#friars — Public Fediverse posts

Between the windows of #Ventura #CityHall are 24 faces of #brothers or #friars. They can be considered a reference to the fact that #SanBuenaventura was one of the original towns founded by #JuniperoSerra and #Franciscanfriars in 1782. #photography #americana #wa #california #architecture #californication #canon80d #colorphotography #bwphotography #travel #photos #trivia #funfacts

Between the windows of #Ventura #CityHall are 24 faces of #brothers or #friars. They can be considered a reference to the fact that #SanBuenaventura was one of the original towns founded by #JuniperoSerra and #Franciscanfriars in 1782. #photography #americana #wa #california #architecture #californication #canon80d #colorphotography #bwphotography #travel #photos #trivia #funfacts

Between the windows of #Ventura #CityHall are 24 faces of #brothers or #friars. They can be considered a reference to the fact that #SanBuenaventura was one of the original towns founded by #JuniperoSerra and #Franciscanfriars in 1782. #photography #americana #wa #california #architecture #californication #canon80d #colorphotography #bwphotography #travel #photos #trivia #funfacts

Between the windows of #Ventura #CityHall are 24 faces of #brothers or #friars. They can be considered a reference to the fact that #SanBuenaventura was one of the original towns founded by #JuniperoSerra and #Franciscanfriars in 1782. #photography #americana #wa #california #architecture #californication #canon80d #colorphotography #bwphotography #travel #photos #trivia #funfacts

Between the windows of #Ventura #CityHall are 24 faces of #brothers or #friars. They can be considered a reference to the fact that #SanBuenaventura was one of the original towns founded by #JuniperoSerra and #Franciscanfriars in 1782. #photography #americana #wa #california #architecture #californication #canon80d #colorphotography #bwphotography #travel #photos #trivia #funfacts

San Diego bats finally show some fight in win over Nats https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/712898/ #Baseball #FernandoTatis #FosterGriffin #friars #GavinSheets #JacksonMerrill #JasonAdam #JeremiahEstrada #LosAngelesDodgers #LucasGiolito #MannyMachado #MasonMiller #MichaelKing #MiguelAndujar #MLB #nationals #NickCastellanos #RamonLaureano #RonMarinaccio #SanDiegoPadres #TyFrance #WandyPeralta #washington #WashingtonNationals #WashingtonNationals #XanderBogaerts #YukiMatsui

San Diego bats finally show some fight in win over Nats https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/712898/ #Baseball #FernandoTatis #FosterGriffin #friars #GavinSheets #JacksonMerrill #JasonAdam #JeremiahEstrada #LosAngelesDodgers #LucasGiolito #MannyMachado #MasonMiller #MichaelKing #MiguelAndujar #MLB #nationals #NickCastellanos #RamonLaureano #RonMarinaccio #SanDiegoPadres #TyFrance #WandyPeralta #washington #WashingtonNationals #WashingtonNationals #XanderBogaerts #YukiMatsui

San Diego somehow finds way to lose, 0-for-10 with RISP https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/709602/ #AaronNola #Baseball #California #FernandoTatisJr #FreddyFermin #friars #GavinSheets #GriffinCanning #JacksonMerrill #JasonAdam #JeremiahEstrada #LosAngelesDodgers #MannyMachado #MasonMiller #MiguelAndujar #MLB #NickCastellanos #Philadelphia #PhiladelphiaPhillies #PhiladelphiaPhillies #Phillies #RamonLaureano #RandyVásquez #RonMarinaccio #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #SixthInning #WandyPeralta #XanderBogaerts #YukiMatsui

San Diego somehow finds way to lose, 0-for-10 with RISP https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/709602/ #AaronNola #Baseball #California #FernandoTatisJr #FreddyFermin #friars #GavinSheets #GriffinCanning #JacksonMerrill #JasonAdam #JeremiahEstrada #LosAngelesDodgers #MannyMachado #MasonMiller #MiguelAndujar #MLB #NickCastellanos #Philadelphia #PhiladelphiaPhillies #PhiladelphiaPhillies #Phillies #RamonLaureano #RandyVásquez #RonMarinaccio #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #SixthInning #WandyPeralta #XanderBogaerts #YukiMatsui

