On November 12, the prior provincial of the Polish Province, Wiesław Strzelecki travelled to the friary of Volodymyr-Volynskyi in Ukraine to celebrate the feast of St Josaphat. The homily for the Mass was delivered by the bishop of the Greek Catholic Church, who concelebrated with the local priests.

The priests of his Church and the bishop of the Orthodox Church in Kiev attended the Mass. At the end of Mass, the provincial thanked Fr Lech Koszlaga and Br Jan Rafiński for their self-sacrificing service in Ukraine, especially during this time of war. They have chosen to remain with the people instead of returning to Poland.

The mayor of Volodymyr Volynskyi thanked the Polish provincial for the aid for the people that has continued to flow into the area from from Poland. Carmelite houses and ministries from around the world have participated.

After the liturgy, all those present went to the altar of St Josaphat, where they prayed for peace and honored the martyr's relics.

On November 13, the prior provincial met the parishioners, who had gathered for prayer in the Carmelite church in Volodymyr Volynskyi. During the Eucharist, he prayed for peace in war-torn Ukraine.

The Polish province has two foundations in the Ukraine. Besides Volodymyr Volynskyi, the Carmelites are ministering in a parish at Sasiadowice.

Picture Captions:

Picture 1: A altar of remembrance for those from Włodzimierz Wołyński and the surrounding area who have died in the current war. 

Picture 2: Relics of St. Josaphat.

Picture 3: (left to right)  Fr. Wiesław Strzelecki and Br. Jan at the Greek Catholic church. The inscription on the plaque is about St. Josaphat.

Picture 4: The Polish prior provincial, Wiesław Strzelecki with the Greek Catholic bishop.

Picture 5: (from left) Fr. Karol Amroż, O. Carm., Fr. Wiesław Strzelecki, O. Carm., and Br. Jan Rafiński, O. Carm. Br. Jan has been working in Ukraine for 10 years.

Picture 6: A tribute to those from Włodzimierz Wołyński who have died in the current war.

Picture 7: (left to right) Father Wiesław Strzelecki, Father Lech Koszlaga, O. Carm., and Father Karol Amroż, O. Carm.  Fr. Lech has been living and working in our monastery in Ukraine for 33 years. He is holding the relics of St. Josaphat.

Simon Nolan, O. Carm., a member of the Irish Province of Carmelites, has been appointed Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at St Patrick’s Pontifical University, Maynooth, Ireland. He took up his role at the beginning of September. At the annual University Conferring of Degrees on 12^th November, the Chancellor of the University and Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamonn Martin, formally welcomed Simon and wished him well in this new role.

Simon is a doctoral graduate of Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University and has specialized in the study of the first Carmelites at the medieval universities as well as the Irish intellectual tradition in the 14th century. He also has a particular interest in the philosophical thought of St Titus Brandsma.

Simon is a member of the Scientific Council of the Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome and a Scholar at the Center for Carmelite Studies, Washington DC.

Philosophy has been taught at Maynooth since the founding of St Patrick’s in 1795, with the first professors coming from Paris’ Sorbonne University in the wake of the French Revolution. The Philosophy Faculty at Maynooth attracts students from both Ireland and abroad and has a strong reputation in both teaching and research, with good numbers enrolled in its masters, licentiate, and doctoral programmes.

Historically there have been connections between Maynooth and the Carmelites in Ireland, with some occasionally studying or teaching philosophy, theology, or science there. In September, three members of the Pernambuco Province (Brazil) and one member of the General Commissariat of St Thérèse and St Albert (India) commenced their studies in theology at Maynooth. Importantly, the certificate, diploma, B.Th. and M.Th. programs of the Carmelite Institute of Britain and Ireland (CIBI) are accredited by Maynooth.

Picture Captions

Top: (left to right): Dr Patrick Gorevan, Dr Philip Gonzales, and Simon Nolan, O. Carm., from the Faculty of Philosophy, Maynooth.
Bottom: The featured guests at the ceremony. Picture courtesy of St Patrick's Pontifical University (SPPU).

In less than 300 days thousands of young people from the four corners of the world will be gathered in Lisbon for World Youth Day 2023.
The invitation is open to join in singing and celebrating with one voice from August 1-6, 2023.

«Mary arose and went with haste» (Lk 1:39) is the bible quote chosen by Pope Francis as the motto of the World Youth Day that will be held for the first time in the capital city of Lisbon, Portugal.

On the occasion of WYD 2023, Míċeál O'Neill, Prior General of the Order, sends a message to encourage young people and Carmelites who work with them to participate in the celebrations.

