Carmelite Curia
The cover of this issue of CITOC-magazine shows a very beautiful photo of the first Carmelite Church in the entire American continent in Olinda, Brazil, founded by the Portuguese Carmelites in 1580 and rededicated again on August 5, 2012. The celebrations are an opportunity for the Carmelites to give thanks for the restoration and the return of this marvelous church that from 1877 was in the hands of the Brazilian state, and from today will be the office of the Prior Provincial.
The information on the reality of the Carmelite life in Latin America is rounded off with an article on the Third Congress of ALACAR (the Latin American Association of the Carmelites), an important initiative for the development and exchange among all members of the Carmelite Family in Latin America.
The article from the Prior General recalls the 70th anniversary of the martyrdoms of Blessed Titus Brandsma and Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein). The life of Blessed Titus is an example of the close relationship between the mystical life and commitment to the world in favor of human dignity. Today, the Carmelite NGO has also adopted this plan. An article about the activities regarding these relevant issues of justice and peace is presented by Carmelite NGO.
Next, we present three events in the field of formation in the Order: the course on permanent formation in the Holy Land on the theme: “Returning to the Sources”; the beginning of the common novitiate in Salamanca, Spain; and the regional meeting of Asia-Australia-Oceania formators which took place in Thrissur, India.
A number of meetings in recent months, which express the internationality of the Order, such as the Fifth International Congress of Lay Carmelites, the triennial meeting of bursars in Sassone and the Congress of Fr. Lorenzo van den Eerenbeemt, O. Carm., the cofounder with the Blessed M. Crocifissa Curcio of the Congregation of the Carmelite Missionary Sisters of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, will also be mentioned.
Another article in this magazine regards the founder of the Carmelite Sisters of the Aged and Infirm, the Servant of God, Mother Mary Angeline Teresa, O. Carm. (Bridget Teresa McCrory), whose decree on the heroic virtues was promulgated. The challenges arising from historic moments of change always demand new responses as shown in the presentations on the unification of the two provinces of Upper and Lower Germany and the canonical erection of the new General Commissariat of Paraná in Brazil.
In addition to these articles, as well as other information, there is a selection of news highlights, some of which were published in CITOC-online.
We wish you all happy reading of these pages of the new issue of CITOC-magazine.
