Volume 41, Number 1

January-February, 2002

Hermits in the Carmelite Tradition

By Fr. Joseph Chalmers, O. Carm., Prior General hough the beginnings of the Carmelite Order are shrouded in mystery, it is well known that the rst Carmelites were hermits. It seems that they were men from Western Europe who had gone to the Holy Land to live in allegiance to Jesus Christ. They were attracted by the sacred history attached to Mount Carmel and many began to live there, worshipping God in solitude and silence. We do not know the details of the gathering of the hermits on Mount Carmel, nor the exact dates, but between 1206 and 1214 they were sufcient in numbers and fraternal unity to request of Albert, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to write for them a way of life, which he probably based on the way in which they were already living. In 1215 the Lateran Council decreed that no new religious orders could be established in the Church. Since the Carmelite rule had only been given by the Patriarch

Hermit cell on Mt. Carmel.

Hermit cells on Mt. Carmel.

of Jerusalem, this posed a problem. In 1216 Pope Honorius III declared that the Carmelites had received their rule before the Council and so were exempt from its prohibition. The eremitical life was always recognised as having certain serious spiritual dangers. A hermit is someone who follows a clear call from God to live a penitential life in solitude and silence. Each human being has to struggle against the temptation to selshness that lurks in every heart. Hermits need to be able to examine their lives with a trustworthy and experienced person so that the difculties of life do not dim their enthusiasm and extinguish their ideals. For this reason the Carmelite hermits gathered together in community. They maintained their eremitical ideals but they had the safety net of the community to make sure that they had their feet on the ground. It is very easy to love your neighbour if you do not have one. The faith, hope and love of the hermits on Mount Carmel were tested and rened by their living with others on a daily basis. For a number of reasons, especially Muslim advances and unrest

in Palestine, most of the Carmelites left Mount Carmel by the 1240s and made foundations in various European countries. As they did so the Carmelite hermits, with the permission of the Pope, joined the new and popular mendicant movement and so became friars like the Franciscans and the Dominicans. In 1247 Pope Innocent IV adapted the rule of St. Albert to enable the Carmelites to live as a mendicant order. There is evidence that the hermits on Mount Carmel engaged in a limited apostolate with the people but an essential aspect of the vocation of mendicant friars is an active apostolic commitment. It seems that most Carmelites took to this new way of life very willingly but some were not happy. One of the earliest Carmelite documents still in existence, The Fiery Arrow, is a stinging criticism by the Prior General, Nicholas the Frenchman, of the movement away from the eremitical life to the active apostolate in the cities. (continued on page 8)

inside
Articles Hermits of Christoval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Hermits of Chester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hermits at Lake Elmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Hermits in Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Life in Yauri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Native Chicagoan Becomes Priest . . . . . 9 Meet the Pre-Novices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Joliet Catholic Academy Takes Illinois State Football Championship . . 14 Carmelites Approved as NGO . . . . . . . 16 Departments From the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Provincials Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Carmelecta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

From the Editor

oth Congratulations and a Thank You are due to William Harry, O. Carm., now the former editor of The Carmelite Review. Congratulations on his election to the General Council of the Order of Carmelites with duties all over the world and his residence now in Rome. Thank You for his years of service to the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary as editor of the Review, as Western Regional Provincial, and as coordinator of our vocation effort. You may notice that some of the news in this issue of the Review is old news. We skipped an issue of The Carmelite Review during the change of editors from William Harry, O. Carm., to Gregory Houck, O. Carm. Future issues should be back on the bi-monthly schedule. IN THIS ISSUE During the Conference on the Rule this past summer in San Antonio I noticed a number of Carmelites of a different avor. These were O. Carm. friars and candidates from the Carmelite Hermitage in Christoval, Texas, and I learned that they are soon to be incorporated into the Order. I also learned from John-Benedict Weber, O. Carm., provincial delegate to the nuns and hermits, that the various hermit groups have had a surge in vocations. Finding all this interesting and not knowing that much about these growing O. Carm. communities, I thought the readers of The Carmelite Review would also nd this interesting; therefore, this issue features the various O. Carm. hermit communities in the United States Christoval, Texas; Lake Elmo, Minnesota; Bolivar, Pennsylvania; and Chester, New Jersey. The rst article is by Joseph Chalmers, O. Carm., Prior General, on the eremetical (hermit) aspects of the Carmelite charism (mission and tradition). Greg Houck, O. Carm.

Carmelite Review Volume 41, Number 1

January-February 2002 The Carmelite Review is published by the Society of Mt. Carmel on the 15th day of every other month beginning in January (except July). The issue deadline is the 20th day of the month previous to publication. Submitted news information, feature articles, letters, photos, and other materials are property of the Review. Publisher: Leo McCarthy, O. Carm. Editor-in-Chief: Greg Houck, O. Carm. Editorial Consultant: Sal Lema St. Elias Province Editor: Eugene Foley, O. Carm. Peruvian Correspondent: Miguel Brown, O. Carm. Mexican Correspondent: Tomas Jordan, O. Carm. Canadian Correspondent: Leo Huard, O. Carm. European Correspondent: Antony Lester, O. Carm. Asian Correspondent: Rey Caigoy, O. Carm. Roman Correspondent: William Harry, O. Carm. Copy Editors: Carmelites of Hudson, Wisconsin Send submittals to the Editor at: 6725 Reed Road, Houston, Texas 77087-6830 E-mail: review@carmelnet.org Voice: 713.644.8400 Fax: 713.649.6955 Electronic version available at: carmelites.org/review.htm

Provincials Calendar
March 9 Edwardo Rivero Ordination, Jose Galvez, Peru 13-15 House Chapter & Formation Commission, Whitefriars Hall 21 Novitiate, Middletown, NY 28-31 Carmel at Mission Valley, Nokomis, FL April 1-5 12 13-14 25 May 1-3 13 16-17 17 Supply, St. Judes, Boca Raton, FL O. Carm., OCD Provincials Meeting, Washington, DC Carmelite Institute, Washington, DC Novitiate, Middletown, NY Council Meeting, Darien, IL Mothers Day Mass, Mt. Carmel, Chicago, IL W.T.U. Trustee Meeting, Washington, DC W.T.U. Graduation, Washington, DC

2 Carmelite Review

Hermits of Christoval
By Fabian Rosette, O. Carm.

