Communicationes N° 18

2004.02.15

CONTENTS

FRIARS

John Paul II gives his papal ring to our Church in Wadowice

Cardinal Stanislaus Nagy takes possession of his titular Church, Santa Maria della Scala, Rome.

Regional Congresses of the Order

A New Shrine to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

NUNS

Basse Terre Carmel, Guadeloupe

Notre Dame of Carmel Association - Holy Land

F R I A R S

JOHN PAUL II GIVES HIS RING AS A GIFT FOR THE PAINTING OF ST JOSEPH IN THE CHURCH OF THE DISCALCED CARMELITES IN WADOWICE, POLAND

His Holiness Pope John Paul II has given his papal ring to decorate St Josephs painting at our Priory in Wadowice, his birthplace. The decoration of the painting will take place on the 19th March 2004, during the Eucharist, presided by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, Archbishop of Cracow, together with other Polish Bishops and representatives of the Order. The ceremony will be preceded by a novena. The event has created a great deal of interest throughout Poland, including the mass media. We congratulate our Brothers and Sisters in Poland.

The following is the text of the Papal Bull of His Holiness:

Ad perpetuam rei memoriam!

Inspired by the Gospel, the Fathers of the Church from the first centuries underlined that St Joseph, who had lovingly looked after Mary and dedicated himself to the joyful task of educating Jesus Christ, also looks after and protects the Church, the mystical Body of Christ, of which Mary is both exemplar and model (Redemptoris Custos, 1).

In the city where I was born St Joseph, the second Patron Saint of my Baptism, bestowed his protection on the People of God in the Discalced Carmelite Church, on the hill, where his painting is venerated above the high altar.

Thanks to this tireless defender of Christ, and inspired by the example of my predecessor, John XXIII, who in the year of the inauguration of the Second Vatican Council, offered his papal ring to decorate the hand of St Joseph in Kalisz cathedral (cfr. Kronika Diecezji Wloclawaskiej, 1963, N 3-4, pp. 66-77), I offer the papal ring, in the twenty fifth year of my Pontificate, for a similar decoration of the painting of him who nourished the Son of God, venerated in the Carmelite Church, Wadowicese. I consign this gift to the Fr. Provincial, Szczepan T. Praskiewicz OCD.

May this ring, symbol of married love, which will be placed on the hand of St Joseph in the painting at Wadowice, remind his devotees, that the Head of the Holy Family is that just man of Nazareth (who) possesses the clear characteristics of a husband...and remained faithful to Gods call until the end...and received the same love, through whose power the Eternal Father has predestined us to be His adopted children through Jesus Christ (Redemptoris Custos).

I would like to thank the Discalced Carmelites, faithful guardians of their Church in Wadowice, for all that I received since my childhood from the Carmelite School of spirituality. Following the example of their Holy Mother, Teresa of Jesus, may they contemplate St Joseph as the perfect model of intimacy with Jesus and Mary, Patron of interior prayer and untiring service to his brothers and sisters (cfr. Life 6,6-8. 32,12).

May St Joseph obtain for the Church and the world, and for each one of us, the blessing of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Vatican, 16th October 2003, in the twenty fifth year of my pontificate.

Joannes Paulus II,pp.

Rome. Santa Maria della Scala

CARDINAL STANISLAUS NAGY TAKES POSSESSION

OF HIS TITULAR CHURCH IN ROME

The newly created Cardinal Stanislaus Nagy, formally took possession of his titular Church, Santa Maria della Scala, at Trastevere, Rome. There were many representatives from the Polish Church present, including Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Men and Women Religious and the local people. Our Order was represented by Fr. Zdenko Krizic, Vicar General, Fr Arnaldo Pigna, Provincial of the Roman Province, Fr. Albert Wach, representing the Province of Cracow, and Fr. Dominic Nirmal Kurmar, Superior of the Santa Maria della Scala student community.

The Eucharist was celebrated by more than 40 Priests. At the beginning of the Eucharist the Papal Bull was read assigning the Church. During the Prayers of the Faithful, besides praying for the Pope and Cardinal Nagy, there was also a prayer for our Order; that in every corner of the earth we revive the mystical spirit of the Carmelite Saints who, over the years, have shone among the names of those who have died in the universal Church.

REGIONAL CONGRESSES OF THE ORDER

The following are dates of some of the forthcoming Congresses in some areas of the Order:

Africa:

Congress for the Formators in Africa: 5th - 11th September 2004, Yaounde (Cameroon)

South America

Congress on Spirituality of the Conference of South American Religious (CICLA):

25th October-1st November, Los Andes (Chile).

Formation Course for South America: 17th October-17th November 2004, Medellin (Columbia).

Europe:

Meeting for those responsible for Vocations in the European Provinces: 6th-9th September 2004, Marco de Canaveses (Portugal).

A NEW SHRINE TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

on a hill resort of Kerala, India

Next to Thekkady, a world famous wild sanctuary and Peerumedu, a ravishing hill resort loved by tourists coming to India, situates the 110 years old Carmelite Monastery of Kuttikanam. This place of heritage was recently distinguished with the newly built (renovated) Monastery cum Shrine. The Shrine was blessed and dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel on 13th November 2003, by Mons. DanielAcharuparambil, OCD, Archbishop of Verapoly. This Shrine will be hallowed as a relic of the zealous Carmelite Missionaries who evangelized this region a century ago. The holdings were under the Navarre Province till it was handed over to the Manjummel Province in 1962. This region comes under the diocese of Vijayapuram, which was a typical Carmelite mission of Navarre Province from the origin of its erection.

N U N S

BASSE TERES CARMEL - GUADELOUPE

On the 7th December the Notre Dame de la Resurrection Carmel celebrated its 50th anniversary of foundation in Guadeloupe. An exhibition of Carmelite history was held near the Soufriere, a volcano, which surely calls to mind the prophet Elijah. The solemn Eucharist was presided by Mons. Cabo in the school, thus allowing a larger number of Priests and Laity to attend the celebration. To lift this up even more there was a choir with a number of musicians. The homily, by Fr Robert PAUL OCD, reminded all of Carmels deep values, personified by, among others, the figures of the Prophet Elijah and our Holy Mother.

ASSOCIATION, NOTRE DAME DU CARMEL - THE HOLY LAND

The Carmelites of the land that saw Jesus grow are delighted to inform you of their new website, which you should enjoy: It is our little gift to the entire Carmelite Family and to all our friends.