them always and no matter what happens.
The Church must continue its journey (persevere) in spite of all sorts of difficulties and persecutions. Like Jesus, the disciples will be vindicated by God with the gift of eternal life.

• pdf Celebrating At Home - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time [PDF](2.96 MB)
• default Celebrating At Home - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time [ePub](2.99 MB)
• pdf Celebrando en Familia - 33 Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario(596 KB)
• pdf Celebrando in Casa - XXXIII Domenica del Tempo Ordinario(597 KB)
• pdf Celebrando em Família - 33 Domingo do Tempo Comum(588 KB)

For all of its 60-year history Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, Illinois, has been inspired by the heroic witness of St. Titus Brandsma. The Carmelite monastery, which was home to members of the Carmelite Order who taught at the high school and is now converted into classroom space for the students, was dedicated to Titus Brandsma during the early days of his canonization process. The school chapel at the main entrance to the school also carries his name.

To celebrate the canonization of St. Titus on May 15, the school held events on May 19, including a special all-school Mass of Thanksgiving. There was also an evening reception at the school with a viewing of the canonization Mass. During the nine days prior to the Mass, the school focused on a different aspect of St. Titus’ life. These reflections, as well as the school Mass celebrating the canonization, can be found on the school’s Facebook page.

On Saturday, September 10, members of the school community and guests joined together in the school chapel to “rededicate” the chapel to St. Titus Brandsma. Previously commonly referred to as “the Brandsma Chapel,” its name reflected that the Church had not officially recognized the martyrdom of Brandsma in any capacity when it was built.

Among the guests at the renaming of the chapel were members of the Brandsma family. Some of them had attended the canonization events in Rome. They also spent an evening with retreatants at the Carmelite Spiritual Center in July to speak about how their family has continued to live out their cousin Titus’ Catholic faith in the Chicago area. It was at this gathering that they met Michael Poulos from Carmel Catholic who invited them to the chapel rededication.

Two relics from St. Titus were also displayed at the Darien gathering: a large piece of his Carmelite habit and an entire sleeve of his shirt. These were retrieved from the Dachau Concentration camp, along with other items belonging to St. Titus, following his martyrdom in July 1942.

The Institutum Carmelitanum, in conjunction with the General Archives and the General Postulation office of the Carmelite Order, is holding a daylong conference in Rome to study the life of Angelo Paoli. The conference will take place on Saturday, November 12, 2022 in the parish hall at Santa Maria in Traspontina. The hall is located at Borgo Sant’Angelo 13/C, behind the church which is located on the Via Conciliazione in Rome. The scope of the conference is to present new aspects of Blessed Angelo Paoli which are emerging from recent archival research and have so far been little addressed. There is, in fact, a Paoli “behind the scenes” that needs to be rediscovered and made known.

The conference begins at 9:30 and ends at 18:00 with a two-hour break for lunch. Speakers include Carmelite General Archivist, Mario Alfarano; Simona Durante, of the Institutum Carmelitanum; Simona Serci, of the Carmelite General Archives; Marco Papasidero of the Università degli Studi di Torino;  Ruggiero Doronzo of the Università degli Studi di Bari; Matteo Antollini from CISA; Giovanni Grosso, of the Institutum Carmelitanum; Maria Conforti of the Università La Sapienza di Roma; and Emanuele Atzori of the Archivio storico at Maestre Pie Venerini di Roma. The conclusions to the day will be given by Giovanna Brizi, postulator general of the Carmelites.

Angelo Paoli spent the first part of his religious life in the Province of Tuscany. He later moved to Rome and resided at San Martino ai Monti. His religious observance was admired for its silence, prayer, and mortification. He was especially noted for his charity to the sick and the poor. He became known as "Father Charity."

In Rome he established a hospice for the convalescent poor. His motto was: "Whoever loves God must go to find Him among the poor." He taught the poor to be grateful and to find in their concrete circumstances incentives for moral perfection. He also knew how to inspire many persons to imitate him in helping the needy. The wealthy found a generous counselor in Blessed Angelo. They often made him the intermediary of their charity. He was the counselor and guest of princes and of other important people of Rome. Cardinals and high prelates held him in high esteem.

The 27th United Nations conference on Climate, COP 27, is being held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The Carmelite NGO is one of more than forty faith-based groups that is organizing side events, meditations, interventions, and actions to raise awareness for the need to intervene positively in the future of our common home.

The Carmelite NGO’s conference will be held on Thursday, November 17. Besides the Carmelite NGO, the conference is sponsored by Boston College, Jeunesse Ètudiante Catholique Internationale (IYCS-JECI), the Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries (SCMM), UNANIMA International (UI), and VIVAT International.

The conference is entitled Catholic Perspectives at COP 27: Climate and Biodiversity Justice from a Faith Perspective. What’s Next? Eduardo Agosto Scarel of the Arago, Castille, and Valencia Province is the Carmelite representative. Other speakers include: Innocent Odongo (IYSC); Archbishop Nicolas Thévenin, Apostolic Nuncio to Egypt; Musamba Mubanga (Caritas Internationalis); Ogonna Hilary Nwainya (Boston College); Leonard Chiti, SJ, (SCIAF); Lara Hicks (UNANIMA International); Prisca Koffi (IYCS); Paul Rahmat, SVD (VIVAT International); Prince Papa (LSM); and Sara Bernard-Hoverstad (Boston College).

The COP27 organization categorized the conference as one which enhances knowledge, inclusion, and enables for action.

The previous COP was held in Glasgow, Scotland. Efforts were made there for faith-based NGOs to engage in the climate dialogue, bridging the gap between faith and science. The effort resulted in The Appeal. Signatories represented a broad range of faith leaders, including representatives from across the Christian denominations, both Sunni and Shi’a Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism and Jainism.

The Appeal calls for the world to achieve net-zero carbon emissions; presses wealthier nations and those with the greatest responsibility to step up their climate action at home and support the efforts of vulnerable countries; urges governments to transition to clean energy and sustainable land use practices, environmentally friendly food systems and responsible financing; commits the faith leaders themselves to greater climate action (to educate and influence members of their traditions and actively participate in the public debate on environmental issues.

The Appeal followed months of dialogue between faith leaders and scientists, building a dialogue to agree a common moral duty to tackle climate change.

The COP conferences are put on by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Carmelite NGO is an accredited member. More than 2000 speakers are expected to address the more than 35,000 expected participants in a variety of gatherings covering more than 300 topics over 12 days.

For more information about the conference in English:  https://cop27.eg/#/