y idea of creating a Carmelite Hermitage was born out of my love for Carmel and its traditions. As a Third Order member, I was impressed by the Scriptural simplicity of the Rule and by the original eremitical way of life it envisioned. This inspired in me the desire to live the primitive Carmelite charism in its unique contemplative dimension. To concretely realize this vision, it was necessary to form a community with an atmosphere where silence, solitude, and personal prayer were the foundations sustaining this unique expression of Carmel at the end of the 20th century. In 1989, I approached the Bishop of the Diocese of San Angelo to obtain his permission to establish Mt. Carmel Hermitage. Later, on July 1, 1991, Bishop Michael Pfeifer, OMI, granted his blessing and support for my vision, and I began to live the Carmelite eremitical way of life that I had always longed for. The Hermitage is situated on 100 acres of rolling forested hills, south of the City of San Angelo, in the northernmost reaches of the Chihuahuan Desert. On December 8, 1999, our community was formally afliated to the Carmelite Order of the Ancient Observance after visits by the Prior General and his delegate and after approval of our Constitutions. We have now requested

A Christoval Carmelite hermit.

full incorporation into the Carmelite Order, a step which was approved by the General Chapter in September of 2001. This process will be completed with a liturgical celebration and the profession of solemn vows in the hands of the Prior General in the spring of 2002. After many years living at the Hermitage, I envisioned a life that has a harmonious blend of fraternity, as the Rule of St. Albert states, accompanied by silence, solitude, and the importance of the cell for prayer, and which together give harmony and equilibrium to Carmelite eremitical

life. Each cell is actually a separate house composed of a study, chapel, bedroom, bathroom and porch. A cell is separated from the next cell by an enclosed garden and its own private entrance. Our day begins at 3:30 AM, with Vigils in common at 4:00 AM, followed by an hour of mental prayer. At 5:30 AM the hermits celebrate Morning Prayer together. This is followed by the Eucharist and private prayer at 6:00 AM. Breakfast, if needed, is eaten privately in the cell and the time immediately following the Eucharist is devoted to Lectio Divina. The Little Hours are prayed in private. Normally, each hermit performs three hours of manual labor in the morning and two more hours in the afternoon. Work is usually done in silence to insure the spirit of recollection necessary for the eremitical life. Dinner, the main meal of the day, is eaten in the cell except on Sundays and feast days when all meals are eaten together. An hour of mental prayer follows in the late afternoon and this is followed by Evening Prayer at 5:30 PM. Each hermit also has free time for rest or reading or correspondence every afternoon. On Sundays and Carmelite feast days the day is less structured with work and provides ample time for reading or study as well as a community walk. Common recreation takes place on Sundays, as do community (continued on page 10)

Kevin McBrien, O. Carm., Elected Western Commissary Provincial

evin McBrien, O. Carm., has been elected as the Western Commissary Provincial for the Most Pure Heart of Mary Province of Carmelites. This ofce became vacant when William Harry, O. Carm., former Western Provincial (and former editor of The Carmelite Review) was elected to the Carmelite General Council in Rome. The Carmelites residing in the Western Region elected Fr. Kevin to complete Fr. Bills term. As Regional Superior, Father Kevin is responsible for the Carmelite members in the states of Arizona, California, and Texas and any place west or south of the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska,

Kansas, Arkansas and Mississippi. He also becomes a member of the Provincial Council. When asked his thoughts on being elected to this position, Fr. Kevin stated that he was, very humbled, by it and I want to learn more and respond to the needs and represent the men in the Westtheir ideas, their feelings, their gifts, and their concerns as they minister in the Province. I will take their message to the Provincial and his Council. According to Fr. Kevin, studies made by western bishops have shown that the future of the American Church is and will be focused in the West.

Carmelite Review 3

Hermits of Chester
By Sister Mary of Jesus and St. Joseph, H.O. Carm.

The main window at the Chester hermitage chapel.

omewhere it is written: Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. As the rst awakening of the prophetic call to Carmelthe call to become a hermit of Carmel dawned on me, the above word of wisdom came to mind and I swiftly said to myself: This is one fool who will not rush in where angels fear to tread! However, Jesus, the Irresistible Magnet, made it undeniably clear that He was calling this fool to Carmel. Upon entering Carmel the journey of living in Christ in faith, hope and love began. The counsel of St Teresa of Jesus took deep root in me: Remember, daughters, you are not only nuns but hermits. I identied interiorly with the rst hermits on Mount Carmel. Then the Second Vatican Council came, summoning all religious to a continuous return to the sources of all Christian life and to the original inspiration behind a given community and ...an adjustment of the community to the changed conditions of the times.

The Hermits on Mount Carmel who communicated with Albert, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, with the desire to have a written formula that embodied their hermit life, are the original inspiration at the roots of Carmel. God gave me the grace to see that the changed conditions of the times revealed a need for me to learn how to communicate in the Holy Spirit in spirit and in truth. This grace, owing from ones Baptism and Solemn Vows, embodies the gift of inner healing of ones relationship with God, with oneself and with everyone. So the journey continued by the power of God in the establishment of the Hermits of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in our rst foundation, named Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in Westeld, New Jersey, with the permission and blessing of Archbishop Peter L. Gerety in the Archdiocese of Newark on October 23, 1976. Again in the Fathers providential love and with the permission, blessing and great generosity of Bishop Frank J. Rodimer we moved to the Paterson (continued on page 11)

First Profession of Vows of Adolfo Medrano

dolfo Gonzalo Medrano Bellido, of the Peruvian Commissariate, professed First Vows on January 12, 2002. The novitiate chapel in Cienegilla (just outside Lima) was too small to accommodate all the guests, so the Mass and Profession were held outdoors on the novitiate groundsit is summer in the southern hemisphere. Rev. Gerald Payea, O. Carm., novice director, presided at the Mass and Rev. Leo McCarthy, O. Carm., Provincial, received Adolfos vows. Adolfo was born February 14, 1971 in Lima and attended primary and secondary schools in the city. He met the Carmelites while working as a lay missionary in the Prelature of Sicuani (in the high Andes area) of Peru, becoming a pre-novice in 1998 and a novice in 2001. He enjoys playing the guitar, jogging, volleyball, and soccer.

The Very Reverend Leo McCarthy, O. Carm., presents the Carmelite Rule to Adolfo Medrano, O. Carm., assisted by (back left) Father Jerry Payea, O. Carm. and Deacon Eduardo Rivero, O. Carm.

