Communications n° 81
15-05-2007.
Index
- The Celebration of the eighth centenary of the Rule
- The Remodeling of the Lisieux Carmel
- The Centenary of the Cadiz Carmel, Spain
- The first “Tomir”Award
- Books received
The Celebration of the eighth centenary of the Rule
In Carmel there are an increasing the number of celebrations for the eighth centenary of the Rule written by St. Albert for the hermit of Mount Carmel around the year 1207. In Rome the two General Councils came together for the liturgical celebration on May 12th presided by the Secretary of the Congregation of Religious, Mons. Gianfranco Agostino Gardin. In this context it is worth taking note of an initiative in Latin America, for its “VI Festival of the Arts”, that will take place from May 25th – 26th in El Empalme, the Province of Guayas. The “Juventud Carmelitana Ecuatoriana” (JUCAE) has prepared a text drawn up by Fr. Juan Arias on the Carmelite Rule. In three sections he deals with: 1) The Historical Perspective; 2) Spirituality: as lived by St. Teresa and by St. John of the Cross; 3) the Re-reading of the Rule today in Latin America.
Describing the characteristics of the first group who received the Rule the following were recalled: 1) the non clerical friars; 2) the Europeans in the Holy Land; 3) the pilgrims; 4) the ascetics; 5) the penitents; 6) the hermits; 7) the mendicants; 8) the minors; 9) the friars; 10) the evangelizes. With reference to this the last category a decalogue was drawn up of their outlook: 1) Hearing; 2) Welcoming; 3) To take up the cross; 4) Fidelity; 5) Historical patience; 6) The praying person; 7) Unconditional Love; 8) Faith in the God of life; 9) Solidarity; 10) Authenticity.
The written collection concludes with this consideration: “These approaches from the Latin American perspective permits us to see its richness and relevance in response to the challenges and new demands for our Carmelite-Teresian life incarnated in diverse cultures.” And following up: The fundamental values of the Rule are still valid, but they need to be incarnated and lived with the careful attention to the subtle overtones of the signs of the times and of places.
The Remodeling of the Lisieux Carmel
In June 2006 the township of Lisieux approved of plans to make the Carmelite monastery of nuns more able to receive the pilgrims. Then last October it began an important work of reorganization in view of being able to offer a better welcoming for the pilgrims that flow into the small city in constant and growing measure. The chapel of Carmel will remain closed until the end of the work which is foreseen to be around Christmas 2007. The new set-up of the external buildings of the monastery permits Carmelite nuns to continue, with minor inconveniences, their life of prayer and for the pilgrims a better access to the theresian memorial sites. It was the age of the old buildings alone that compelled the undertaking of these works. This remodeling endeavors to offer: 1) a personalized itinerary to the pilgrims in a building that will be to the right of the chapel; 2) an audio-visual presentation that summarizes the itinerary: the reproduction of the theresian memorials, fixed and moveable images, a gallery presenting numerous objects and thanksgiving votive offerings to St. Therese; 3) a passage through the courtyard that will bring one to 4) a large lighted room that will offer a place for prayer and the possibility of a conference with a priest; 5) and in the end arriving to the urn of the relics through the access in the rear of the chapel.
The place where the relics are reserved is designated for silent prayer, the liturgy of the Carmelite nuns and the daily liturgical celebrations of the monastery. The urn of the relics will be seen through an external access, without disturbing the silence and hospitality of the chapel. After the community looked over the project, it gave it to the prestigious architect François Pin to finish. It will cost five million Euro. They hope to cover the cost with the concurrence of the numerous devoted people to the Carmelite saint of Lisieux. To date, 25,000 have already offered their private contribution.
The Parisian journal “La Croix” of April 14th– 15th gave coverage of the project. In this issue it reported some of the nuns’ impressions. “We have been able to live in this monastery for decades without changing anything” – affirmed Sr. Maria of the Redemption, the senior member of the community– “but today the world is changing very quickly and we need to adapt accordingly.” All the nuns agree on the objective of reaching out, to offer a better welcoming to the more than 500,000 pilgrims annually and to safe guard the calm and the serenity of the Carmelite nuns. A single space joining the two buildings has been added between them. They hope that by Christmas all will be finished. The presentation of the garden in front of the Carmel is under the care of the township of Lisieux.
The Centenary of the Cadiz Carmel, Spain
On March 19th, the Carmel of Corpus Christi and of St. Joseph of Cadiz, in the Province of Andalusia, celebrated the centenary of their foundation. The community prepared itself by reading the chronicles and the accounts of the beginnings of the foundation. It was a way of entering into communion with the “first fruits of the spirit” to borrow an expression from St. John of the Cross. During the triduum in preparation for the feast of the centenary, another important centenary was remembered that is underway this year, that of the death of Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity. The first Mass of the triduum was celebrated by the diocesan bishop Mons. Antonio Ceballos, before many Carmelites and other priests. On the second day, the Provincial of Andalusia, Francesco Berbell, presided over the liturgical celebration. Both homilies recalled the history of the monastery, the grace of having a praying community and the teachings of the Mystic of Dijon.
Among the large number of participants there were representatives of the religious communities, members of the secular Carmel and the Carmelite family. In order to enliven the centenary, they placed blown up posters of the foundress of the first community, Mother Teresa of the Infant Jesus, in the chapel.
The first “Tomir” to a member of the General Curia
The township of Caravaca of La Cruz (Murcia, Spain) and the Cultural Association of the Kàbila Almoràvides, the group called the Bando Moro of the Feasts of the Cross, has given the TOMIR award for the ninth edition, in the international category, to Fr. Dionisio Tomàs Sanchìs, the General Archivist. The award publically recognizes those persons or entities that are distinguished “in the diffusion of the name of our city, of the most holy and true Cross, of the feasts of Moors, the Christians and of the traditional “Caballos de vino”.
