In this first of 3 lectures Fr Michael Driscoll, OCarm, talks about his miraculous cure from malignant cancer through the intercession of Titus Brandsma. Fr Michael is still cancer free 18 years after his initial diagnosis. Fr Mario Esposito outlines the steps the Church and the Carmelites took to verify Fr Michael's cure as a genuine miracle. This lecture series is hosted by the Center for Carmelite Studies at the Catholic University of America. Watch the lecture

Pope Francis has announced that Blessed Titus Brandsma, OCarm, will be canonised on Sunday 15 May 2022 in St Peter's Square. The announcement came during a Consistory (meeting of Cardinals and the Pope) in Rome yesterday. Brandsma was among 3 other Blesseds approved for canonisation at the Consistory.

Brandsma, the 'dangerous little friar', ran foul of the Nazi authorities in Holland during World War II for his stance against Nazi ideology and anti-Semitism. He fought to keep Nazi propaganda out of the Catholic and secular press and to keep Jewish children in Catholic schools. He was arrested, imprisoned and finally sent to Dachau Concentration Camp where he was killed by lethal injection on 26 July 1942. Read the Prior General's comments

As always, the Gospels of the first two Sundays in Lent provide a road map for our Lenten journey from temptation (this Sunday) to transfiguration (next Sunday). We allow ourselves to be tempted out of the ash of selfishness and narrowness of heart and into a life of open-hearted goodness. We celebrate God’s graciousness to us by sharing what we have with those in need whether it be food, wealth, time, love, friendship or compassion. That’s what it means to ‘repent and believe the Good News’. Read more

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A Consistory (meeting of Cardinals in Rome) will be held this Friday 4 March in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Pope Francis will preside over the celebration of Midday Prayer and the Consistory. The purpose of the Consistory is to give final approval for the canonisations of 3 Blesseds, among them Carmelite, Titus Brandsma. If approval is given by the Cardinals and the Pope an announcement of the date of the canonisation will also be made. Follow Titus Brandsma's journey to sainthood using the links below.
Titus Brandsma: Journalist, educator, mystic, martyr
Titus Brandsma: Another step towards sainthood (includes video)
Titus Brandsma: A step closer to sainthood

School and parish came together in Zumalai recently for 2 days of Safeguarding Training. Teachers and volunteers from the primary school joined with parish staff, catechists and council members. In all, more than 50 people took part in the sessions run by one of our Safeguarding consultants. At the end of the weekend all who had completed the training sessions signed the Carmelites’ Safeguarding Code of Conduct. The Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste are committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children, young people and vulnerable adults in our care.

Carmelites are living and ministering in two parishes in Ukraine: Sąsiadowicze and Włodzimierz Wołyński. Speaking about the situation in Ukraise, Fr Wiesław (Provincial) said, "I have just talked to them and the situation seems very serious— people in the streets are panicked, there are food shortages in the shops. The Bishop calls for taking in the needy in Sąsiadowicze and sharing cellars as shelters, which we are prepared for. I told the Brothers that they can come back to Poland at any moment but they do not want to leave the people entrusted to them. At this moment our Brothers are safe and sound but the situation is developing all the time. Asking the whole Carmelite Order to pray for our Brothers and the Ukrainian people, Wieslaw." Please join with us in remembering the Carmelites and the people of Ukraine in your thoughts and prayer. Read special prayer

You can download and save the scripture texts, reflections and prayers for Lectio Divina for each day of this month. Lectio Divina is a traditional way of praying the Scriptures. Visit our Lectio Divina page for more information about how to pray using Lectio Divina. Join our Lectio Online group every Friday at 10am (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) to prayerfully reflect on the coming Sunday's Gospel. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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We live in a world of words thanks to modern mass media and, particularly, social media. We have seen the extremely harmful way in which words can be used in harsh judgement against other people, and the sheer vitriol of some on social media gives us pause for thought. It begs us to ask the question, ‘What do my words reveal about who I am?’ Like trees that are known by their fruit, so will the disciples be known by their words and actions, their values and attitudes, by who they truly are, by what is in their heart. Read more

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At first glance the words of Jesus seem absurd and almost impossible to follow. Should we really offer the other cheek to someone who strikes us? Are we really meant to give the rest of our clothes to someone who steals our coat? Is this what Jesus really is asking us to do? We are being invited to reflect on how we can respond to unreasonable demands and personal injuries with nothing but generosity and abandoning all claims to retribution and restitution. Read more

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Over the next three Sundays we will listen to almost the whole of Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. The sermon is quite confronting and challenging, especially those verses which form today’s Gospel reading. The Sermon begins with four blessings and four woes. At first glance it is very odd to call people who are poor, hungry, weeping and hated blessed, fortunate or happy. But we have to hear the words of Jesus in the context of the religious teaching and general thinking which belonged to his time. Read more

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