4 Carmelite Review

Hermits at Lake Elmo

By John Burns, O. Carm.

he Community of Carmelite Hermits located in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, owes its origins, at least indirectly, to a Discalced Carmelite Priest, Father Albert Bourke, of the Eastern Province of Discalced Carmelites. Father Albert, now deceased, held important ofces in the Order during his long life. He was novice master of his province for nine years, prior of several houses, and provincial. During the 1960s, he was elected a general denitor and served under Father General (later Cardinal) Anastasius Ballestrero. In the late 1970s, several young men gathered around Father Albert, attracted by his teaching and long experience as a Carmelite. Father Albert initiated us into the practice of contemplative prayer and, since he himself was greatly attracted to the eremitical roots of Carmel, encouraged us to think of a vocation in that direction. Having completed my studies for the priesthood in 1982, I asked my bishop before my ordination if I could pursue a vocation as a Carmelite hermit. This perplexed the good bishop as he did not know how to arrange for such a thing from the canonical point of view. Fortunately the new Code of Canon Law, promulgated in 1983, contained a provision (Canon 603) whereby an individual could make public

profession of the evangelical counsels to his bishop as a hermit. That same year, I received permission from my bishop to become a hermit, following the Rule of Carmel, under the provision of the new Code. In granting permission, my bishop had two main concerns: 1) that I receive some training in the eremitical life from an experienced religious, and 2) that I have some way to support myself. Providentially there was a Trappist hermit living in my area and I was able to meet with him regularly for formation. As for supporting myself, the Discalced Carmelite Nuns located in Lake Elmo offered me a place to stay and a small salary in exchange for being their chaplain. It was an ideal arrangement and I lived very happily as a Carmelite hermit from 1983 to 1987. In 1986, I was visited by a young man (now named Brother Joseph) who also felt called to an eremitic form of Carmelite life. He asked if it were possible to join me as a Carmelite brother. Although I was content living alone, I had always thought it would be a greater good to Carmel and the Church if there were Carmelite eremitical communities where men and women drawn to solitude could nd their vocation more readily. After some mutual discernment, Brother Joseph came to live with me in June of 1987. Together we approached the Archbishop of St. (continued on page 12)

Paul Henson, O. Carm., Professes Solemn Vows

aul Anthony Henson, O. Carm., professed his final vows with the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary on December 14, 2001, in the chapel at Whitefriars Hall in Washington, DC. Paul was born in 1964 in the Los Angeles area. His parents were Rudy Arangua and Rose Henson (both deceased). He was raised by his great aunt Luz Salcedohis mother died when Paul was still an infant. Paul attended Catholic grade and high schools, and then entered St. Johns Seminary in Camarillo, California. He graduated with a bachelors in Liberal Arts in 1986, then moved into St. Janes Parish (North Hollywood, California) which is administered by the Carmelites. It was there that he rst considered becoming a Carmelite. Paul described this as an interest that never went away and he entered the Carmelites in 1995. He professed Simple Vows in 1997. During formation he did a two-year ministerial internship at Transguration Parish in Torren, Mexico. Currently he is nishing work on a Masters of Divinity degree from the Washington Theological Union and was ordained a deacon on January 5, 2002.

Construction of the common areas of the Lake Elmo hermitage.

Carmelite Review 5

Hermits in Pennsylvania
By Bede Mulligan, O. Carm.

he up-to-date renewal of the religious life comprises both a constant return to the sources of the whole of the Christian life and to the primitive inspiration of the institutes, and their adaptation to the changed conditions of our time. (Cf., Perfectae Caritatis, n.2) It is common knowledge that the primitive inspiration of the Carmelite Order was of an eremitical nature. It is also certain that because of legitimate development our sacred Order embraces two ways of life approved by the Church, the rst or eremitical one and the later one characteristic of the mendicant orders. (cf., Constitutions of 1971, nn.7-10; Constitutions of 1995, nn.10, 18, 20 ) From the time of the transformation introduced by innocent IV, however, the ancient form of Carmelite life has been either reserved to a few hermitages or been extinct in practice. In these times a desire has arisen on the part of certain brothers to restore the secluded and original life of Carmel and to adapt it to present circumstances. The General Chapter of 1947 urged the implementation of those articles of the Constitutions of 1930 concerning hermitages. An ofcial let-

The hermitage in Bolivar, Pennsylvania

ter issued on Pentecost 1945 in the name of the Prior General concerned that way of life, new indeed in this time but most ancient in the order... While this way of life is lacking, we do not venture to afrm that the order, even though its individual members excel in holiness, fully corresponds to its vocation. (cf., Vinculum, Jul-Aug. l948, p. 60) In September 1956 an international hermitage was inaugurated in Wolfnitz, Austria. One of the members of the New York Province of St. Elias had been permitted by the Prior General to make his Profession

for the Carmelite eremitical life. He was present at the dedication of the hermitage and throughout most of its relatively short existence. He was eventually joined by a confrere of the same Province. After the closing of the Wolfnitz hermitage these two were permitted to continue their eremitical life in New Florence, Pennsylvania on property rented to them by the Bishop of Greensburg in 1970. After nearly thirty years there they received the gift of a better site, just a few miles away, on which to build a (continued on page 13)

Sal Lema Becomes the Provinces Communications Director

hen Sal Lema rst started to work part-time as a young man of eighteen, little did he realize that his career in Engineering would lead him to an early retirement at the young age of fty. Now he is pursuing his real dream of writing and media relations becoming Director of Communications for the Order of Carmelites. Mr. Lema noted that his previous involvements in both public relations and the Catholic Church (he is ordained a permanent deacon) made the new post a good t for him. A Chicagoan from the southwest side Sal Lema was raised in the St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish where he received his grade school education, then attending St. Philip Basilica High School and Loyola University. He also served in the United States

Navy during the Vietnam War era. As a recently ordained deacon the Rev. Mr. Lema now serves the St. Fabian Catholic Community in Bridgeview, Illinois, where he currently resides. Sal is also continuing his education, again at Loyola, in the program for Youth Ministry. Mr. Lema comes to the Carmelites with an extensive communications background, having served as press secretary for several elected ofcials, editor of several newsletters produced through the communications corporation that bears his name and most recently as Director of Media Relations for his hometown Village of Bridgeview. He attributes much of his success to his loving wife, Beth of twenty-two years. His ofce is in Darien, Illinois.

