During the Synod on the Amazon the Carmelite church of St Mary in Traspontina, near the Vatican, has been a focal point of daily prayer and pilgrimage. A display featuring various aspects of Amazonian faith and life is present in the chapels of the Church. Included in the display were several carved wooden statues of a pregnant Amazonian woman. Two men filmed themselves entering the church on 21 October, taking the statues from the chapels and throwing them into the Tiber River a short distance away. More story.
Mr Mark Murphy has been chosen to lead the Whitefriars College Community as Principal from the beginning of 2020. Mr Murphy, currently principal at Marcellin College, Bulleen (VIC), has been involved in Catholic Education for 33 years and attended Whitefriars as a student, graduating in 1982.
“It is evident that Mark will bring a wonderful breadth of knowledge, experience and energy to the position and will ensure that the College continues to provide our students with positive, challenging and rewarding school experiences,” said Fr Paul Cahill (Carmelite Provincial) and Mr Peter Duffy (Chair, Whitefriars College Board) in their letter announcing the appointment. pdf Read the announcement.
A new Timor-Leste chapel has been blessed and opened by Bishop Hilton Deakin at the Ta Pinu Shrine in Bacchus March (VIC). The Shrine, described as an ‘all nations Marian Centre’, aims to have a chapel representing every nation. Timor-Leste is the most recent to have a chapel built at the Shrine. The chapel is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Our young Carmelites were present joining in the celebrations, assisting Bishop Deakin, reading prayers and doing one of the Scripture readings. More photos
Frs Bruce Clark and Nelinho Ferreira Soares have been elected by the Carmelites in Timor-Leste to form the Timor-Leste Council for the next 3 years. Together with Fr Carlito Da Costa Araújo (Provincial Delegate for Timor-Leste) they will share responsibility for fostering the growth of the Order in Timor-Leste, the pastoral care of the Carmelites and managing day-to-day affairs.
Fr Carlito is also one of the formators for the simply professed friars. Fr Bruce is also Director of Novices and Fr Nelinho is Chaplain to the nation's Police Force. Our prayerful congratulations are with these brothers as they begin their ministry.
Born in Avila in Spain in 1515 Teresa entered the Carmelites and eventually made great progress in her spiritual journey. Wishing to share in the spiritual renewal of the Church of her time, she began to live her religious life more ardently and soon attracted many companions, to whom she was like a mother. She also helped in the reform of the friars with Saint John of the Cross. She wrote books which are renowned for their depth of doctrine and which showed her own spiritual experiences. She died at Alba de Tormes in 1582. In 1970 Teresa was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI. "Prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends" - St Teresa of Jesus.
Carmelite student, Br Cesaltino Dos Santos, was present when the President of Timor-Leste, Francisco Guterres Lú Olo, launched the ‘One Citizen, One Tree’ initiative of the Global Association for the Prevention of Climate Change. The Association’s job is to plant trees in schools and in deforested areas in Timor-Leste. The President gave his support to the Association and asked that relevant institutions make Timor-Leste greener.
The Final Message from the 2019 General Chapter has just been released. Among the points addressed in the message are: The global nature of the Order, passing on the Tradition, living the Carmelite charism today, responding to new situations in the world, the mystical dimension of Carmelite life, tenderness and compassion, the Carmelite Family and continuing the journey in hope.
Recently, 18 current and past students, who have received a scholarship from the Carmelites, gathered together for the first ever Scholarship Student Retreat at our community in Hera.
While some students live with their families in Dili, or the Carmelite communities in Hera or Fatuhada, several past students travelled from their rural villages to participate in the retreat. The day was facilitated by Br Agostinho Dos Santos. More story & photos
In August this year our Community Development Ministry Coordinator, Mayra Walsh, ran a 3-day training with 37 teachers from our two Catholic schools in Zumalai, Timor-Leste. The training introduced the teachers to our new Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults policy and facilitated engaging discussions about how to ensure that these schools are a safe environment for children in Zumalai. More story & photos
Making it real: Genuine human encounter in our digital world. Our October newsletter offers you a summarised version of the Australian Bishops Social Justice Statement. The Bishops invite us to reflect on how the internet has changed the way we communicate, work, learn and do business, and how we can contribute towards a more just and loving digital world.