In the words of Fr. Miceal, WYD "has proven to be the kind of event where young people find inspiration, companionship and nourishment for their lives".

pdf Read the Letter here(108 KB)

The royal shepherd
(Luke 23:35-43)

On this last Sunday of the Church’s year we celebrate the Feast of Christ, the King. Today is a day to give thanks to God for all the blessings received during the past year. Most of all, we thank God for the great gift of his son. We celebrate Christ as King of the Universe and look forward to the coming of his kingdom in all its fullness at the end of time.

We are also conscious of the reign of God here and now. The Preface of today’s mass says that Christ’s kingdom is

‘a kingdom of truth and life,
a kingdom of holiness and grace,
a kingdom of justice, love, and peace’.

Whenever we act like Christ, the Kingdom of God breaks into our world. Whenever we are moved by the Spirit to proclaim the truth, to respond to need, to work for justice, to transform and heal our society, the Kingdom of God breaks into human reality and the grace of God becomes clearly visible in our words and actions. May we be a people who always seek to bring the reign of God’s goodness into our world. That would be the very best way of celebrating this feast.

The first reading from the book of Samuel tells the story of David’s election as king of Israel. Under David all the twelve tribes of Israel gathered to form one kingdom. The reading recalls God’s commission to David to be ‘shepherd of my people Israel’. David is not to lord it over his people, but to be a shepherd to them.

Like David, Christ comes to gather all people into the one Kingdom of God. He, too, acts as a shepherd-king to God’s people.
The Gospel illustrates this clearly. Here is a king who gives up his life for his people. He has no fine clothes. His throne is the cross. His crown is made of thorns, not of gold. Even in the throes of death faith and forgiveness are at work and entry into the kingdom of God gained and granted. Indeed, the final act of the dying King Jesus is to grant forgiveness, mercy and admission to the kingdom – a gospel within the Gospel.

The Gospel readings throughout Ordinary time have lead us on a journey of accompanying Jesus on his earthly journey, listening to him unfold God’s desire for the human family, watching him restore health and wholeness to many, being taught how to pray properly, to be aware that the Kingdom is both ‘here and now’ and ‘yet to come’, the lengths God goes to in order to win us back, and how God meets us with mercy, forgiveness, healing and peace.

Our journey has been about discovering who God is and therefore, who Jesus is, and therefore, who we are called to be when we enter into a faithful relationship with him.

• pdf Celebrating At Home - Feast of Christ, King of the Universe [PDF](3.67 MB)
• default Celebrating At Home - Feast of Christ, King of the Universe [ePub](2.81 MB)
• pdf Celebrando en Familia - Solemnidad de Cristo, Rey del Universo(538 KB)
• pdf Celebrando in Casa - Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo Re dell’Universo(540 KB)
• pdf Celebrando em Família - Solenidade de Cristo, Rei do Universo(384 KB)

INITIUM NOVITIATUS
03-10-22  Israel Muskus Díaz (CAT) Salamanca, España
03-10-22  Jonathan José Barrios Kanzler (CAT) Salamanca, España
03-10-22  Yorgan José Montana Martínez (CAT) Salamanca, España


PROFESSIO TEMPORANEA
01-11-22  M^a de la Misericordia del Padre Eterno (VAL) Valencia, España
01-11-22  M^a Faustina del Corazón de Jesús (Val) Valencia, España


ORDINATIO DIACONALIS
12-11-22  Marcolino Gomes (Aust-TL) Middle Park, Australia


ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
15-10-22  John Mutisi (Hib-Zim) Mutare, Zimbabwe
15-10-22  Munyaradzi Emmanuel Murungu (Hib-Zim) Mutare, Zimbabwe
15-10-22  Vincent Chipisa (Hib-Zim) Mutare, Zimbabwe
03-11-22  Wilibaldus Rade (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Sonobius Rua (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Kristoforus Rawi (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Yoseph Kua (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Yohanes Adrianus Muga (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Fabianus Masi (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Adelbertus Nenis (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
03-11-22  Maksimus Labut Rao (Indo-East) Maumere, Indonesia
05-11-22  Florentinus Kopong Belang (Indo-East  Larantuka, Indonesia
05-11-22  Yoseph Watun Diaz Alffi (Indo-East)  Larantuka, Indonesia
11-11-22  Albino Dos Santos (Aust-TL) Middle Park, Australia

Picture Captions:

November 14 | Feast

From "De Patientia" of Bl. Baptist of Mantua

"I will say something, however, to urge you to desire to see those things that mortal eyes are unable to see. Such desire, by raising the mind from earthly things to heavenly things, causes them, while still remaining earthly and mortal, at least in part to become heavenly. If it is true that where your treasure is, there will also be your heart, if our treasure is in heaven it is necessary that our heart also be in heaven. If it is in heaven, it has heavenly dimensions, and we need the desires of our heart to be heavenly, through the commitment to meditate on great and infinite things starting from the smallest."