San Diego slugs its way to win in series opener versus Athletics https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/706972/ #Athletics #Baseball #BryceJohnson #California #FreddyFermin #friars #GavinSheets #JacksonMerrill #JasonAdam #JeremiahEstrada #LosAngelesDodgers #LucasGiolito #MannyMachado #MasonMiller #MiguelAndujar #MLB #MLBAthletics #NickCastellanos #RamonLaureano #RonMarinaccio #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #SeattleMariners #TheAthletics #WalkerBuehler #WandyPeralta #XanderBogaerts #YukiMatsui

San Diego slugs its way to win in series opener versus Athletics https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/706972/ #Athletics #Baseball #BryceJohnson #California #FreddyFermin #friars #GavinSheets #JacksonMerrill #JasonAdam #JeremiahEstrada #LosAngelesDodgers #LucasGiolito #MannyMachado #MasonMiller #MiguelAndujar #MLB #MLBAthletics #NickCastellanos #RamonLaureano #RonMarinaccio #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #SeattleMariners #TheAthletics #WalkerBuehler #WandyPeralta #XanderBogaerts #YukiMatsui

Quote of the day, 10 April: St. Titus Brandsma

Professor Brandsma took advantage of vacations to visit other countries for study. He was most attracted by Spain, the native land of St. Teresa of Avila. He felt a special attraction for her and her way of living out the spirit of Carmel. 

During the Easter Break of 1929, and months before the first Congress [on mysticism in Nijmegen], he had gone to Spain to study similarities between Spanish and Flemish mysticism. He visited Barcelona, Burgos, Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Jerez de la Frontera, and Avila; he spent time in archives, libraries, and museums. 

In some Carmelite friaries, he lectured on Carmel’s rich heritage, but he also took pains to make contact with the simple faithful whose culture and spirit had contributed so much to the 16th-century reform of the Order.

Father Simón Besalduch, a well-known Carmelite scholar and author, accompanied Titus through Catalonia; while there, they visited the rector of the University of Barcelona and the Monastery of Montserrat. Recalling this latter visit, Fr. Simón wrote:

We visited the monastery, and the monks put whatever he wanted to see at his disposal. … He conversed with the Benedictines in Dutch, French, German, and Spanish. What tremendous devotion he showed while visiting the church and listening to the Gregorian chant of the monks! … Later, as we were strolling along the mountain trails, our dear Father expressed, as though a projection of his inner being, what was in his heart; and he did so with such vitality that it seemed he was dreaming out loud. He spoke of grand proposals that came together in a single ideal: the flourishing of the Order he so dearly loved. We still have so much to do, he said, in order to become what our fathers were. We need to increase vocations. … We need a comprehensive library that is available to Carmelites of the entire world. … We need a multi-lingual journal that will publish in all the major languages. … We need so much, so much, so much.

Miguel Maria Arribas, O.Carm.

Chapter IV, At the university (excerpt)

Arribas O.Carm., M 2021, The Price of Truth: Titus Brandsma, Carmelite, Carmelite Media, Darien, Illinois.

Featured image: Detail from a photograph of St. Titus Brandsma as Rector Magnificus of the Catholic University of Nijmegen. Titus served in this role from 1932–1933. Image credit: Carmelites (used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut).

Quote of the day, 10 April: St. Titus Brandsma

Professor Brandsma took advantage of vacations to visit other countries for study. He was most attracted by Spain, the native land of St. Teresa of Avila. He felt a special attraction for her and her way of living out the spirit of Carmel. 

During the Easter Break of 1929, and months before the first Congress [on mysticism in Nijmegen], he had gone to Spain to study similarities between Spanish and Flemish mysticism. He visited Barcelona, Burgos, Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Jerez de la Frontera, and Avila; he spent time in archives, libraries, and museums. 

In some Carmelite friaries, he lectured on Carmel’s rich heritage, but he also took pains to make contact with the simple faithful whose culture and spirit had contributed so much to the 16th-century reform of the Order.

