Carmelite Edison Tinambunan Elected Rector of Widya Sasana School of Philosophy and Theology in Malang

On April 15, 2024, Edison Tinambunan, O. Carm., a member of the Indonesian Province, was unanimously elected as the rector of Widya Sasana School of Philosophy and Theology in Malang. The university was founded by Indonesian Carmelites and Vincentians in 1971 in Malang, Indonesia. This school offers academic degrees in both philosophy and theology from the baccalaureate, master, and doctoral levels. Today the school has around 400 students from different religious congregations, dioceses, and lay persons.

Edison earned licentiate and doctoral degrees in patristics from the Augustinianum and the Angelicum Rome. He completed his studies in 2001 and has taught extensively since then. He was the librarian of the Order at CISA from 2004 to 2010 and is a member of the Institutum Carmelitanum. He is the editor of the series Corpus Constitutionum Ordinis Fratrum Beatissimae Virginish Mariae de Monte Carmelo with the two part 5th volume in preparation.

The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life,
the Sheep Know Him and Listen to Him (John 10:11-18)

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17 April Memorial

One of the controversies between the Order and the Mantuan Congregations involved the habit for the members to wear. The General Chapter of Asti in 1472, with no small assist from Pope Sixtus IV it was commonly believed, elected Christopher Martignoni, a prominent members of the Mantuan Congregation. Yet Martignoni’s generalate was to be marked by continual conflict with the Mantuan Congregation. According to the Carmelite historian Joachim Smet, Martignoni was passionate about good order: uniformity of dress, life, and doctrine in the Order.

Besides a major shift in the alignment of houses of the Order in Italy, Martignoni sought to unify the habit throughout the Order and attempted to do so with a decree from the Chapter of 1471. The Mantuan Congregation began a campaign of opposition. For them, the original form of the habit symbolized their attempt to return to the sources of the Order’s spirit. To adopt the habit of the conventuals seemed equivalent to dissolving the reform. In 1475, the pope suspended further discussion, pending a decision on his part only to have the question reopened by Martignoni’s successor in 1483.

By this time, the vicar of the Mantuan Congregation was the famous poet Baptist Spagnoli. He included in his Eclogues a dialogue between a frog (a reformed friar) and an ant (a conventual) over the color of the habit. He managed to keep the question open, until on May 26, 1484, he obtained from Sixtus IV a final decision in favor of the Mantuan Congregation—to maintain the grey habit.

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On Tuesday, April 09, 2024, at 4 p.m. in the Paolo Radicciotti Lecture Hall of the Department of Humanistic Studies at the University of Roma Tre, the book "Miracula et benefitia" the story of disease and thaumaturgy and Licata, Sicily  and devotion to Carmelite Saint Angelo was presented by its author Marco Papasidero. The book is published by Edizioni Carmelitane.

Speaking at the presentation were Professor Maria Chiara Giorda and Professor Paolo Broggio from the University of Roma Tre, Giovanna Brizi, Postulator General of the Carmelite Order, and the author.

The book traces, in a cultural-historical perspective, the miracles, healing practices, diseases, beliefs and society described within the book " Miracula et benefitia," the title of the inquiry into miracles conducted between 1625 and 1627 in Licata, Sicily, which aimed to collect the miraculous testimonies of 113 witnesses following the wave of plague that had struck the island since 1624.

Professor Maria Chiara Giorda praised the author's work and mentioned how he managed to bring out "the great Sicilian cultural and religious heritage, both tangible and intangible" of that historical period.

For Papasidero, a researcher in the History of Christianity at the University of Palermo, "today the cult of St. Angelo is alive and so it is demonstrated by the return of the Carmelites as it happens especially on the feast of the saint."

In the words of Prof. Paolo Broggio, the volume contains "an account of the mentality, beliefs, medical practices and procedures of the protagonists of the time."

In the discussion around the book, it emerged how the text can also be an important source for medical historians. According to Papasidero many times they only "draw on medical treatises and forget to report the religious aspects of the healing practices of the time."

For Maria Chiara Giorda, "a clear link is evinced between the history of religions, disease and medicine, between how it was considered at the time to the epistemological change that is considered by modern anthropologists as a perfect example of healing with a combination of medical systems and magical practices defined today as ontological systems that have proven effective over time."

The author thanked Giovanna Brizi, Postulator, and Fr. Mario Alfarano, Archivist and General Librarian of the Carmelite Order, as well as the publishing house Edizioni Carmelitane for the trust they have placed in him.

For more information about the book Miracula et benefitia ...

OCARM and OCD General Councils Meet for Multiple Day Conference on St. Thérèse of Lisieux and Mutual Concerns

The members of the OCD and OCARM General Councils met at the Discalced Carmelite Monastery of Santa Croce in Bocca di Magra, Liguria (Italy) April 2-6, 2024, for a retreat reflecting on lessons from the life and writings of St Thérèse of the Child Jesus. The retreat was led by Emilio J. Martinez, OCD, a professor at the Teresianum in Rome.