6 Carmelite Review

Life in Yauri
By Molly Moriarty

ast Fall, Cara Moothart and I, Molly Moriarty, then seniors at Loyola University Chicago, began talking about our post-graduation plans. Both of us desired to volunteer and we wanted to serve together. Next we discussed, WHERE? At rst I was certain that Africa was the place to go, but Cara convinced me that if I lived in a Latin American country, where Spanish is spoken, I would learn Spanish, a skill that would later allow me to work with the large Spanish speaking population in the United States. She narrowed the choices down to those countries in the Western Hemisphere and I chose Peru, because it is the heart and soul of the Andes Mountains. From the moment we made the decision to choose Peru, we had no doubts that the decision was correct. Maybe everything that followed was coincidental, but for us it seemed like a divine plan had been implemented. One of these divine encounters was our meeting with the Carmelites, who in the person of Fr. Dan ONeill, welcomed us into ministry in Peru. He became our contact person or better known as our agent, and found a place where we could best serve with the Carmelites in Peru. Currently, we are living in the

Cara Moothart (left) and Molly Moriarty.

mountain town of Yauri, working in the Parish of Santa Ana with the pastor Fr. Michael Brown. The bulk of our ministry is maintaining a presence among the young-adult programs of the parish. This includes attending weekly meetings, going

New Director for Hispanic Parish Development and Vocations

he Most Pure Heart of Mary Province has a new consultant for Hispanic Ministry Mr. Germn Jimnez Montalbn. He will assist those parishes that have a Spanish- speaking population in developing ministerial programs geared specically to the Hispanic members of the congregation. Along with Michael Sgarioto, O. Carm., he will help coordinate the Provinces Hispanic vocation effort. Mr. Jimnez was born in Acapulco, Mexico and is a recent graduate of the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. He is uent in Spanish, English, French and Italian. His ofce is at St. Raphaels Parish in Los Angeles.

to discotheques as part of fundraisers (I know, it is a hard life!) and sharing daily experiences with each other. However, our job title is that of English teachers. Learning English is very important, especially for the youngadults of Yauri. There is a branch of the University of San Antonio in Yauri and before the students receive their degree, they must complete a certain number of hours of English courses. Another reason English is crucial is the presence of a mine, twenty minutes from the town of Yauri. This copper mine is owned by an Australian rm and to communicate with their employers, they need to know English. Knowing that our main responsibility is teaching English classes, people often ask, So what do you do all day? Dont you get bored? The answer surprises Cara and I as much as the examiner, and the answer is No. We are always busy. During the Advent and Christmas liturgical seasons, we worked with Sr. Peg Conboy, CSJ, (who has a long-term relationship working with Carmelites in The United States and Peru) planning the music and decorating the church. With just the three of us working on this aspect of liturgy, I grew to appreciate the amount of time (continued on page 8)

Carmelite Review 7

Cover Story
Hermits in the Carmelite Tradition
(continued from page 1) While the Carmelite Order has been a mendicant Order since 1247, its origins on Mount Carmel have left an indelible mark on its charism. There is a tension in Carmelite spirituality between the city and the mountaintop, between the active apostolate and contemplation. This is a healthy tension that has produced very many saints throughout the 800 years of the Orders existence. Each Carmelite is called to contemplation, that is to a mature relationship with God through, with and in Jesus Christ, by means of which one nally is able to look upon the whole of creation as if with Gods eyes and to love what one sees as God loves. Growing in this relationship involves a process of purication and transformation whereby the human being becomes what God created him or her to be. The majority of Carmelites follow this path by living in community and being involved in an active apostolate. However, the Order has never been without its hermits, who have embraced the contemplative process by living in solitude. In our day we are seeing a resurgence of the eremitical way of life and especially of communities of hermits. The Carmelite Family has a long tradition and experience and therefore can assist the aspiring hermit to stay on the Gospel path and not veer off to follow his or her own whims. I welcome the new forms of eremitical life in community, which are springing up in various parts of the world. These show that the ancient Carmelite tradition is still capable of producing new shoots. The tradition may be ancient but the roots are strong. The Carmelite hermits are praying for us who live our vocation in the midst of the world. We are members of the same family but our gifts are different. All of us are called to an

Hermit on Mount Carmel.

Hermits on Mount Carmel.

intimate friendship with Jesus Christ; each of us must respond to the particular vocation given us by God within the one Carmelite Family. Let us thank God and Our Lady of Mount Carmel that the desire of those rst hermits on Mount Carmel to live in allegiance to Jesus Christ in his own land, has produced abundant fruit in the past and continues to produce fruit in the lives of so many dedicated friars, nuns, sisters, hermits, and lay Carmelites.

Life at Yauri
(continued from page 7) and energy it takes to nurture a prayerful faith community. Not only are we maintaining a faith community, we are maintaining a distinct life-style. We both work and live with Sr. Peg and living in Yauri is an experience in and of itself! My rst shock living here was realizing we only have running water during certain hours of the day. Peg warned us that the water comes on at 6:30AM, and is turned off at 6:00PM. Our experience has taught us to be prepared for the water to be shut off at 3:00PM; therefore, all of our cleaning, cooking, clothes washing and showering must be done in the morning. After four years of a college lifestyle assuming household responsibilities has been something of an adjustment. I never held a pick axe in my life before arriving here, but now I use one all the time in our garden in what I like to call landscaping. Right now we are excitedly planning our summer programs; we are going to continue teaching English classes, but we are also starting a Summer Reading Program for Kids. We noticed that reading for pleasure is not something that most of the people here are accustomed to. Thinking that it is a shame that most parents do not read their kids bedtime stories, we decided to supplement and read morning-time stories. I think it will be a lot of fun for everyone involved. Cara and I are constantly amazed at the providence that led us to Peru. Here we are tested in endurance, faith in ourselves and faith in God. Thus far I think we are passing these tests as we are constantly supported by the Carmelite family.

