Covid-19 continues to bring challenges to people around the world. As has been reported we have reported previously, Carmelite ministries around the world have responded to the needs of the people they serve as well as those they live around. 

For the last 3 years, the Carmelites of the Province of St. Elias Commissariat of Vietnam have been providing food to its neighbors but for the last three weeks, when the 4th wave of Covid came on the scene, Vietnam has been hard hit. The response of the members of the Commissariat has been to redouble their efforts to make sure that people have the food they need on a regular basis. Particular efforts have been directed to the immigrants from the countryside who come to town for employment. Many of the buildings near the Carmelite ministries have rooms that these workers rent to sleep in. 

Since the recent increase in covid infections, strict quarantines have been imposed and movement has been very limited, Daily curfews have been in place, especially in Saigon where the Carmelites have four priories. The supply of food available and accessible to the people has become severely limited. The situation is complicated by the placement of fences everywhere in order to control movement. “You are not allowed to leave your particular neighborhood. Everyone is literally fenced in,” reports Provincial Commissary Joseph Hung Tran, O. Carm. “Everything is closed. No one is working. No stores are open. These people can only stay in their rooms whereas normally they are only there to sleep.” 

Because of the generosity of the friends and benefactors of the Carmelites, a lot of food—especially rice, vegetables, and fish—has been available for the Carmelites to distribute. “Our neighbors are immigrants who are workers on daily wages. We try to provide rice and some food for them as there are more than 1,000 rooms around our priories but no one is working. So far we have distributed over 13 tons of rice. We have also had a lot of vegetables and fish to give out as well,” said Fr. Hung. “People were very concerned about us. But we have enough food. So we are now busy making the food available to those who have no way of getting the food they need." 

The Provincial Commissary of Vietnam was established on March 19, 2019. It currently has 45 members with 4 houses. 10 of the members study and work in the parishes of the province in the United States. Four are currently studying in Rome.

The Caribbean Carmelite Conference 2021 was held virtually from July 13th to July 15th 2021 with the theme, “Mary in the Carmelite Tradition.” The main speaker was Dr. Johan Bergström- Allen, T.O.C. of the United Kingdom, author of “Climbing the Mountain: The Carmelite journey.” The Conference was conducted on Zoom as a result of implications of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The conference, the third of its kind in the past 8 years, was a collaborative effort among all branches of the Carmelite family in the English-speaking Caribbean. Conference participants were mainly from Trinidad, as well as participation from Guyana, Grenada and St. Lucia; with a few participants from the United States and the Netherlands. Fr. Brent Alexis. O. Carm spearheaded the coordination and planning of the many parts of this year’s conference. There were approximately one hundred participants in attendance which included vocation prospects, friars, Corpus Christi Carmelite sisters, Carmelite Tertiaries (Lay Carmelites), Handmaids of our Lady of Mt. Carmel, members of Carmelite parishes and friends of Carmel.

Dr. Johan explored the conference topic of Our Lady in Carmel, over the three days, with sub-topics of “Mary in Carmelite History,” “Mary in Carmel’s Art & Devotions” and “Mary in Carmel’s Liturgy.” Dr. Johan’s well-prepared power point slides, historical facts, reference to Carmelite literature and his sharing his own experiences as a Lay Carmelite kept attendees very engaged and interested. There was ample time after each of his talks for questions, observations and conversation.

The goal of the Conference was to bring together members of the various branches of the Carmelite Order in the Caribbean region and to deepen our knowledge of the Carmelite spirituality and charism. Parishioners of Carmelite parishes and friends of Carmel have also attended these conferences and expressed greater interest to learn more about the Order and some have even expressed greater enthusiasm toward becoming members of the Third Order.

Following the main talk, participants were broken into smaller groups for workshop topics of their choosing. Workshop topics were: Carmelite Family Dynamics by Fr. Hasely King, O. Carm, Liturgical Prayer by Bro. Nigel Ali, O. Carm, Lectio Divina by Sr. Claire Marie Nero, O. Carm, Contemplative Prayer by Mr. Kirk Nancoo, the Prophet Elijah by Sr. Katrina Charles, O. Carm, Blessed Titus Brandsma by Fr. Michael Driscoll, O. Carm, St. Angelus by Fr. Gerard Tang Choon, O. Carm, Servant of God Mother Mary Ellerker by Mrs. Neila Todd, T.O.C. and St. Therese by Fr. Mikhail Woodruffe, O. Carm. One week before the Conference, there was a shorter online session led by Fr. Hasely King, O. Carm that introduced persons to the fundamentals of Carmelite spirituality and history in preparation for the Conference.