Father Simón Besalduch, a well-known Carmelite scholar and author, accompanied Titus through Catalonia; while there, they visited the rector of the University of Barcelona and the Monastery of Montserrat. Recalling this latter visit, Fr. Simón wrote:

We visited the monastery, and the monks put whatever he wanted to see at his disposal. … He conversed with the Benedictines in Dutch, French, German, and Spanish. What tremendous devotion he showed while visiting the church and listening to the Gregorian chant of the monks! … Later, as we were strolling along the mountain trails, our dear Father expressed, as though a projection of his inner being, what was in his heart; and he did so with such vitality that it seemed he was dreaming out loud. He spoke of grand proposals that came together in a single ideal: the flourishing of the Order he so dearly loved. We still have so much to do, he said, in order to become what our fathers were. We need to increase vocations. … We need a comprehensive library that is available to Carmelites of the entire world. … We need a multi-lingual journal that will publish in all the major languages. … We need so much, so much, so much.

Miguel Maria Arribas, O.Carm.

Chapter IV, At the university (excerpt)

Arribas O.Carm., M 2021, The Price of Truth: Titus Brandsma, Carmelite, Carmelite Media, Darien, Illinois.

Featured image: Detail from a photograph of St. Titus Brandsma as Rector Magnificus of the Catholic University of Nijmegen. Titus served in this role from 1932–1933. Image credit: Carmelites (used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut).

Joe Musgrove’s injury setback may force Padres to pursue Lucas Giolito https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/631272/ #AtlantaBraves #Baseball #BostonRedSox #friars #GermanMarquez #GettyImages #Giants #GriffinCanning #JoeMusgrove #LucasGiolito #MarcoGonzales #MichaelKing #MLB #NickPivetta #RandyVásquez #SanDiegoPadres #SanFrancisco #SanFranciscoGiants #SanFrancisco #SanFranciscoGiants #SF #SFGiants #SFGiants #TexasRangers

Joe Musgrove’s injury setback may force Padres to pursue Lucas Giolito https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/631272/ #AtlantaBraves #Baseball #BostonRedSox #friars #GermanMarquez #GettyImages #Giants #GriffinCanning #JoeMusgrove #LucasGiolito #MarcoGonzales #MichaelKing #MLB #NickPivetta #RandyVásquez #SanDiegoPadres #SanFrancisco #SanFranciscoGiants #SanFrancisco #SanFranciscoGiants #SF #SFGiants #SFGiants #TexasRangers

Padres need to upgrade backup catcher position https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/531548/ #BackupCatcher #Baseball #Campusano #ChristianVasquez #FreddyFermin #friars #GarySanchez #LuisCampusano #MLB #ReeseMcguire #SanDiegoPadres #TheFriars #TheKansasCityRoyals

Rhode Warriors: Villanova Takes Down Providence 88-82 https://www.rawchili.com/nba/536401/ #Basketball #CollegeBasketball #DevinAskew #DukeBrennan #Friars #MalachiPalmer #Michigan #Milwaukee #ncaa #NCAABasketball #ncaab #StefanVaaks #TylerPerkins #Villanova

No. 4 UConn rallies out of a 13-point hole to beat Providence in OT, remain perfect in Big East play

No. 4 UConn has once again survived a scare at Providence. The Huskies had to rally out of…
#UnitedStates #US #USA #AlexKaraban #america #BraylonMullins #Entertainment #Friars #health #SilasDemaryJr. #SoloBall #sports #theHuskies #UConn #unitedstatesofamerica
https://www.europesays.com/2687259/

Riverside residents contribute to Fenwick football’s 6A title https://www.rawchili.com/nfl/587923/ #6ATitle #FenwickFootball #Football #Friars #riverside

Padres need to rest Manny Machado https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/312972/ #AlekJacob #Baseball #ChicagoCubs #CincinnatiReds #ColoradoRockies #DavidMorgan #friars #GavinSheets #JacksonMerrill #JakeCronenworth #JPSears #LosAngelesDodgers #MannyMachado #MichaelKing #MLB #NestorCortes #NewYorkMets #OPS #RamonLaureano #RandyVásquez #RonMarinaccio #SanDiegoPadres #SeanReynolds #Tatís

Padres need to rest Manny Machado https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/312972/ #AlekJacob #Baseball #ChicagoCubs #CincinnatiReds #ColoradoRockies #DavidMorgan #friars #GavinSheets #JacksonMerrill #JakeCronenworth #JPSears #LosAngelesDodgers #MannyMachado #MichaelKing #MLB #NestorCortes #NewYorkMets #OPS #RamonLaureano #RandyVásquez #RonMarinaccio #SanDiegoPadres #SeanReynolds #Tatís