For more information, go to ocarm.org

On November 13th the Carmelite Order celebrates the memorial of Blessed Maria Teresa Scrilli.

Mother Maria Teresa was profoundly connected to Carmelite spirituality which she knew, since childhood, from her reading of St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi. The spirit of contemplation, total abandonment to the will of God, and deep union with the Lord were the characteristics of her spiritual life. Her prayer added the aspect of reparation for offences inflicted on God, of praise, of joy in Him, of profound union, of faith. The "pure love" for God pushes one to the generous offering of oneself to others, "to leave God for God," even to the point of making a fourth vow: "to give oneself over to neighbour by means of both Christian and civil moral instruction."

Read more here

Thirty-two Carmelites from Australia and Timor-Leste gathered in Melbourne, Australia, this week for the triennial Provincial Chapter meeting. The prior general, Miċeál O'Neill, also participated in the gathering.

The Chapter comes at the end of an 18-month consultation process looking at the needs and hopes of the Carmelites and our ministries in the future as well as the realities we face in the present.

In 1881 five members of the Irish Province went to Australia to establish the Order. Five years later the Australian commisariat was established but ended two years later although the foundation continued. On March 22, 1930, a general commissariat was established, expanding to have houses in Coorparoo, Queensland (1937) and Donvale (1937). On September 13, 1948, the Australian province was canonical erected. A foundation was made in New Zealand following year, lasting until 1970.

At the Provincial Chapter of 2001, the Australian Province agreed to accept responsibility for the Carmelite presence begun by the Indonesian Province in Timor-Leste. Three years later a novitiate was opened in Fatuhada, Dili. A month later, in late September 2004, the name of the province was officially change to “Province of Australia and Timor-Leste.”

During the Chapter the following were elected to leadership:

Prior Provincial | Prior Provincial | Priore Provinciale: 
Fr. Bruce Clark, O. Carm.

1^st Councilor | 1er Consejero | 1° Consigliere: 
Fr. Wayne Stanhope, O. Carm.

2^nd Councilor | 2do Consejero | 2° Consigliere: 
Fr. Januario Pinto, O. Carm.

3^rd Councilor | 3er Consejero | 3° Consigliere: 
Fr. David Hofman, O. Carm.

4^th Councilor | 4to Consejero | 4° Consigliere: 
Fr. Carlito Da Costa Araújo, O. Carm.

Not so soon
(Luke 21:5-19)

Passages of Scripture, like today’s Gospel, can leave us feeling disturbed.
Talk of destruction, wars, revolutions, persecution and betrayal by close family members can be quite unsettling.
We have to read the Gospel as Luke’s community would have received it, knowing that the Temple and Jerusalem had already been destroyed (ca 70AD) at the end of the Jewish-Roman war, some 10-20 years before Luke’s Gospel was written. In the light of that destruction, and the ongoing persecution by both Romans and Jews, perhaps many in Luke’s community thought the end was near.
Looking at the world today many of us, too, are dismayed by the wars, persecutions and destruction in our own day.
Like Luke’s community, perhaps we, too, long for a saviour to come to our rescue, to make it all right. Maybe that is why so many are prepared to put their trust in harsh dictators who promise to make things right and restore a sense of control and national identity, even at the expense of basic human rights.
The words which Luke places on the lips of Jesus are designed to comfort and give hope. Jesus warns them not to listen to those who think they know God’s plan for the end of time – rather, they should know that God is with them always and no matter what happens.
The Church must continue its journey (persevere) in spite of all sorts of difficulties and persecutions. Like Jesus, the disciples will be vindicated by God with the gift of eternal life.

• pdf Celebrating At Home - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time [PDF](2.96 MB)
• default Celebrating At Home - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time [ePub](2.99 MB)
• pdf Celebrando en Familia - 33 Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario(596 KB)
• pdf Celebrando in Casa - XXXIII Domenica del Tempo Ordinario(597 KB)
• pdf Celebrando em Família - 33 Domingo do Tempo Comum(588 KB)