The 2007 General Chapter decided that every six years a Congress of Lay Carmelites would be held. The next Congress will be held at Sassone (Rome)  from the 17th to the 21st of September of this year. The theme of the congress will be: "Formation for service to the Kingdom of God and to the World. Lay Carmelites in the Mission of the Church".

Given the specific nature of the topic, the people who are invited to attend are first of all formation directors, provincial delegates for lay Carmelites, lay provincial moderators and other interested Lay Carmelites.

The Congress will provide a unique occasion for sharing experiences of life and presence in the different countries, for getting to know other Lay Carmelites and what they are doing, and for an experience of the bonds of spirituality and charism that bind Lay Carmelites to their sisters and brothers in the Carmelite Family throughout the world.

Taking advantage of the occasion, the Provincial Delegates for Lay Carmel, and Lay Moderators have been invited to come two days before the Congress (14th and 15th of September) for a meeting of their own with the theme, "The roles and duties involved in guiding and promoting Lay Carmelites", The purpose of this meeting is to clarify the respective responsibilities and competencies involved in the accompaniment and the directing of Lay Carmel.

For further information regarding both meetings, see the website: www.ocarm.org/laycongress2012