The three-day conference concluded each day with a Triduum of Masses celebrated each day by one of the friars in Trinidad and livestreamed. Similarly, conference attendees as well as other members of the Carmelite family across the Caribbean viewed the special livestreamed Mass for the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel on July 16th.

This was the third Caribbean Carmelite Conference, which are held every 2 to 3 years. The past two conferences were held in-person in Trinidad with main speakers: Fr. Leopold Glueckert, O. Carm of the United States of America and Fr. Kevin Alban, O. Carm of the United Kingdom (RIP).

Conference attendees provided feedback that they felt very enlightened about areas of their Carmelite heritage and feel excited to see the future of Carmel in the region.

The Rio de Janeiro Province provides a variety of significant outreach programs. But the covid pandemic and the resulting food shortage has required the Carmelites to become grocers to the masses.

Thanks to Cançao Nova, a religious news service in the Portuguese language, we are able to show the solidarity between the province and the people in honor of the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 16th. (A translation is provided.)

Watch here

A devoted catechist, Isidore Bakanja did not hesitate to offer his life to God, filled with the certain beliefs he found in his faith and in his regular praying of the rosary. A witness for his canonization testified that a Belgian overlord accused Bakanja of teaching prayers and “all sorts of stupidities to my workers, to my servant-boys, and even to the villagers. If that does not stop, no one will want to work anymore for me.” His tirade ended with another beating for Isidore.

The Belgian possession of the Congo since 1885 was no more than crass, unjust exploitation of the native people. Bakanja was employed as a servant-boy, eventually returning to his native village. Mild, honest, respectful by nature, Isidore worked conscientiously and prayed faithfully, as many non-Christian witnesses attested. Often with rosary in hand, he looked for opportunities to share his new-found faith with others, to the extent that many thought of him as a catechist.

Working again for agents of a Belgian company, Isidore was told to discard his scapular. When he did not, he was twice flogged. The second time, the agent flew into one of his rages. He jumped at Isidore, tore the scapular from around his neck and threw him to the ground. He had two servant boys hold Isidore by his hands and feet and a third domestic flogged him. The whip was made of elephant hide with nails protruding at the end. The writhing Isidore asked for mercy. "My God, I'm dying", he muttered. But the colonizer kept kicking Isidore in the neck and head, and ordered his domestic to scourge him harder still. After 100, those assisting lost count of the number of blows.

An inspector for the company physically prevented the worker from killing Isidore. He took Isidore to his own settlement, hoping to help him heal. But Isidore felt death in his bones. He told someone who had pity on him: "if you see my mother, or if you go to the judge, or if you meet the priest, tell them that I am dying because I am a Christian". Two missionaries spent several days with him. He devoutly received the last sacraments.

He told them the reason for his beating: "The white man did not like Christians.... He did not want me to wear the scapular.... He yelled at me when I said my prayers". The missionaries urged Isidore to forgive the agent; he assured them that he had already done so and that he nursed no hatred for him. "Certainly I shall pray for him. When I am in heaven, I shall pray for him very much."

Isidore’s agony, his own cross, lasted six months. He died on either August 8 or 15, 1909, rosary in hand and the scapular of Our Lady of Mt Carmel around his neck.

Edith Stein was born on October 12, 1891, the Day of Atonement, into an observant Jewish family. She later wrote: "My mother laid great emphasis on the occurrence, and I think more than anything else, it made her youngest child especially dear to her... The Day of Atonement is the most solemn of all Jewish holidays, the day when the high priest entered the Holy of Holies, taking along the sacrifices to be offered in atonement for himself and all the people, after the scapegoat, burdened with the sins of the nation, had been driven into the wilderness."

