INDEX

 

- The fruit of solidarity with Peru after the earthquake

- During the centenary of St Rafael Kalinowski

- Forthcoming Causes for Beatification in Poland

- Tangaza College Institute of Spirituality, Nairobi

- Carmelite Nuns

 

The fruit of solidarity

with Peru after the earthquake

 

Late on 15th August past, a strong earthquake devastated regions of Peru. Communities of our Nuns and Friars, above all in Ica, Cañete and Lima, suffered serious consequences. Towers tumbled and shattered was the vault of the sanctuary of Cristo de Luren in Ica. Doors and walls crumbled in the monasteries and convents. Churches were left damaged. Carmel in Peru is a Regional Vicariate of the Navarre Province, which immediately mobilised massive financial aid with contributions from their Friars, Nuns and Secular Order members. We know that other convents and monasteries gave direct help. Some of this has come to our notice.

The Secretary General of the Missions in Rome offered to channel the help that the rest of the communities of the Order wished to send in this emergency situation. We can mention results: 6 Provinces replied generously, as did one federation of Discalced Carmelite Nuns and 25 convents throughout the world. Contributions ranged from €10,000 and $10,000 to €80. They all were signs of fraternal care and support. Other offerings keep coming.

The sum collected by the Secretariate of Missions was €46,745 and $19,100. The Regional Bursar of Peru promised to let us know where this money went and how it was divided between the damaged convents and monasteries, and the people who were suffering as a consequence. In the meantime we are left with the satisfaction of witnessing the fraternal solidarity within the Order in the face of such suffering caused by the quake’s destruction.

 

During the centenary of St Rafael Kalinowski

                                  

The centenary of death of our Polish Carmelite saint came to a close on 15^th November, with Fr General presiding. Profiting from the centenary, one tourist agency organised pilgrimages to Poland in the steps of St Rafael Kalinowski, and of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) who was born in the city of Breslau, which is now in Polish territory with the name of Wroclaw. In the steps also of John Paul II who was born in Wadovice, where St Rafael of St Joseph died in the Carmelite monastery there.

On 16^th July, Fr General wrote a letter to the Provincials of Krakow and Warsaw in Poland in memory of the centenary. In it he recalled the merits and the teachings of the holy Polish Carmelite. In his letter, Fr Luis Arostegui highlighted this thought of St Rafael Kalinowski: “We cannot doubt that God, in his mercy, has assigned to everyone a duty to be accomplished in this world. If you want to become a saint, to become perfect, carry out faithfully your duties”. In collaboration with the Wadovice Carmelite community, the Wadovice City Council published an album with the title “I give my life for love” (“Oddal zycie z milosci”). It gathers together all that Pope John Paul II said and wrote on the “saint from my city”, where Karol Vojtila was born 13 years after the death of St Rafael Kalinowski. The book, prepared by Fr Szczepan T. Praskiewicz, uses its 144 pages to reproduce numerous photographs from the life of the saint as a student in Vilna, an exiled soldier in Siberia, as a Carmelite in the various places where he was stationed. Also added are the stages leading to the honours of the altar: his beatification in 1983 and his canonisation in 1991. The prestigious publication bears a presentation from the personal secretary of the Polish Pope and of the Mayoress of Wadowice. “I am convinced — writes Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz — that the reading of this book would never be lost time. The passages it contains from John Paul II are truly pearls which issue from the life and message of St Rafael Kalinowski, pearls which help to encounter that precious pearl about which Jesus speaks in the Gospel (Mt 13: 46).

 

Forthcoming Causes for Beatification in Poland

 

The News Bulletin of the Polish Episcopate revealed that, on 16^th June, the Plenary Session of the Episcopal Conference announced that “the bishops were positive in their agreement to introduce the Cause of beatification for Teresa of Jesus (Mariana Marchocka), Discalced Carmelite Nun (1603-1652), and of Kunegunda Siwiec (1876-1955), Secular Carmelite. St Rafael Kalinowski had already worked to introduce the Cause of Mother Teresa Marchocka. On 11^th April, 1993, the Definitory General of the Order gave its consent to take on this canonical Cause. The beginning of the Process for the Secular Carmelite, Kunegunda Siwiec, was authorised by the Definitory on 15^th December 2006.