Padres lack of offense backfires against Rockies https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/312659/ #Baseball #BlaineCrim #BradleyBlalock #colorado #ColoradoRockies #ColoradoRockies #DylanCease #FernandoTatisJr. #forthefaithful #FreddyFermin #FriarFaithful #friars #JPSears #KyleFarmer #MajorLeagueBaseball #MannyMachado #MLB #NationalLeague #news #NLWest #Padres #PadresRockies #RamonLaureano #rockies #RonMarinaccio #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #TannerGordon #TheFriars #TstSanDiego #WillWagner

Padres lack of offense backfires against Rockies https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/312659/ #Baseball #BlaineCrim #BradleyBlalock #colorado #ColoradoRockies #ColoradoRockies #DylanCease #FernandoTatisJr. #forthefaithful #FreddyFermin #FriarFaithful #friars #JPSears #KyleFarmer #MajorLeagueBaseball #MannyMachado #MLB #NationalLeague #news #NLWest #Padres #PadresRockies #RamonLaureano #rockies #RonMarinaccio #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #TannerGordon #TheFriars #TstSanDiego #WillWagner

Padres smothered by Rockies, shutout in series opener https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/295932/ #Baseball #colorado #ColoradoRockies #ColoradoRockies #FernandoTatisJr. #FriarFaithful #friars #KyleFreeland #LuisArraez #MannyMachado #MLB #news #NickPivetta #Padres #PadresRockies #RamonLaureano #rockies #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #TheFriars #TstSanDiego

Quote of the day, 27 August: St. John Paul II

Once again, during my service to the universal Church in the See of Saint Peter, I come to my native town of Wadowice.

With great emotion I gaze upon this city of my childhood years, which witnessed my first steps, my first words and those “first bows” which, as Norwid puts it, are “like the eternal profession of Christ: ‘Be praised!’” (cf. Moja piosenka [My Song]).

The city of my childhood, my family home, the church of my Baptism… I wish to cross these hospitable thresholds, bow before my native soil and its inhabitants, and utter the words of greeting given to family members upon on their return from a long journey: “Praised be Jesus Christ!”

In a particular way, I wish to greet the Discalced Carmelite Fathers of Górka in Wadowice. We are meeting on an exceptional occasion: 27 August this year marks the centenary of the consecration of the Church of Saint Joseph, at the Convent founded by Saint Raphael Kalinowski.

As I did as a young man, I now return in spirit to that place of particular devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which had such a great influence on the spirituality of the Wadowice area. I myself received many graces there, and today I wish to thank the Lord for them.

I am pleased that I was able to beatify, together with one hundred and eight martyrs, Blessed Father Alfonsus Mary Mazurek, a pupil and later a worthy teacher in the minor seminary attached to the Convent.

I had the opportunity to meet personally this witness of Christ who in 1944, as prior of the convent of Czerna, confirmed his fidelity to God by a martyr’s death.

I kneel in veneration before his relics, which rest in the Church of Saint Joseph, and I give thanks to God for the gift of the life, martyrdom, and holiness of this great Religious.

Saint John Paul II

Homily, Eucharistic celebration in Wadowice, Poland
Wednesday, 16 June 1999

Featured image: Opening of the John Paul II Museum in Wadowice, 9 April 2014. Image credit: M. Śmiarowski / KPRM (Polish Foreign Ministry) / Flickr

#BlessedAlphonsusMaryMazurek #Czerna #DiscalcedCarmelites #friars #homily #martyrs #StJohnPaulII #StRaphaelKalinowski #Wadowice

O’Hearn embraces current role, be it in lineup or off the bench for Padres https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/261727/ #Baseball #forthefaithful #FriarFaithful #friars #MLB #MLBTradeDeadline #news #Padres #RyanO'Hearn #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #TheFriars #TstSanDiego

Padres snagged 6-2 win, securing series over Red Sox https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/240077/ #AdrianMorejon #Baseball #BrayanBello #ChrisMurphy #DavidMorgan #DylanCease #FernandoTatisJr. #forthefaithful #FreddyFermin #FriarFaithful #friars #JakeCronenworth #JasonAdam #LuisArraez #MannyMachado #MLB #news #Padres #RomanAnthony #RomyGonzalez #RyanO'Hearn #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #TheFriars #TstSanDiego #XanderBogaerts