Carmelite Vespers 1701

by George Frideric Handel
This is a setting of the Second Vespers of the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel set to music by Handel. Recently re-issued by Virgin Classics, Ltc., London (2 CDs) Order through your local book or music store. (Virgin: 7243 5 61579 2 7)

8 Carmelite Review

Native Chicagoan Becomes Priest

St. Margaret of Scotland grade school and later graduated from St. Thomas More. It was a vocation director who through his visit ignited me, says Richard. I transferred to the Carmelite High School in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and although I didnt realize it, my life changed direction forever. Still unsure of his future, Richard enlisted in the United States Navy where his ve year tour of duty placed him on the aircraft carrier the USS Midway to ports of call yet unseen by him. After returning from his ve year commitment in the Navy, Richard completed his college, graduating from Rosary [Dominican University] with a degree in accounting. That feeling, desire kept coming back, says Richard. It was that sensation that sent him to Middletown, New York, where he attended the Carmelite house of formation. His training has since spanned over seven years. Father Richard is seen by his classmates as a man down to earth who can be with anyone...a man willing to make a commitment to go anywhere and do anything for Gods people...a man that will follow the work that his cousin, Father John Hertel O. Carm., continues to do. Father Richard Supple, O. Carm., is now working as an Associate at St. Josephs Parish in Bogota, New Jersey. Looking at the work that the Lord has put in front of him, Father Richard says, Its the right thing for me to do.

The Institutum Carmelitanum Names a New Director

ts amazing to think that the little boy who used to climb the street light poles in front of our house, is now going to become a priest, said Philip Supple, brother of Richard, in an e-mail to the family. On February 9, 2002 the Supple family gathered their singing and musical talents together and became the choir for that little boy, the Rev. Richard Supple, O. Carm., who was received at the table of the Lord as an Ordained Priest of the Carmelite Order at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Darien, Illinois. Father Richard was ordained by the Most Reverend Michael B. LaFay, O. Carm., Prelature of Siciani, Peru. The Orders provincial, the Very Reverend Leo McCarthy, O. Carm., and Rev. Emmett Gavin, O. Carm., were the principal concelebrants at the Mass along with many Carmelite priests who were in attendance. Richard was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois and grew up on the south side of Chicago. He attended

he Prior General, Joseph Chalmers, O. Carm., has appointed Patrick McMahon, O. Carm., as President of the Institutum Carmelitanum in Rome. The Institutum has played a vital role for the past fty years in the Orders awareness of its history and charism. Among its functions, the Institutum publishes the journal Carmelus and coordinates the Carmelite Collection at the library of Saint Alberts in Rome. Patrick professed First Vows at the Monastery of Mt. Carmel in Niagara Falls, Ontario on August 22, 1968. He received a B.A. from Marquette University and a M.T.S. from the Washington Theological Union, Washington, DC. He holds a Ph.D. in history from New York University. His dissertation for the Doctorate was entitled Servants of Two Masters: A History of the Carmine of Florence 1267-1400. Since 1998, Patrick has been the Provincial Delegate to the Third Order and since 1994 the director of the Carmelitana Collection at Whitefriars Hall in Washington, DC. Among his educational work, he has been a lecturer in the Carmelite Studies Program at the Washington Theological Union since 1992 and at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC in 1997, 1999, and 2000.

Richard is vested by his cousin, John Hertel, O. Carm., during the ordination liturgy.

Carmelite Review 9

Hermits of Christoval
(continued from page 3) meetings, and these fraternal gatherings strengthen the bonds of community living. Supper in the cell is followed by a period of reading Carmelite texts and the day concludes with Night Prayer at 7:00 PM. We support ourselves by raising and selling Boer goats, and by the production of breads and jellies and fudge which we sell both locally and through the mail. We have no formal ministry outside of the life of prayer and contemplation, although our daily Eucharist is open to the public in our chapel. Normally we do not take retreatants except for those interested in pursuing our way of life. As we are a small contemplative community with a strong family spirit, formation takes place over a lifetime. The hermits prot from their shared lived experience, as well as from the contacts we have with other Carmelites who regularly visit us. There are also initial stages in the formation process during which the candidate

The chapel at the Christoval hermitage.

rst lives with the hermits and is slowly incorporated into our way of life. We follow the Ratio Studiorum of the Order to insure a proper formation in Carmelite spirituality, the charism of the Order and its traditions of prayer. This process during the two year novitiate and years of rst profession includes psychological evaluations and counseling where appropriate. As hermits, our formation process is structured to effect a life focused on

prayer and contemplation. We do not formally prepare our Brothers for ordination to diaconate or priesthood, although the possibility for formal theological study is available as the community will always be in need of ordained hermits for the liturgical life of the Hermitage. The Hermitage community is happy to welcome fellow Carmelites either for a visit or for a few days of solitude or even for a private retreat.

Crespi Carmelite High School Proposes Expansion Project

ominic Savino, O. Carm., and the Board of Directors of Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California are proposing a capital campaign for multi-dimensional development of the school. The proposal identies ve specic areas: 1) student recruitment and retention; 2) facilities; 3) program; 4) faculty recruitment; and 5) fundraising. As part of the proposal, a new master plan for the facilities expansion has been designed. This plan features a new three-story building for the library and new classrooms, a new football and soccer eld with track, a one-level subterranean parking structure, a new gymnasium and a ne arts building, plus renovations to the current two-story classroom building. Because this proposal is extensive, if implemented the plan would be in phases. Phase I will try to alleviate critical space limitations of the current campus plan and focus on the academic center, parking, and the sports eld. The plan is currently in review by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Provincial Council.

10 Carmelite Review

Hermits of Chester
(continued from page 4) Diocese and our permanent desert in Chester, New Jersey on August 15, 1980. We believe and know that only Jesus could work such miracles. He calls us to total, unconditional surrender to the Father in union with Him in the power and love of His Holy Spirit. As Hermits in Carmels prophetic call we strive to live in allegiance to Jesus Christ, to be pure in heart and steadfast in conscience by bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to Christ. In this purifying crucible of your intellect, memory and will your need for inner healing emerges. Jesus, our Healer, through the daily participation in the Eucharist and seeking to remain with Him in prayer in the depths of your being heals and frees you from your human resistance and spiritual blindness. Painful as it is, it is a joy to meet Jesus in your woundedness and know that without Him you can do nothing. Just ask Him to do the humanly impossible in you and He will! Hidden in the heart of Christ through our inner healing mission of listening and self revelation in prayer and in every aspect of life, we listen to His stirrings in our hearts to die to ourselves that He may live in each of us. The Hermits personally and individually journey from sense to spirit, as St. John of the Cross says. It is a journey from reacting apart from Christ to responding with Him in the Holy Spirit. Jesus draws us into His obedience to the Father, His passion for the Fathers Will. Ours is a divine call to be the praying, healing, forgiving Christ in the Heart of the Church for the sanctication and salvation of priests and all our brothers and sisters in the human family.