The local Vice-Postulator of both Causes is Fr Szczepan T. Praskiewicz, ocd. With the approval of the Episcopal Conference, it is hoped shortly to obtain authorisation from the Holy See to begin in the Krakow Archdiocesan Curia the preliminary information process on the life, virtues and fame for sanctity of both servants of God.      

 

GENERALATE ASSUMES SPONSORSHIP OF

INSTITUTE OF SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGIOUS FORMATION

AT TANGAZA COLLEGE, NAIROBI

 

Tangaza College in Nairobi, Kenya, began twenty years ago with only twenty students from three religious congregations. Soon our Generalate founded a house nearby and Discalced Carmelite seminarians from English-speaking Africa began attending. Today Tangaza College has over 20 congregations (including ourselves) as corporate members, with more than 1000 students (religious and lay, men and women) in the theology school and six affiliated institutes.

One of these institutes, the Institute of Spirituality and Religious Formation (ISRF), was founded by the Tangaza Board of Governors in August 1996 at the urging of Fr. Tom Curran, OCD, of the Anglo-Irish Province, who was then assigned to the Carmelite Community in Nairobi and was teaching at the college. The original purpose of the ISRF was to help train those preparing for formation work and the ministry of spiritual guidance, especially those who would be working in an African context.

As Tangaza College has grown, the college administration has been asking different congregations to assume "sponsorship" of the affiliated institutes in order to assure continuity and quality control. Accordingly, during this past academic year (and a decade after its founding), the Institute of Spirituality and Religious Formation has come under the sponsorship of the Discalced Carmelite Order, and Fr. Steven Payne, OCD, of the Washington Province was proposed and accepted as director. On 18 January 2007, we marked the 10^th anniversary of the Institute and the beginning of the OCD sponsorship with a lecture on "The Future of African Spirituality" by the distinguished Malawian bishop and theologian, Most Rev. Patrick Kalilombe. Then came our annual three-day ISRF Symposium (6-8 February 2007), on the spiritual and pastoral significance of divination and healing in traditional African religion.

More recently, on 23-25 May 2007, in collaboration with the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and St. Paul's United Theological College, the Institute hosted a major international conference on African spirituality at Tangaza College, on the theme of "African Spirituality and Its Definitions in the African Context." The conference attracted over 170 participants, with an ecumenical panel of distinguished speakers that included John Mbiti, Laurenti Magesa, Charles Nyamiti, Jesse Mugambi, Mary Getui, Diane Stinton, and many others. So successful was the conference that we are planning to make it an annual event, and to explore the possibility of establishing some kind of "African Spirituality Association" for East African scholars.

Finally, in addition to our one-year certificate programme in spirituality, and our two-year diploma programmes in religious formation and spiritual guidance, the ISRF (in collaboration with DePaul University in Chicago) will now be offering a bachelor of arts (BA) degree on the Tangaza campus. Thus the Institute of Spirituality and Religious Formation, originally proposed by an OCD friar, is continuing to grow and develop, now under OCD sponsorship. This will mean, we hope, that the Discalced Carmelites will be playing an ever more important role in promoting the study and appreciation of African spirituality, and in training young African religious for the ministries of formation and spiritual guidance. This year we have 46 students from nearly 20 different countries in our one-year certificate programme and two-year diploma programmes, as well as 17 in the new DePaul BA programme. Further information on Tangaza College and the ISRF can be found at www.tangaza.org.