JP Sears debut flatlines, Padres drop series opener to Diamondbacks https://www.rawchili.com/mlb/226816/ #Baseball #BrandonPfaadt #FernandoTatisJr. #forthefaithful #FriarFaithful #friars #JacksonMerrill #JakeCronenworth #JPSears #LourdesGurrielJr. #LuisArraez #MannyMachado #MLB #news #Padres #PadresDiamondbacks #RamonLaureano #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #SanDiego #SanDiegoPadres #TheFriars #TstSanDiego #TylerLocklear #WandyPeralta #YukiMatsui

4 May: Blesseds Angel Maria Prat Hostench, Lucas of St. Joseph Tristany Pujol, Priests, and Companions (Not observed in 2025)

May 4
BLESSEDS ANGELUS MARY PRAT HOSTENCH,
LUKE OF ST. JOSEPH TRISTANY PUJOL, 
PRIESTS, AND COMPANIONS
Martyrs

Optional Memorial

In the houses in Spain:  Memorial

In a single celebration, both Orders of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel commemorate their martyrs who, in different places in Spain, bore witness to the faith before and during the long and bloody religious persecution for hatred of the faith (1936-1939). Father Angelus Mary Prat Hostench, O. Carm., was murdered with his confreres in Tárrega in 1936; Father Luke of St. Joseph Tristany Pujol, O.C.D., was slain with his confreres in Barcelona the same year. This memorial also includes the groups from Lleida, Tarragona, Toledo, Terrassa, Olot, and others. This multitude of bishops, diocesan priests, religious of various orders and lay people were beatified, in part by Pope Benedict XVI on October 28, 2007 (498 martyrs), and in part by Pope Francis on October 13, 2013 (522 martyrs).

From the Common of Several Martyrs

OFFICE OF READINGS

The Second Reading
From the writings of Blessed José María Mateos Carballido, priest and martyr
(The Holy Scapular 33 [1936], 135-137)

The history of the Church is written with the blood of its martyrs

It is an undeniable truth that the athlete is formed through exercise, that through it he strengthens his limbs and becomes strong and invincible for the fight; that gold is purified in the crucible and that the more it is purified, the better it is to make precious objects with it.

Something like this happens to the human heart, a precious gold that increases in dignity when melted in the crucible of tribulation and in which are formed holy men and heroes. And something like this also happens in the mystical body of the Church; in her, persecution brings forth unsuspected flowers, unseen virtues, unprecedented heroism. That is why her divine founder announced to her that she would be persecuted at all times: “You will be hated by everyone because of me. They will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues. They will make you appear before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans” (Luke 21:12).

And under the blows of the battering ram of persecution, the Church was forged with its martyrs and its virgins, its saints and its doctors, until it became the prodigy that, after nineteen centuries, appears to the eyes of friends and enemies as the admirably divine work of its Divine founder.

From its beginning, the Church has been chiseled by that engraving tool of persecution, by which each blow that has been dealt has placed a precious stone in the always immovable walls of that beautiful building.

The pages of its history have been written with the blood of its martyrs and from its appearance until today, there has not been a century in which it has not flourished.

Thus, the Church was born; and, watered by the blood of so many innocents, this rich and generous sap flowed through her mystical body to make her produce the most beautiful flowers of science, virtue, heroism and holiness.

Thus, it was born, and over the centuries, it could be seen that those thorns of persecution never left her. But those blows did nothing other than give new vigor to that blessed tree, which, after each persecution, appeared more luxuriant, just as when spring emerges, the tree that has received the attentions of the successful hand of the pruner shows its lushness.

Given the events of recent months, what is our duty? To pray and to love. These are the two most powerful means that can revive peace among men. Pray much, because prayer will give us strength to confess Christ and not to turn our backs on Him like cowards. And love, for so much hatred, can only be drowned by a great outpouring of charity. For her enemies, the Church only has those words that came from the dying lips of Christ in agony on Calvary and were his most beautiful testament: “Father, forgive them”. The Church opens her arms as a loving Mother to all her children, even to those who persecute her, and she says to them all, “Father, forgive them.”

