The second Asia-Australia-Oceania Carmelite student friars gathering in this sexennium was held in Malang (Indonesia) from the 4th to 10th April , 2013.

Fr. Lucianus Simon Rande, O.Carm., Provincial Councillor of the Indonesian Province was the main celebrant of the opening Mass. On behalf of Fr. Ignatius Joko Purnomo, O.Carm., Indonesian Provincial, he gave an address of welcome and officially opened the gathering.  An address from Fr. Prior General was read by Fr. Albertus Herwanta, the General Councillor for Asia-Australia-Oceania.

Sixty-six Carmelite student friars and formators from India, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia and East Timor joined the gathering where they prayed and meditated together.  They also listened to Fr. Rico Ponce, O.Carm. (Phil) and Fr. Benny Phang, O.Carm. (Indo). Fr. Rico talked about three things: The mission of animating Carmelite life today within the sphere of formation; The Asian spiritual context and Carmelite spirituality - challenge and response; Following Christ in the context of globalization. Fr. Benny talked about theology of the body.

On April 7th the participants visited the following Carmelite communities: the house for the elderly, the provincial house, Saint Albert High School, the Carmelite Nuns and the novitiate house. On April 9th they visited the Safari Park of East Java. They also enjoyed creative performances, and Indian, Vietnamese, Philippine, Timorese and Indonesian food prepared by the participants.

Gratitude was also expressed to all who supported this gathering, especially to the Provincial of Indonesia for his willingness to fraternally host this gathering, and to Fr. Crispinus Ginting, O.Carm. and his team who worked hard to prepare and organize everything.

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.

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Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm. Prior General

Throughout the six years that the term of the General leadership lasts there are moments that are difficult, joyful, sad, emotional, moments in which one feels an extraordinary pride in our Carmelite family, and so on. At the end of last year, (from 29th November to 4th December 2010) we had one of those very intense, profound and joyful moments, in the meeting of the two General Councils, O.Carm and O.C.D., for a week at the Stella Maris de Monte Carmelo (Haifa, Israel). The meeting gave us a chance to think together, pray and meditate together, and to look at mission and the meaning and importance of Carmel for the Church and the society of today.

The first two days were devoted to a reflection on consecrated life in today’s world, led by Fr. Gabino Uribarri, S.J., the Dean of the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University of Comillas in Madrid. Fr. Uribarri has written a number of works on religious life, and his talks helped us to grow in our awareness of the ecclesial dimension of this life, as well as the responsibility it has in the area of evangelisation. Along with the talks, which were always very solid theologically and inspirational at the same time, we had some very interesting sharing of opinions in which we were able to see how we live out these dimensions in each branch of Carmel, as well as the difficulties we encounter in this area.

This first part ended with a visit to the ruins of the first Carmelite foundation. This was a particularly intense moment in which we went through the ruins of the first chapel, the prior’s cell close to the entrance (juxta introitum loci), the spring of Elijah and so on. We sang the Flos Carmeli together, and were very mindful of our sisters and brothers in both branches of Carmel throughout the world.

In the days that followed, the members of both councils visited places of Carmelite interest, and some of the other significant places in the Holy Land. As we went around we had Fr. Francisco Negral and Fr. Renato Rosso, both O.C.D. as our guides. Both were excellent guides who with genuine professional ability and spiritual insight, helped to get a real taste of the spirituality of the different places. Moreover, in each different place we had a Lectio divina, directed by Fr. Desiderio Garcia, O.Carm. who helped us to recapture and re-live the words of the Lord, right there in those places where they were pronounced for the first time. 

It was also a great pleasure to visit the four monasteries of Discalced Carmelite women in the Holy Land (Mount Carmel, Nazareth, Bethlehem and the Our Father) where we were able to spend time with the nuns and enjoy their hospitality.

The last day was devoted entirely to the writing of a message for the Order and to the study and evaluation of other joint activities and areas of common endeavour. We looked again at some of the topics that have been studied in the meetings of the two councils, which take place in Rome twice a year.

All that remains is for us to sincerely thank the Carmelite communities at Mount Carmel and throughout the Holy Land for the wonderful hospitality they gave us, and also the Carmelite Sisters in Stella Maris, who, as they always do, made us feel so much at home by the simplicity, pleasantness and fraternal spirit of their hospitality.

During the week that we were in Mount Carmel, we received some bad news. Fifteen kilometres from Stella Maris, on one of the hills that form part of the Mount Carmel chain, there was a fire that burned many acres of forest, and, even more sadly, caused the death of 43 people who were passengers in a coach. Even though neither Stella Maris, nor the Wadi es Siah nor the Muhraqa were affected by the fire, the flames could be seen from miles away. We could not help but recall the words of Amos in the Bible speaking about the destruction of this highly symbolic place: and the top of Carmel dries up … (Amos 1,2). Without getting into visionary interpretations or anything so strange, we might perhaps see a sign in this, something that alerts us, a even warning. Carmel, the biblical place of beauty, synonymous with all that is fertile and the generosity of nature, is on fire on account of human neglect. Perhaps we as Carmelites may have a word to say to this world of ours that is taking giant steps towards the destruction of our environment, our waters, and nature itself. Together, we commend all the victims of the forest fire to the one God whom Elijah adored in these same places.

The Prior General, Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., together with the Councillor General for Europe, Fr. John Keating, O.Carm. met with the European friars who made solemn vows within the last ten years. This meeting took place at San Andres, the Carmelite University Residence and European Novitiate in Salamanca, Spain from the 4th to the 7th April 2013. This is also the place where St. John of the Cross was a student. Of the forty possible participants thirty-three friars were present for what was entitled "A Dialogue in Hope regarding the future of the Order in Europe." The Prior General spoke about three things with the group: "Hope for the future", "The situation of the Order in Europe" and "A vision for the future."  Together in groups and in assembly friars from Arago-Valentina, Betica, Britain, the French Delegation, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Neapolitan Province, Netherlands and Poland addressed a wide range of issues among themselves and with the Prior General searching to find common paths for hope regarding the future of the Order in Europe. The final text of their common reflection (in English, Italian and Spanish) can be found on the Order's website at:
http://ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/anchored-hope-heb-618-19

A very warm welcome was extended to all by the community at San Andres, and the gathering also included a guided tour of the city of Salamanca and Eucharist celebrated by the Prior General at the tomb of St. Teresa of Jesus at Alba de Tormes.