 

In our Carmelite Nuns’ monasteries

 

On the 8^th May 2007, in the Elective Assembly of the Regina Pacis Association of Lombardy/Italy, the following Sisters were elected:

 

President: Sr Maria Elisa Denti, Bologna (re-elected)

1^st Councillor: Sr Giovanna Quadrelli, Legnano

2^nd Councillor: Sr Maria Grazia Migazzi, Monselice

3^rd Councillor: Sr M. Benedetta Frigerio, Ferrara

4^th Councillor: Sr M. Maddalena Tebaldini, Parma

 

At Wahlwiller, in the Elective Assembly of the Federation of monasteries in Holland, held from 29^th May to 1^st June 2007, the following Sisters were elected:

 

President: Sr. Lucia van Steensel, Arnhem (re-elected)

1^st Councillor: Sr. Joanna Stradmeijer, Maastricht-Regina Pacis

2^nd Councillor: Sr. Mariëtte de Charro, Maastricht

3^rd Councillor: Sr. M. Bernadette Koenengras, Maastricht

 

In the Elective Assembly of “Nossa Senhora do Carmo” Association of South Brazil, held from 13^th to 16^th August 2007, the following sisters were elected:

 

President: Sr. Verônica da Sagrada Face, Caxias do Sul

1^st Councillor: Sr. Maria Teresinha do Menino Jesus, Sâo Leopoldo

2^nd Councillor: Sr. Leopoldina de Santa Teresa, Curitiba

3^rd Councillor: Sr. Maria da Imaculada, Santo Angelo

4^th Councillor: Sr. Susana, Campo Mourâo

 

In the Elective Assembly of the Federation of Bolivia, held in the month of May 2007, the following Sisters were elected:

 

President: M. Josefina de la Cruz (Santa Cruz)

1^st Councillor: M. Carmen Teresa del Amor (Cochabamba)

2^nd Councillor: M. Dora del Niño Jesús de Praga (Sucre)

3^rd Councillor: M. María José de Jesús (Potosí)

4^th Councillor: Lourdes de San José (La Paz)

 

In the Elective Assembly of the Federation of Mexico on 28^th August 2007, the following Sisters were elected:

 

President: María Gabriela de San José (Salgado Ramírez) of Puebla-Sta. Teresa

1^st Councillor: Gema Adriana de Jesús Crucificado (Ayala Flores) of México-Tepeyac

2^nd Councillor: Luz del Carmen del Niño Dios (Guerrero Rosales) of Jerez Zacatecas

3^rd Councillor: Teresa de San Juan de la Cruz (Gutiérrez Sosa) of Álvaro Obregón

4^th Councillor: Isabel de la Encarnación (García) of Tulpetlac.

 

With rescript n° FM 53-1/94 of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life dated 8^th June 2007, Fr Pedro Zubieta, ocd, was reappointed Religious Assistant of “Nuestra Señora del Carmen” Association in Peru.

 

With rescript n° FM 69-2/89 of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life dated 20^th July 2007, Fr Ignace Wishaupt, ocd, was reappointed Religious Assistant of the Federation of Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Holland.

 

With rescript n° 13497/2007, dated 20^th July 2007, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life gave permission to begin the foundation of a monastery in the city of Cartagena, in the Archdiocese of the same name, in Colombia, with the nuns coming from various monasteries belonging to the Association in that country.

 

With rescript n° FM 181-2/99 of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life dated 9^th August 2007, Fr Cipriano Bontacchio, ocd, was reappointed Religious Assistant of the Carmelite Nuns’ monasteries in Japan.

 

With rescript n° FM 57,I-2/94 of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life dated 9^th August 2007, Fr Joâo Bonten, ocd, was reappointed Religious Assistant of the Santa Teresa de Los Andes Association in Brazil.

 

With rescript n° FM 23 c-2/1978 of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life dated 22^nd September 2007, Fr Francisco Rafael Brändle Matesanz, ocd, was appointed Religious Assistant of the San José Federation of Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Castile-Burgos (Spain).

 

With rescript n° 13724/2007 dated 5^th September 2007, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life granted permission for the monastery of Salt Lake City/USA to pass from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of that city to that of our Order.

 

With rescript n° 13869/2007, dated 21^st September 2007, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life gave permission to begin the foundation of a monastery in the city of Sucha Huta in Gdansk (Danzica)/Poland, with nuns from the monastery of Gdynia Orlowo/Poland.

 

With rescript n° FM 22e-1/2007, dated 26^th September 2007, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life gave permission to unite the two Federations of St Joseph (Paris) and St Therese of Lisieux (Lisieux) and for the canonical establishment of the new Federation of “North France” under the patronage of St Therese of Lisieux and Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity.