Fr. Raúl Maraví, O.Carm.

The presence of Carmelite friars can be found in thirteen distinct countries in a very large territory that extends from Canada in the north to Argentina in the south where we have approximately 530 Carmelites.  
The American continent is divided into two regions:

• The North American Region
• The Latin American and Caribbean region.  

In this first triennium we visited the majority of the Carmelite places in this enormous continent. We tried to encourage greater interchange and mutual collaboration between both regions and between the existing entities.  Likewise, we animated the friars to participate in various permanent formation programs, to continue studies in specialized areas after theology and to learn one of the official languages of the Order.  These visits also included visits to monasteries of cloistered nuns and some convents of sisters affiliated with our Order when time and distance permitted us to do so.  
During this time we had the opportunity to participate in four provincial chapters, four provincial commissariat assemblies and one general delegation meeting.  Also, we were present at various celebrations, congresses and meetings among which we can highlight: the Beatification of Madre Candelaria de San José in Venezuela, the meeting of Superiors of the Americas in Brazil, the Golden (50th) Anniversary of Crespi Carmelite High School in the United States, The O.Carm-O.C.D. Latin American Congress (ALACAR) in Colombia, and three formation courses for Latin America in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil.  
It should be noted that in the Meeting of Superiors of 2008, the group carefully studied the Global Plan of the General Council for the Order in distinct areas such as: formation, justice and peace and the integrity of creation, Carmelite schools and youth, Carmelite laity.  The assistants, friars and some Carmelite sisters worked and analyzed the most viable ways to implement this plan in their communities.  
On the other hand, it is also important to note that during the International Course for formators in August of 2010 in Brazil, the formators of the American continent met to discuss a plan to develop three single international novitiates in the continent (one in English, one in Spanish and one in Portuguese).  The majority of the participants (around thirty formators) were in agreement to continue supporting this initiative in order to achieve a better interchange and to enrich the novices and students with a more international and diversified experience of our Carmelite Order.