The Carmelite European Youth Committee (CEYC) met at the Curia Generalizia in Rome from the 2nd to the 4th of March last. They evaluated the work of the committee these past three years and they are now preparing for the next meeting of the “Awakening” project. This will take place at Aylesford, England from the 15th to 18th August, 2019. Details of which will be communicated to the European provinces later this year. This will be the third “Awakening” project for Carmelite youth in Europe, completing the projects that have already taken place at Fatima (Portugal) in 2014 and San Felice (Italy) in 2015. The project followed on from the European youth Pilgrimage of Hope in Rome in 2010 and the World Youth Day meeting in Madrid in 2011. The committee, with John Keating, O.Carm. as chair, are now developing a longer-term project to promote our spirituality among young people. To this end, the committee will meet again next November in Vila-Real, Spain. The members are: Sabrina Rubio Perez, Daniela Pereira, Tommaso Bacci and Carmelites;  Dave Twohig, Luca Sciarelli and João Costa. Collaborating with the committee, at this time, is David Oliver, O.Carm. of the ACV Province.

From the 25th of February to the 1st of March, some seventy Carmelites from the different sectors and groups that make up the Venezuelan Carmel met in the in the Convento San José in Mérida (Venezuela). The theme of the meeting was "La experiencia de Dios en tiempos difíciles... el sufrimiento como fábrica de santidad" (The Experiencie of God in Difficult Times- suffering as a workshop of holiness”, The meeting was directed by Fr. Javier Villegas, O.Carm., of the Titus Brandsma General Delegation in Colombia. In the sessions the participants looked, through Carmelite eyes, at all that is happening at the moment in Venezuela. To get this meeting off the ground took a lot of work and effort as there were many difficulties to be overcome.

The participants included friars from the two missions that exist in Venezuela, from the Bética and the Catalonian provinces; Carmelite sisters from the two congregations that have houses in Venezuela - Carmelite Sisters of Mother Candelaria, (HCMC) and Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,(HCSCJ); Carmelite nuns and a broad representation of various groups of lay Carmelites.

At the end, the participants sent a message to the Carmelite Family in which they encourage everyone “to live in allegiance of Jesus Christ in the midst of every difficulty, (...) living out our spirituality authentically in the midst of the people, so in need of prophets of hope.”

The office of CITOC joins in this beautiful challenge, with prayer and fraternal affection.

The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Villalba del Alcor, Spain, was held 21 February 2018. The following were elected:

• Prioress:  Sr. M. del Pilar Martín Gómez, O.Carm.
• 1st Councilor:  Sr. M. del Mar Domínguez Castizo , O.Carm.
• 2nd Councilor:  Sr. M. del Carmen del Toro Medina, O.Carm.
• 3rd Councilor:  Sr. M. Consuelo Pérez García, O.Carm.
• 4th Couniclor:  Sr. M. Inés de Jesús Vázquez Gallardo, O.Carm.
• Director of Novices:  Sr. M. del Carmen del Toro Medina, O.Carm.
• Treasurer:  Sr. M. Inés Vázquez Gallardo, O.Carm.

Yesterday, the 6th of February, in the presence of the Prior General of our Order, Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral O. Carm., of the Postulator General, Dr. Giovanna Brizi, the General Councilors for Europe and Asia (John Keating, O.Carm and Benny Phang Khong Wing, O.Carm.) and Fr. Ton Van der Gulik, O.Carm., representing the Dutch Province, the opening of the documents of inquiry regarding the alleged miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Tito Brandsma in the Diocese of Palm Beach (Florida, USA) took place. All the documentation had been presented to the Congregation on January the 24th by the Vice Postulator of the cause of the miracle, Fr. Mario Esposito, O.Carm.

This very simple and yet solemn act took place at the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (Congregatio Pro Causis Sanctorum). Later they were received by Monsignor Marcello Bartolucci, Archbishop Secretary of the Congregation, who invited the Carmelites to imitate the example of the life of Blessed Titus and to continue praying for this cause of canonization.