The award for the first place is given in recognition of those people who distinguish themselves in the fields of religion, politics, the means of communication, producers, workers and so forth, at the local, regional, national and international levels. The award of the prize, which concerned Fr. Dionisio, took place on March 10, 2007. His family, friends, and many citizens of Caravaca accompanied him at the Gala Supper which celebrated the awards.
The award was given to Fr. Dionisio “for his extraordinary work in the field of fundamental formation, human and spiritual, of the various generations of Caravacans and for the creation of the Edith Stein Club (1966-1987).” The physical distance – specified, the document of the jury – did not impede Fr. Dionisio from being present in Caravaca of the Cross, while he published articles for the journal of May (1973-2007), his presence as extraordinary confessor during the Jubilee Year of 2003, and the attention he has given to every Caravacan that ever came into his life. From Rome, where he has been stationed since 1993, he has communicated the spirit of Caravaca, carrying the name of our city to the whole world. The award, a trophy of singular beauty, is dedicated to the Teresian Carmelite Order, to which he has belonged since he was 13 years old, and to Caravaca of the Cross where he lived for 21 years (1966–1987).
Books received at the Generalate
1) Antonio M. Zaccaria Igirukwayo, L’Eucaristia, fondamento cristologico della vita morale. Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2006, 232 pp.
2) Istituto Storico Scalabriniano, L’ecclesiologia di Scalabrini. Urbaniana University Press. Roma 2007, 684 pp.
3) Dom Xavier Perrin, osb, Regards sur l’Immaculée. Ediditons du Carmel. Toulouse 2006, 90 pp.
4) Maur de l’Enfant-Jésus, Ecrits de la maturité (1664-1689). Editions du Carmel, Toulouse 2007, 343 pp.
5) Ivan Marcil, Ecrits mystiques de Julienne de Norwich. Editions du Carmel 2007, 151 pp.
6) René Luneau, Il figlio prodigo. Editrice Queriniana. Brescia 2006, 156 pp.
7) Louis_Marie de Jésus, Bruno de Jésus-Marie, l’ami du Carmel. Echos d’une correspondance [avec Jacques Maritain]. Cahiers Jacques Maritain 55 (décembre 2006) 1-77.
8) Mgr Guy Gaucher, La vie du Père Marie-Eugène de l’Enfant-Jésus. Cerf/ Edit. du Carmel, 2007, 368 pp.
9) Antonio Unzueta, Mons. Valentín Zubizarreta, ocd. Carmelita, Obispo, Teólogo. Vitoria 2006, 395 pp.
10) Carmelo di Flumini di Quartu, Vite donate alla Chiesa da Dio. L’esperienza gioiosa delle Carmelitane Teresiane 1997-2007. Cagliari 2007, 68 pp.
11) Joseph Pérez, Thérèse d’Avila. Fayard, Paris 2007, 374 pp.
12) Julián Urkiza, Reimplantación del Carmelo Teresiano Masculino en España. Documentación y correspondencia epistolar de los fundadores. T. I, Comienzos en Marquina. MHCT, Roma 2007, 1090 pp.
13) Julián Urkiza, Reimplantación del Carmelo Teresiano Masculino en España. T. II, Hacia la unión de toda la Orden. MHCT, Roma 2007, 949 pp.
14) Julián Urkiza, Reimplantación del Carmelo Teresiano Masculino en España. T. III, La primera expansión. MHCT, Roma 2007, 746 pp.
15) Julián Urkiza, Reimplantación del Carmelo Teresiano Masculino en España. T. IV, La primera expansión (segunda parte). MHCT, Roma 2007, 737 pp.
The four volumes of the series entitled “Monumenta restaurationis Ordinis”.
16) AA. VV., La mistica parola per parola. Ancora 2007, 256 pp.
17) Mons. Vicente Cisneros Durán, arzobispo de Cuenca, Mensajes Pastorales. XVI Volumen. Cuenca, Ecuador, 2007, 5141-5551.
18) Rafael Mª Melús, o.carm., Beata María Teresa Scrilli, Carmelita 1825-1889. Amacar, Onda 2006, 87 pp.
19) Benito Goya, Aiuto fraterno. La pratica della direzione spirituale. Edizioni Dehoniane, Bologna 2006, 208 pp.
20) Hrvatska Televizija, “Vesdin. Gradišcanski Hrva Redovnik – Bosonogi karmelicanin Misionar Indije, Indolog, Otac poredbene indoeuropske lingvistike”. n. 20 (DVD di alta qualità professionale) Zagreb 2006.
21) Szczepan T. Praśkiewicz, Odda» óycie z mi»osci. Wadowice 2007, 144 pp.
22) Id., Wierzyc i uczuc zyciem. Kraków 2007, 65 pp.
23) Id., Z Maryia zawsze i we wszystkim. Kraków 2007, 49 pp.
24) Id., W cieniu Ostrej Bramy. Zycie Świetego Rafała Kalinowskiego. Przemyśl 2001, 36 pp.
25) Id., Nabozenstwo Św. Rafała Kalinowskiego do Św. Józefa i do Świetych Karmelu. Kraków 2007, 27 pp.
26) Id., Posługa duszpasterska Karmelitów Bosych wsród Polonii Amerykanskiej w Stanach Zjednoczonch. Kraków 2007 23 pp.
27) Carmelitas Descalzas, San José de Ávila. Un cielo si le puede haber en la tierra. DVD. Avila 2007.
1