Father Emilio reflected with us on two themes concerning St Thérèse: abandonment and mission. Even in a world of increasing interconnectivity, many people today can identify with Thérèse’s experience of feeling abandonement, isolation, inadequacy and helplessness in the face of rapid socio-economic and political upheavals, mass migration, and conflict situations that have fractured the sense of fraternity, community, and hospitality. Like the Prophet Elijah, the temptation can be to give up.

Father Emilio also reflected on the deepest spiritual abandonment experienced by Therese of Lisieux: the test against faith experienced during her suffering from tuberculosis that led to her premature death. We are persuaded to believe that many people can still identify with Therese in her letter to Celine (23 July 1893, LTR 144). Written over a hundred years ago, this letter appears very modern, real, and relevant because contemporary people feel this sense of abandonment – by society, by life, governments, and sometimes by the Church. Therese offers a solution in two parts to her sister, first, in trust to allow herself to be moved by the wind, that is, to keep going and not giving up: “The only thing he can do is abandon himself, let his sail float with the wind.”

The group also explored the poem To the Sacred Heart of Jesus (P 23)  in which Therese speaks about her need for a heart burning with tenderness which could never be replaced with something created that dies. Therese teaches that to be holy is to become that which God wants us to be. She urges us to discover our true personal nature – what type of flower we are in the garden – and just be that.

On the third day, the members of the two Councils reflected on the theme of Mission in the life of Therese of the Child Jesus – a broad and complex subject. St Therese became a missionary driven by her intimate personal relationship with Jesus, whom she wanted to know and love to better make him known and loved by others. She became a missionary through her life of prayer and sacrifice in Carmel through her writings and the works of charity that made her a living witness of the Gospel—a mission that did not end with her death but continued with her witness until the end of time, doing good and “showering roses on earth.”

The retreat employed a synod-like methodology, now popularly referred to as conversation in the Spirit, meeting in two randomly composed groups as well as in plenary sessions comprising everyone.

A wide-range of topics of mutual concern took place the second day: an update on the Wadi project in the Holy Land; Carmelite formation in terms of scope, thrust with particular attention on accompaniment of members during the first five years after solemn profession and / or ordination to the priesthood in light of the many challenges that emerge; the need for the formation of formators in the Carmelite tradition; collaboration in the renewal of Mariology and Marian life of the two traditions of Carmel; promotion of the experience of Carmel by way of making them known through studies, devotion at sanctuaries, experience, and iconography; sharing insights on the processes of the updating of the Constitutions of the Nuns of both traditions; and, collaboration between the General Definitor and the Prior General in issuing a letter on Mary and Prayer for the solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2024. The two Councils also wish to encourage that Carmelites sharing in the two traditions in the various countries to initiate various forms of sharing, dialogue, and joint engagements in their respective countries.

As has become the tradition since 1991, the two Councils meet twice a year, in June and December, to update each other on developments in the two branches of Carmel and discuss matters of mutual concern. Every three years, the Councils meet for an extended length of time to reflect on an agreed theme.

pdf To read the Final Message (150 KB)

Between March 22 and April 1, the Carmelite family held the "Carmelo Mission" meeting in Itaituba, Pará State - Amazon region - Brazil. The meeting is a response to the exhortations, from Pope Paul VI to Francis, that "Christ points to Amazonia" (Doc. Santarem 1972; Querida Amazonia 2020). The gathering brought together around 40 missionaries from the various branches of Carmelite life: friars, sisters, consecrated lay men and women and those who draw inspiration from Carmel.

The meeting took place in three important moments: (1) to see: the Amazonian reality. Bishop Wilmar Santin, O. Carm., shared a historical overview of the Carmelite presence; Father Ivair shared his deep knowledge of the Amazonian reality in the context of ecclesial presence and in the light of the Magisterium; and the brothers and sisters, consecrated men and women, who live and work in the region spoke of their experience. (2) judging: in which we went out, in the sunlight of Holy Week, to the regions of the communities to carry out visits and Easter celebrations. (3) acting: in which the members of the General Curia, Luis Maza and Tobias Kraus, who were present, met with prior provincials and superiors to draw up courses of action to work towards the goals of a continuous response of the Latin American Church to the call on behalf of Amazonia.

The seeds, therefore, have been sown: moments of fraternity, prayer and mission in Amazonian lands, favored by the feeling of unity as a Carmelite family around the goal of bringing the spirit of Elijah, prophecy, contemplation and service, to the people who challenge us in the Amazon region. Time will bring forth the fruits in each one of us and in what we leave behind as a mission. In everything, we give thanks!

  pdf To read the original in Portuguese (35 KB)

Reminder: April 30th Deadline for Registering for the July 2024 JPIC Conference

The General Commission for Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creaction wishes to remind interested members about the JPIC Congress to be held in Fatima, Portuga in July 2024. The deadline for registration is April 30, 2024.

The theme of the Congress is The Carmelite Journey Towards Individual and Collective Ecological Conversion: Social and Environmental Challenges and Responses Today. It is an opportunity to study recent pronouncements in Catholic Social Teaching which calls each person to both individual and collective integral ecological conversion. As Christians and Carmelites we are invited to contribute to the search for an understanding of the world around us and to seek ways of journeying in solidarity with the suffering of the poor.

There are three main objectives for holding this JPIC Congress for the Carmelite Family:

• to come together, listen to one another, discern and learn from Scripture, the Carmelite Spirituality, Catholic Social Teaching and one another on the social and environmental issues;
• to engage with the Carmelite JPIC Handbook in responding to the social and environmental challenges;
• to build JPIC network in the Carmelite Family

The International Congress is scheduled to be held at Casa São Nuno in Fatima, Portugal July 18 (day of arrival) through July 25 (day of departure), 2024. The Congress is open to members of the Order and the members of the affiliated Congregations and Institutes.

The cost of the event is €827. Payment can be made via IBAN to the Carmelite Curia in Rome. (Information for sending payment is below.) Participants are responsible for their travel. Those who need a visa to enter the EU should contact Fr. Ricard dos Reis Raiho at Casa São Nuno (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Conrad Mutizamhepo, O. Carm., is the praeses of the General JPIC Commission. Other members are: Christian Buenafe (Phil), Eduardo Agosta Scarel (ACV), Franciscus X. Hariawan Adji (Indo), José Luis Gutierrez Berrendero (Laico-Baet).

To pay for the Congress:

Disciples Share a Story, Jesus Appears
and Peace is Given (Lk 24:35-48)

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The Carmelite foundation of Notre-Dame de Lumières, located on the Île de Nantes, has replaced its church organ through the generosity of several partners, including the Fondation des Monastères.

For nearly 30 years the faithful in Nantes have come together with the Carmelites for liturgy. “In this life punctuated by apostolates and times of prayer, liturgy plays an important role. Even if we want [the liturgy] to be sober, we still want it to be beautiful and prayerful, to help us to rise up to God. That's why, many years ago, the community acquired a second-hand organ. For almost fifteen years, it accompanied all our liturgies. However, its sound began to show its limitations ...”

The idea of restoring the second-hand instrument was discussed. But the cost was beyond the Carmelites’ means. Yet well-done liturgy at the first Carmelite foundation in France since the French Revolution is foundational. In a location that perfectly embodies the concept of religious life, both in the midst of the people (the Île de Nantes where Lumières is located is in the city) and yet in a space conducive to silence and meditation.

When the idea of restoring the organ was allowed to die because of the cost, the proposal was made to build a new organ. The project was put on hold as well for lack of funds and a lack of people with the skills necessary to build a pipe organ. However, during a meeting in 2021, the Carmelites and Philippe Humeau, a member of the Association Orgue en Pays de la Loire, the organ builder Denis Londe, a tuner and conservatory teacher Michel Bourcier, agreed to begin building a new musical instrument for the church.

“It was this meeting," says Brother Martin Gilloux, the prior of Notre Dame de Lumières and general delegate of the Order in France, "that the specifics of the organ were agreed to.” The group settled on a German Baroque organ, whose sound is appropriate for liturgy as well as the church’s sober aesthetic. In fact, one condition section of the agreement is that organ students from the conservatory will come and train with the Carmelites—something the general delegation has been attempting to have happen for a long time.

In fact, the new musical instrument means a new artistic program at the Carmelite foundation. It is an opportunity for the church to have more people experience its life. There will be exchanges with the musical world of Nantes with such opportunities as hosting concerts.

The new organ will be inaugurated on April 14, 2024, at a thanksgiving mass for the 30^th anniversary of the foundation.

The Carmelite foundation in Nantes was built between 1992 and 1994 when the Carmelite Order decided to return to France officially for the first time since the French Revolution. The  very strong Carmelite presence throughout France was decimated during the revolution. In the early 1990s, the Carmelites, at the invitation of the then bishop of Nantes, Bishop Émile Marcus, to establish a prayer center in the new Île Beaulieu district. The architect Bertrand Lemaire was engaged to design a conventual church, a monastery with a cloister and a library. The conventual church is in the shape of a pentagon around the altar, evoking a great tent, gathering the Christian people around their Lord. The complex is dedicated to Notre-Dame de Lumières, as a reminder of an earlier Carmelite church in Provence.

Today, in addition to conferences and publications, the Carmelites participate in the life of the diocese through a chaplaincy for students and chaplaincies in retirement homes. There is also on-going theological training with courses at the Université Catholique de l'Ouest (Rezé branch).

Fr. Míċeál O'Neill, the prior general, has the following schedule planned for the month of April 2024:

April 2-6: Triennial Extended Meeting with the OCD-OCARM General Councils in Bocca di Magra, Italy.

April 7-10: Rome

April 11-15: Visit to the General Delegation in France. Celebration of its 30th anniversary as a General Delegation.

April 16-19: Assembly of the General Delegation of Bohemia and Moravia in Kostelni Vidri

April 20-30: Canonical visitation in RD Congo (Part 2). Conclusion of the 50th Anniversary celebrations.