COMMUNICATIONES N° 69
15-11-2006
Contents:
- Do not forget our brothers in Iraq
- A bust of the Pope sculpted by a Carmelite
- Reunion of the mission secretaries of the European provinces
- Information of the Nuns on computer
- Correction to the last issue regarding the Secular Order
- New books
DO NOT FORGET OUR BROTHERS IN BAGHDAD
Let us accompany our brothers in Iraq with our thoughts and prayers. We are aware of the uncertainty of so much there, including life itself, as the drama goes on and on. The whole Order is united with them. We admire their courage in the face of so many difficulties, and with death so near, all of which can so easily lead to exhaustion. We pray that their hope and trust will not fail. The community consists of three friars (two Iraqis and one Spaniard) and four novices. In spite of the worrying circumstances in which they live they have had the satisfaction of opening a spirituality centre in hour of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel, situated near the cathedral, the residence of the Latin archbishop Mgr. Jean-Benjamin Sleiman, ocd. 300 people participated at the inauguration.
A BUST OF THE POPE, THE WORK OF A CARMELITE
The Lateran University in Rome opened a new hall and a new library, both dedicated to Pope Benedict XVI. On October 21, in the morning, the Pope came in person to bless and open the new rooms. The surprise of the Pope was great when, at the entrance, he saw himself in the form of a bronze bust, 70 cms high, it was a good likeness. Just at that moment the rector, Mgr. Rino Fisichella called the sculptor to meet the Pope. The artist, Brother Seraphim Melchiorre, a member of our Venice Province, is well knownin the artistic circles of Rome, and in Italy and even beyond. The Pope, embracing Brother Serafino, congratulated him heartily, and was obviously very pleased that the bust was the creation of a religious.
REUNION OF THE MISSION SECRETARIES
OF THE EUROPEAN PROVINCES
The programme of this Meeting has already been prepared. The overall theme is: “The Carmelite mission in the era of a new evangelization and globalization”. It will take place on the 26th February 2007, in the spirituality centre, Amorebieta-Larrea (Spain). After the introduction by Fr. Damaso Zuazua, Fr. General will give a conference on “Missionaries of Saint Teresa today”: the reality, significance, and resources”. Then Fr. Dominic Fz. De Mendiola, ocd, will offer a panoramic view of the present situation of missionary studies in the Order. Joseph Manuel Madruga, editor of the review “Misiones Extranjeras” (Madrid), will describe missiology in the context of modern theology. Fr. Zachary Igirukwayo, a General Definitor, will speak about human development and mission. Frs. Joseph Mary Ceberio and Joseph Antony Osaba, director and secretary of the “Foro Rural Mundial” (Victoria), will speak on the theme of “Mission in the era of globalization” and on “Mission and the UN working groups”. The last day will be dedicated to and exchange of information and an opportunity to share by the missionary animators from our European provinces.
It is hoped that this reunion will create a certain solidarity, and give incentive to those working in our European provinces. The missionary centres of “La Obra Maxima” (Spain) and “Il Carmelo e le sue Missioni” (Italy), together with the general secretary for the missions, will help to prepare for this Meeting. If other areas of the Order would like to organize reunions of this kind, the general secretary of the missions in Rome would be only too pleased to help in any way.
INFORMATION OF THE NUNS ON COMPUTER
For the first time in the history of the Office of Information at the Generalate there is now a computerized record of our Sisters, the Discalced Carmelite Nuns. We have the complete list of all the nuns, with each nun’s religious and civil names, date and place of birth, date of profession, simple and solemn, which monastery she belongs to, country and continent. When someone dies – if we are informed – we add the date of death. This has been a good undertaking which will make future work much easier. There is now the facility to select statistics according to a particular area: names of sisters, convents, countries, continents. This store of information corresponds to those convents which follow the 1991 Constitutions, because we do not possess all the desired details of the Carmelites of the 1990 Constitutions.
Correction to the Secular Order News
With reference to the last issue of Communicationes we must correct an error: the Castile Province has already presented its proper Statutes, which were approved by the Definitory on February 4, 2005. By contrast, the Statutes of the Netherlands, which were said to have been approved, have not as yet been sent in.
NEW BOOKS
1) Dominique Sterkx, ocd, La Règle du Carmel. Structure et esprit. Editions du Carmel, Toulouse 2006, 451 pp.
2) Carmelitane Scalze, “Carmelo ‘Mater Salvatoris’ di Nuoro. 50º di Fondazione”. Edizioni OCD, Morena 2006, 74 pp.
3) 50 Jahre Karmel. Mariazell 2006, 38 pp.
4) ¿Quién habita en mí? La gran pregunta de Isabel de la Trinidad, in Orar, ns. 182-183 (Burgos 2006), 62 pp.
5) “Isabel de laTrinidad. Alabanza de Gloria”, in Revista de Espiritualidad, n. 259 (Madrid 2006), pp. 193-350.
6) Conrad De Meester, Elisabeth, apprends-nous à prier. Présence du Seigneur 55. Gand 2006, 64 pp.
7) Miguel Gutiérrez, ocd, La Misión Carmelitana del Kivu. La Obra Máxima, San Sebastián 2005, 194 pp.
8) Aquilino Bocos Merino, cmf, Herencia y Profecía. Selección de escritosdirigidos a los Misioneros Claretianos durante los años 1991-2003. Madrid 2006, 510 pp.
9) Various Authors, El Santo Desierto de Las Palmas. Castellón 2006, 313 pp.
10) Various Authors, Elisabeth de la Trinité, l’aventure mystique. Editions du Carmel, Toulouse 2006, 836 pp.
11) Beata Isabel de la Trinidad, in Teresa de Jesús (Avila 2006), pp. 179-211.
12) Jean-Benjamin Sleiman, ocd, Dans le piège Irakien. Le cri du coeur de l’archevêque de Bagdad. Presse de la Renaissance, Paris 2006, 185 pp.
13) AA. VV., Elisabeth, une âme de prière. Editions du Carmel, Toulouse 2006, 86 pp.
14) Aníbal Nieto, ¿Cómo orar desde el sufrimiento? Guayaquil (Ecuador) 2006, 318 pp.
15) Various Authors, Sor Isabel de la Trinidad … Una alabanza de gloria, in Vida Espiritual, nº 157 (Medellín, Colombia), pp. 1-60).
16) AA.VV., In cammino verso l’interiorità. L’influsso di Elisabetta sulla spiritualitàdel XX secolo, in Rvista diVita Spirituale. LX (Roma 2006) pp. 359-552.
17) Ferdinando Puttini, Storia della Provincia Toscana dei Carmelitani Scalzi.Firenze 2005, 444 pp.
18) Carmel de Bourges, Les mots d’Élisabeth de la Trinité. Introduction (“Un mot d’amité”) by Mgr. Hubert Barbier, Preface by Conrad De Meester, Introduction de Elisabeth-Marie, ocd. Carmelo de Bourges & Carmel-EdiT 2006, 811 pp.
This large volume of the Concordance of the writings of Bl. Elizabeth of the Trintiy is a most helpful instrument for those who wish to study her. After the Concordance of Saint John of the Cross (Rome 1990), of Saint Teresa of Jesus in two volumes (Rome 2000), of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus (Paris 1996), Elizabeth of the Trinity is now presented, at the same level, to readers and researchers alike. It is a monumental work by Bourges Carmel (France), and one of the most practical and definitive aspects of the centenary. It can be bought for 75, 00 € plus postage by applying to the aforementioned convent.