Obituary

Sr. Mary working on the new chapel at the Chester hermitage.

We try to live as close as possible to the original Carmelite Rule. For examples, each hermit lives in a separate hermitage in silence and solitude of the desert with the graceful sequence of prayer that begins and ends each day. We also do Lauds and Vespers in the chapel on the Feast Days and Solemnities. Otherwise, each hermit prays the entire Liturgy of the Hours in her hermitage, thus sanctifying the entire day with the incense of continuous prayer and the sacrice of praise. Besides sharing in solitude in the common work of cooking, cleaning, lawn and property maintenance, each hermit contributes to the nancial support of the Carmel by the creative development of her gifts and talents. The hermits strive to earn their own living in order not to burden others. The spiritual formation of each hermit from the initial pre-entrance phase, through postulancy, novitiate, rst profession to solemn vows and on-going transformation into Christ is a journey of total abandonment of love for God, open to meet Him in the graces and surprises He has in store for her. This journey to sacred intimacy with the Living God after the pattern of Our Mother Mary and the Prophet Elijah is His precious GiftJesus Christ, Our Savior, Healer and Bridegroom. So the journey continues... One dark night, Fired with loves urgent longings... I went out unseen, With no other light or guide Than the one that burned in my heart; This guided me More surely than the light of noon To where He waited for me... (The Ascent of Mount Carmel)

A cell at the Chester hermitage.

he Reverend Benedict, E. Hogan, O. Carm., 68, died at Little Sisters of the Poor Center for the Aging here on Wednesday, Dec. 12, following a long illness. A wake was held on Friday, December, 14, 2001 at Mt. Carmel Church in Darien, Illinois. A Mass of Christian Burial was offered at Mt. Carmel Church on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 10 a.m. with the Very Rev. Bernhard Bauerle, O. Carm., Midwest Commissary Provincial, as the principal celebrant. Interment is at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Chicago. Born in Chicago on September 28, 1933, Benedict was the son of the late Edward and Anne (OMalley) Hogan. He attended St. Kilians School before entering Mt. Carmel Prep Seminary in Niagara Falls, Ontario. He professed his rst vows as a Carmelite on September 3, 1952 in New Baltimore, Pennsylvania. He was ordained a priest on May 23, 1959 in Chicago. Among his assignments as a teacher were Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago, and Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California. He also served as pastor of St. Patricks Church in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and St. Marys Carmelite Church in Joliet, Illinois. He also served as chaplain of the Marriage Encounter Movement in the Chicago area, and as assistant director of the Little Flower Society in Darien, Illinois.

Carmelite Review 11

Hermits at Lake Elmo

(continued from page 5) Paul and Minneapolis to request permission for the formation of a Carmelite eremitical community. Permission ad experimentum was granted to us on October 24, 1987, and formal erection as an Association of the Christian Faithful took place on August 23, 1994. In the meantime our community was growing and needed larger living quarters. The Carmelite Nuns in Lake Elmo, having ample property and wishing to retain us as their chaplains, gave us a portion of their property for the construction of our own monastery. In 1991, when our community numbered six, we began construction of our community building which houses the kitchen, refectory, library, laundry, inrmary, and a tiny chapel. Since then we have built nine hermitages and a large woodworking shop with attached greenhouse. At present we are nishing the construction of our cloister, a series of covered walkways, which serves to tie the various buildings of the hermitage together. Future plans call for the construction of a larger chapel, a guest house, and more hermitages. On December 8, 1999, our community was afliated with the Order of Carmelites by Prior General Joseph Chalmers. We are now in the process of full incorporation into the Order. At present our community numbers nine, three priests and six brothers. We live a semi-eremitical life, although the possibility of greater solitude exists, even full reclusion, for experienced members of the community. Each day we gather together for the Eucharistic Liturgy, Morning and Evening Prayer, and two meals. Contemplative prayer, the other hours of the Divine Ofce, spiritual reading, and study are the occupations of the hermitage. The hours of late morning and mid-afternoon nd us busy at various forms of work such as gardening, painting, woodworking , and sandal making. The balance of solitude and community is one of the most fruitful aspects of our life, providing a silent environment for the deepening of contemplative prayer within a framework of support given by the community. It is not by accident that St. John Climacus and other early monastic fathers showed a preference for the life of stillness shared with a few others (cf., The Ladder of Divine Ascent), as opposed to the cenobitic or purely eremitic forms of religious life. In our hermitage, we emphasize both liturgical and personal prayer. There is a grace and enrichment which comes from each form of prayer, the corporate prayer of the transcendence of God requires an emptying or silencing of our human faculties and a stripping away of our overly human conceptions of God in order that a deeper and truer experience of God may emerge. Here we can see a continuity with the teaching of the early Greek and Syrian hermits who spoke of hesychia or stillness as the ascetic way proper to hermits. It is when we have put to rest (cf., St. John of the Cross poem, The Dark Night, and corresponding commentary in The Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book II, Chapters 1-12) the human activities of sense and imagination, and engage in a very simple prayer of the heart (or prayer of loving attentiveness to use St. John of the Cross term; cf., The Living Flame of Love, 3:33-35) that our attention rests most easily on the inner light of the Holy Trinity shining from the most interior mansion of our soul. This contemplative experience of the Trinitarian God is the pearl of great price sought by the hermit in his solitary cell. Lest this contemplative search seem a selsh one, we should point out our intense interest in the life of the Church and the world. The hermit learns to see that charity to neighbor goes beyond word and deed, and partakes of the mysterious sharing of grace which we call the communion of saints. The hermit, in the famous denition of Evagrius, is a man who is separated from all and who is in harmony with all, or as St. Peter Damian stated so well, though [the hermit] is separated in space from the congregation of the faithful, yet he is bound together with them all by love in the unity of faith; though they are absent in the esh, they are near at hand in the mystical unity of the Church. (cf., The Book of The Lord be with You , 18, in St. Peter Damian, Selected Writings on the Spiritual Life, Tr. Patricia McNulty, Faber and Faber, 1959). The Christian quest for holiness is a quest for the transguration of the human person and human society in Christ so that, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, we may realize the life and freedom of the children of God. The prayer and work of the hermit is to attain to this goal in his person, thus becoming a vessel of grace and a sign of spiritual resurrection for the People of God and those many people who seek God.

The hermit...is separated from all and is in harmony with all.

liturgy and solitary prayer in the hermitage. We have a deep interest in the liturgical heritage of the Carmelite Order, and have received permission from our Archbishop to make use of some of the riches of the Carmelite Rite. In 1998 we published an English translation of Carmelite Compline, updated for use by our community. We are now at work on Vespers. Our interest in the liturgy is matched by an equal interest in contemplative prayer. In fact the hermitage, with its environment of silence and solitude, provides an ideal setting for the development of contemplation. In our practice of contemplative prayer, the teaching of St. John of the Cross is fundamental. Throughout his works, but especially in The Ascent of Mount Carmel, St. John of the Cross explains that the

DOMUS CARMELITANA
CARMELITE HOUSE OF ST ALBERT, PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM
Situated at Saint Alberts (only 500 meters from St. Peters in Rome). Each room has a bathroom, central heating, air conditioning, satellite television, telephone, and refrigerator-bar. The house also has a charming reception area, a bar, a terrace with panoramic view, an internal garden, a meeting room with simultaneous translation, a room dedicated to inter-faith dialogue, and the opportunity of celebrating religious functions in the chapel of the adjacent International Center of St. Albert.

12 Carmelite Review

Hermits in Pennsylvania
(continued from page 6) new hermitage. Situated near Bolivar, Pa., this modest structure still needs some additional cells. It was dedicated on December 4th, 1999 by Bishop Anthony Bosco of Greensburg in the presence of the Prior Provincial, the Very Rev. Mario Esposito. It was made possible through the money inherited by the two hermits from their deceased parents as well as through some donations from friends and their own savings. The hermits have never solicited funds and have tried to avoid publicity. The architect and chief builder of the hermitage is now a novice there. Our Statutes state: We, hermit brothers of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, in allegiance to and in honor of her, wish to restore the original form of Carmelite life and adapt it to the conditions of today. Therefore, tempering the solitary life with certain cenobitical usages, we interpret the Rule of Saint Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in a manner consonant with eremitical traditions. (From the Statutes of Mt. Carmel Hermitage, art.1) Our principle duty...is to present to the Divine Majesty a service at once humble and noble within the walls of the hermitage, so that we may give ourselves over to God alone In solitude and silence, in constant prayer and willing penance. (ibid., art. 2,; Perfectae Caritatis, n. 9) Is our happy privilege to preserve in our small way that treasure of inestimable value...the musical tradition of the universal Church (cf., Sacrosanctum Concilium, n.112), in particular, Gregorian chant, so eminently conducive to contemplative prayer. Like our holy Father Elijah and those whom Nicholas of France called certain predecessors of ours (cf., Ignea Sagitta, ed. A. Staring, O. Carm., in Carmelus, 9, pp. 286-287), referring perhaps to some of the Latin hermits on Mt. Carmel in the early 13th century or, more probably, to certain outstanding gures in the universal monastic tradition, the hermits may occasionally engage in certain forms of pastoral ministry. May God grant that that form of life which was the source and origin of the multiform Carmelite family may be reborn for the good of that same family and of the whole Church. (from the prologue of the Statutes of Mt. Carmel Hermitage).

Meet the Pre-Novices

This years class at Casa Santa Teresita, Houston, Texas.

Herman Kinzler, age 42, comes to us from Carnegie, PA. Hes a second cousin of (the late) Fr. Leonard Kinzler, O. Carm. He is a graduate of Duquesne University (BA) and the University of Pittsburgh (MBA). He was a Grand Knight (K of C) before coming to Carmel. Hes a big Steelers fan.

Tony Mazurkiewicz, age 27, is a graduate of Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago and a Yale grad (BA History), and worked in education. His hobbies are marathons, triathalons, decathalons, etc.-athalons.

Alex Loyola, age 31, was born in Manila, but had lived and worked in Chicago for the last ten years. He has a degree in medical technology from the University of Manila. He loves club mix type music.

Paul Rosenberger, age 25, is completing a BA at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He had been a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Louisville, KY. He can disappear in cyberspace for hours at a time.

The new priory at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Darien, Illinois

Carmelite Review 13

Joliet Catholic Academy Takes Home Tenth Illinois State Football Championship
self on an island. Although the strategy has existed for decades under the name lonesome polecat, it was something the Hillmen had never come up against before Saturdays game and required some quick halftime adjustments, explained Sharp. With the help of veteran defense coaches, Sharp said the team held Morris scoring to just six points in the second half. With the mettle of true champions, JCA overcame the unusual offensive attack and emerged triumphant. During the rally following the victory, Sharp commended the team on the attitude that made them champions. You are the truest of role models. I dont ever want to hear anything about the NFL players, the NBA guys. Theyre not my role modelsyou are my role models...You play for each other...all you care about is representing your school with class and with dignity. Sharp also paid tribute to the JCA familyparents, faculty, staff and alumniwho have made the football program a success over the years. I guarantee that the effort of Hillmen, the effort of champions, will alway be part of our program, because of the standards you have set, the coach

JCAs J.R. Zwierzynski was one of six nalists for the 2001 national high school player of the year award

Photo by Larry Kane

By Amisu M. Estrada Reprinted with permission from The Catholic Explorer, the newspaper of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois JOLIETWith their hardfought 27-20 victory over Morris High School for the Class 5A state football championship, the Hilltoppers of Joliet Catholic Academy climbed to a pinnacle of success that remains untouched by any other high school in the land of Lincoln10 state championship titles. The Nov. 24 victory that hoisted the Hill into the annals of high school football fame marks the third consecutive state title for the men in brown and blue who played for Coach Dan Sharp. The secret (to consecutive state titles) is our kids work ethic. More than that, its their unselshness. They play so well togetherpersonal glory is unimportant to them. They trust each other and can rely on each other, said the Joliet Catholic alum and head football coach. It was this superior teamwork, said Sharp, that allowed JCA to pull together. When Morris tried to send the Hillmen on a one-way trip across the ocean with a surprise offensive attack the Morris players had termed Hawaii, a phrased coined because the quarterback appears to be by him-

2001 Illinois Class 5A Title Trophy at JCA.

promised the generations of Hillmen/Angels who crowded the gymnasium. During a conversation with the Catholic Explorer, Sharp shared that the biggest boost to the teams success comes from above. He said the schools athletic chaplain, Carmelite Father Raymond Foster, leads the boys in a Gung Ho Prayer before every battle. Sharp said the prayer serves to rally the team, and asks for strength to believe in God, in each other and in their mission. He added that the team also attends Mass together before every game. Joe Burke, an instructor for senior-level religion classes, also commented on the teams faith-lled focus. All the athletes here at JCA emulate spirit, faith and fortitude. It goes beyond just the playing eld, its (also felt) in the classroom and we witnessed it downstate today. There is just something about Catholic education. They are incredible kids, each and every one, said Burke. The postgame reactions of the players who brought home the coveted trophy focused on the sense of fellowship and brotherhood shared by the team. Editors Note: JCA is administered by the Carmelites and the Franciscan Sisters of Joliet.