Edith Stein was clearly a high strung, independent young child, possessing a precocious mind. As a teenager she struggled with her faith. She studied philosophy and became associated with Edmund Husserl, the father of phenomenology. In 1922 she converted to Catholicism. She entered a Discalced Carmelite monastery, professing final vows in April of 1938. She took the religious name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, in honor of St. Teresa of Avila and St. Benedict of Nursia.

Because of the Nazi program to liquidate the Jews in Europe, Edith and her biological sister, Rosa, were moved from their monastery in Cologne, Germany to the Discalced monastery in Echt, Netherlands for safety. Following the pastoral letter of the Dutch bishops complaining about the Nazis’ treatment of the Jews, all baptized Catholics of Jewish origin were arrested. The Stein sisters were sent to Auschwitz concentration camp near Krakow, Poland. They were murdered on August 9, 1941, in the so-called “Little White House” gas chamber at the rear portion of the camp on August 9, 1942.

With the witness of her life, Sister Teresa Benedicta enfleshes the words of St. Teresa of Avila: "I do not regret having given myself to Love." She was given the title “martyr of love” when she was canonized in 1998.

Her final testament says in part: "I joyfully accept in advance the death God had appointed for me, in perfect submission to his most holy will. May the Lord accept my life and death for the honor and glory of his name, for the needs of his holy Church - especially for the preservation, sanctification and final perfecting of our holy Order and in particular for the Carmels of Cologne and Echt - for the Jewish people, that the Lord may be received by his own and his kingdom come in glory, for the deliverance of Germany and peace throughout the world, and finally, for all my relatives living and dead and all whom God has given me: May none of them be lost."

Born in Trapani (Sicily) in the 13th century. He is also known as Albert of Sicily or Albert degli Abati. He distinguished himself for his dediction to mendicant preaching and the notoriety of his miracles. In the years 1280 and 1289 he was in Trapani and shortly afterwards in Messina. In the year 1296 he was prior provincial of the Carmelite Province of Sicily.

He was celebrated for his passionate love for purity and prayer. He became noted for his austerity in his lifestyle. He traveled around preaching and evangelizing, and maintained a relationship with people of the Jewish faith. He intervened in the siege in Messina that threatened hundreds with starvations and was credited for ending it.

He died in Messina, most likely in 1307.

He was the first saint who received devotion in the Carmelite Order, and was even considered it patron and protector (or “father”), a title he shared with another saint of his time, Angelo of Sicily. In the 16th century, it was decided that every Carmelite church would dedicate and altar to him. Later Carmelite saints Teresa of Jesus and Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi were devoted to him.

He is often depicted holding a lily or receiving the Christ Child from Our Lady.

Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.

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Celebrations of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

The Rio de Janeiro province of Carmelites will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in solidarity with those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Read more

Connect to One of the Oldest Devotions
General Delegation of Kenya
Novena in English
P. Denis Omae, O. Carm.
To participate

Behold Your Mother
Carmelite Institute of North America (CINA)
Novena in English
Fr. Christopher LaRocca, OCD
To participate

9 Days of Prayer for You
Province of Australia and Timor-Leste
Novena in English
To participate

We will be posting news of additional celebrations in the coming days. Please check back to the News section of the Order's website: Announcements (CITOC)

To celebrate Earth Day 2021 on April 22, 2021, the Indonesian Carmelite NGO launched vertical farming project at Karmel Syanti Argo ("syanti" means "peace" and "argo" means "mount"). The center is also the Laudato Si' Centre in Pasuran, East Java, Indonesia.

The purpose of this project is to teach poor urban people to grow vegetables even though they live in a limited space. By growing these vegetables themselves, they will spend less money for their food. Moreover, by doing this themselves, they help reduce their carbon footprint because of the decrease in the use of fuel to transport vegetables from the villages to the cities.

Furthermore, oxygen produced in the photo-synthesis process of the vegetables also helps maintain the quality of the air in the cities. Finally they sustain the environment.

For more information about the Carmelite NGO visit here

Apart from our presence at the United Nations, Carmelites have established other organisations working for justice, peace and integrity of creation issues throughout the world.

Visit Indonesian Carmelite NGO here

As reported earlier in CITOC (36/2021), the young people in the Americas did not let covid restrictions stop them from coming together and “hearing the voice of Jesus Christ.” And they never left their homes!