Sister Faith, JCA principal, celebrates the 10th championship win.

14 Carmelite Review

Carmelecta
Eastern Commissary
There are new rectories planned for two Florida parishes. Lukas Scmidt, O. Carm., at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Osprey, and Bart Larkin, O. Carm., at St. Francis, Englewood, have submitted plans to the Venice Diocese and Provincial Council for review. William OMalley reports that work is nearing completion of the new cafeteria/gym/auditorium at Saint Josephs School in Demarest, New Jersey. The All Students Meeting, January 18-20, at Whitefriars Hall was led by John Malley, O. Carm., whose topic was The Internationality of the Order. The architect for the 1990 renovations and additions to Whitefriars Hall, Frank Schlesinger, was recently honored by the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Centennial Award. This award is the highest honor the AIA can bestow and is given to an architect whose contributions span at least a decade of service to the profession. Casimir Zielinski, O. Carm., spent two months in El Salvador working at Parroquia Calle Real lling in for David Blanchard, O. Carm.

Jeffery Smialek, O. Carm., and Kevin McBrien, O. Carm., at the Annaheim, California, Religious Education Conference.

Midwestern Commissary
St. Josephs/Immaculate Conception Parish organized an ecumenical presentation for Black History Month led by Ivan Cormac Marsh, O. Carm.,

which became the feature article in the archdioceses weekly publication, The Leaven. With William Harrys election to the General Chapter, the position of Vocation Coordinator was accepted by William Wert, O. Carm., who was the Eastern Vocation Director. He will do both jobs.

Western Commissary
The Sacramento Diocese offered a Youth Vocation Rally entitled Nerve to Serve October 20, 2001, at which Kevin McBrien, O. Carm., was featured in the article in the diocesan newpaper, The Catholic Herald. The Province sponsored an information booth at the Religious Education Conference in Anaheim, California representing Vocations, The Little Flower Society, Carmelite Institute, and the Lay Carmelites. This booth was staffed by William Wert, O. Carm., Patrick McMahon, O. Carm., Mario Loya, O. Carm., Brian Henden, O. Carm., Jeffery Smialek, O. Carm., and Kevin McBrien, O. Carm.

Peru Commissary
The Commissary held its annual General Meeting at Villa Carmelita outside Lima on January 8-11, 2002. During this meeting Miguel ngel Bombilla, O. Carm., made a renewal of Vows. Besides the men of the Commissary, this meeting was attended by Gregory Houck, O. Carm., Michael Driscoll, O. Carm., Provincial of the St. Elias, New York Province, and Leo McCarthy, O. Carm., Provincial (PCM) Province.

Attending the Vocation Discernment Weekend held at Casa Santa Teresita (Houston, Texas) Feburary 1-4, 2002 (left to right): Francis Canoan, Ramon Martinez, Guillermo Andrade, Edgar Lopez, Joseph Alba, Peter DeLocca, Kyle Lee, Devin Rose, Juan Carlos Ortiz, Bob Kelm, Jude Fournier, and Frank Welch.

Carmelite Review 15

A Carmelite News Magazine...

6725 Reed Road Houston, Texas 77087

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID LEAGUE CITY TX PERMIT NO 49

The Carmelites Approved as an NGO

Carmelite Order to receive U.N. publications, attend U.N. sessions, participate in workshops prepared by the U.N. for non-governmental organizations, and gives the Carmelites recognition in the international community. Currently there are 1480 different UN-designated NGOs. The idea of forming a Carmelite NGO was rst proposed at the Meeting of All Carmelite Provincials in 1999 in Bamberg, Germany. The provincials agreed to pursue the application. Similarly, this idea was proposed at the February 2000 Meeting of the Superiors General of the afliated congregations to the Carmelite Order. They also agreed to pursue the application and asked Sister Jane Remson, O. Carm., of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Louisiana to coordinate the project. After researching the project Sr. Remson, along with Sister Helen Ojario, O. Carm. (also of the Louisiana congregation), and Father Micael ONeill, O. Carm. (of the General Council of Carmelites) submitted the application in September, 2000 with the Louisiana congregation of sisters being the sponsoring body. The application states that the Carmelites were seeking NGO status in order to promote economic and social development, to work for human and civil rights, and the promote literacy and education. The application states the mission of the Carmelite NGO: Our vision of a more peaceful, just and loving world inspires us to active ministries for the needs of Gods people. We are nourished by contemplative prayer and our devotion to Mary, a woman of simplicity and faith. The application was approved by the 53rd United Nations Assembly on December 14, 2001. Sister Jane Remson, O. Carm., will coordinate the NGO ofce in the United States and Father William Harry, O. Carm., will coordinate this in Europe. At the Conference of the Rule (a gathering of Carmelite and Discalced Carmelites on the Carmelite Rule) which was held in July, 2001, Father Camilo Macisse, OCD, Superior General of the Discalced Carmelites, proposed that the Carmelites and Discalced Carmelites should try to coordinate their efforts into one NGO. Currently both orders have their own NGO ofces. More information on NonGovernmental Organizations can be found on the World Wide Web at www.un.org/dpi/ngosection.

Sister Jane Remson

he Order of Carmelites recently was granted NGO (NonGovernmental Organization) status with the United Nations. NGO status gives the group recognition as an organized political body with a mission commensurate with the mission of the United Nations. The United Nations denes an NGO as any non-prot, voluntary citizens group which is organized on a local, national, or international level and organized around specic issues, such as human rights, the environment or health. The declaration states this as, the newly associated (non-governmental) organization conforms with the principles of the United Nations Charter, operates solely on a nonprot basis, and demonstrates a longstanding involvement with United Nations issues. This allows the