On July 4, approximately 600 people, including 400 young people in Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Perú, El Salvador, México, Argentina, Chile, the United States of America, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Italy, and Spain connected via the internet to celebrate “The Youth of Jesus.”

The prior general, Fr. Míċéal O'Neill, spoke to the group about the Carmelite charism assisting their spiritual journey, to become young in prayer, contemplation, and compassion—ultimately inspiring them to work on building a more just world.

For Fr. Luis Maza, General Councilor of the Americas, the day was “exciting, full of joy with a sense of family. There was also a deep sense of hope.”

Argentina had 22 members participating. They came away from the day with a sense of urgency to further develop the Carmelite Youth in their country. The leadership in Venezuela, with 55 participants, reacted to the exuberance of the meetings. “I was very happy to see the enthusiasm of the young people, the fraternal atmosphere. It was interesting to put faces to JUCAR America.

The day touched many of the youth as well. For Nair Cinthia Ortega Daza from Tarija, Bolivia, it was her first experience with Jucar América. She said she felt motivated discovering that many young people do live the Carmelite charism, growing in prayer, contemplation, and compassion. “The goal is to better our spiritual lives with the guidance of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in order to follow the way of Jesus,” said Nair.

For Charly Aguilar from Ilobasco, El Salvador, the day was an opportunity to experience the excitement of being with young people from all around the Americas. “Given the tough times we are living in because of the Covid-19 pandemic, God allowed us to be part of this great event. For me it was a wonderful learning experience as we shared the theme of the youth of Jesus.”

For Eduar González it was a truly spiritual experience. “The love and grace of the Most Holy Trinity was present each minute of the delivery of love experienced through JUCAR. It was God, young and alive, that flooded into my life, to be able to see so many brothers and sisters in Carmel giving the same response that Mother Mary gave when she said “Yes” to God."

“It has been fascinating to meet other young Carmelites. It was like a small Pentecost, because we are from different countries, speak different languages and live in different cultures. Yet we prayed, laughed, sang, and learned together as one,” said César Díaz from José Galvez, Perú. “I felt that “cozy warmth” of the Carmelite Family. My feeling only increased when our prior said of JUCAR 'they are here because in Carmel they have found their spiritual home.’ The whole meeting has been fascinating!”

“Seeing each face and listening to people thousands of miles away who share the same goal … we were excited to be there, with our hearts on fire and joyful, sharing opinions and feelings for Carmel, feeling the embrace of the brothers at a distance. Seeing their big smiles said everything,” wrote Alessandra Judith Mireles Atilano from Torréon, México. “It was a most beautiful experience, sharing my feelings and listening to others share. The experience taught me that my JOCARM (Young Carmelites of Mexico) is not alone, that we have brothers and sisters in many other places. Above all, we are in a common project. Seeing Carmel flower in each person was an experience that I would like to repeat many more times!”

At a follow-up meeting of the directors of JUCAR America on July 23, the evaluation of July 4 was basically positive. There was a high level of participation by the young people. The theme of the day, “The Youth of Jesus,” appeared interesting and engaging to the young people.

The coming months will be very busy as additional gathering get planned. JUCAR will be participating in the FOCAM (Formation of Carmelites in the Americas) meeting on August 28. On September 2-4 the Carmelites in Venezuela will hosting a Carmelite Youth Meeting. (This is intended for young lay men and women.) A Meeting of JUCAR on the American Continent will be held on November 14. Details remain to be worked out but three youth from each country will be chosen to work on organizing the event.

Coordinators of formation for JUCAR America, reflecting on the future, see the possibility of the young people becoming true protagonists in their communities. “There will be a much more active participation, as well as energy and commitment to transform our America into a home of fraternity, prayer, and contemplation. This will not only be in the religious realm but in the social, cultural, and political as well. Other see this youth movement firming up the ties between the various national groups. “It would be beautiful to celebrate Carmel together like this! We could exchange cultures, languages, and more.”

“Unquestionably, the movement is of the Spirit. In five years I see a consolidated movement throughout the Americas. The young people speak with prophetic voices. Perhaps in the future there will be matrimonies, or priestly and religious vocations that emerge from this movement.” It is a work of the Spirit.