Faced with the danger of new persecution, let us not lose heart. Christ will always be with us, and no matter how rough the combat may be, we will emerge from it purified and the Church will gather new flowers between the folds of her tunic once again dyed with the blood of her children.

Responsory
2 Tim 4, 7-8a; cfr. Phil 3, 8. 10

℟. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. * Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, (alleluia).
℣. Indeed, I count everything as loss that I may know Christ, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. * Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, (alleluia).

Or:

From the writings of Blessed Luke of Saint Joseph, priest and martyr
(The Words of the Crucifix. Tarragona-Barcelona 1928, pp. 65-69)

The law of forgiveness shines in the martyrs

The great law of forgiveness, already promulgated from the beginning of the gospel teaching on the Mount of the Beatitudes, and so solemnly confirmed on the cross, points out to all of us the straight and sure path of eternal blessedness, and creates a wellspring of happiness and harmony, so that men can already taste it here on earth. It descends to the most intimate part of human consciousness, and stirs it all up, attacking to its deepest roots the poison of selfishness, destroyer of all happiness and harmony between souls.

This sublime doctrine of the Redeemer imposes on all of us, as a formal and necessary precept for our salvation, the sincere forgiveness of all serious injuries that have been inflicted on us. And, as an indispensable condition for inner peace and for achieving some degree of evangelical perfection, it also imposes on all of us a benevolent, total and sincere indulgence for each and every one of the many and varied deficiencies of our neighbors.

And, consequently, the great law of evangelical forgiveness is imposed not only on those who have to deal with specific enemies from whom they have received serious injuries, or from whom they know that truly bear them ill; but it reaches to all of us, whatever our state or condition, since there is no one who has not at some time felt offended or bothered, whether little or much.

This law can be applied every day and every hour of our daily life, both in the intimacy of domestic life and in social relationships; it is the same in the most secret and secluded part of the cloisters as in the whirlwind of worldly business.

For the holy Gospel, ideally beautiful as it is in everything, is always very simple and practical, because it can be adapted to all the modalities of each person’s real life. But, among all the evangelical precepts, this one of the forgiveness of enemies is one of the most eminently practical, because, as it penetrates to the most hidden depths of the human conscience, it reaches even to the most secret recesses of the heart, where the subtlest selfishness is also well hidden and concealed. This precept uncovers it; it reveals it to the conscience of every man who wants to know himself. And so this admirable law intends to intervene and inform all our actions, both the religious and the social: the religious, because we know that God does not accept them if we offer them to Him while nursing bitterness or fraternal resentments in our soul; and the social ones, because this precept reminds us that we will be treated by God just as we ourselves treat our brothers.

In this great school of the Cross, all the saints and martyrs learned its admirable wisdom and received its strength, knowing how to live without cursing anyone and how to die content, praying for those who made them shed their generous blood.

This sublime word of Jesus Christ was very fertile and creative, for it awakened, and still awakens today, in many souls, marvelous sentiments that the world had not known before. It taught so many millions of martyrs of all conditions to die with a smile on their face and a prayer on their lips, praying for the very executioners who were tormenting them.

Responsory
Mt 5, 43-45; Jn 13, 15

℟. You have heard that it was said: “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, * so that you may be children of
your Father who is in heaven, (alleluia).
℣. I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. * so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven, (alleluia).

Prayer

Almighty and merciful God,
who granted the priests Blesseds Angelus Mary, Luke of Saint Joseph,
and their companions
the grace of reaching the summit of Mount Carmel through martyrdom,
grant, we pray, through their intercession,
that we may always live with wisdom and zeal,
by bearing witness to the kingly majesty of Christ.

Who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

We are grateful to our Discalced Carmelite Friars for providing the English texts of liturgical offices published after the 1993 edition of the Carmelite Proper—Liturgy of the Hours.

#BlessedAngelMariaPratHostench #BlessedLucasOfStJosephTristanyPujol #Carmelite #DiscalcedCarmelite #friars #Liturgy #martyrs #SpanishCivilWar

2025 Carmelite Online Lenten Retreat

📢 Sign up now for the 2025 Carmelite Online Lenten Retreat

🙏🏽 Visit retreat-online.karmel.at to register for free!

#CarmesDeParis #DiscalcedCarmelite #free #friars #ICSPublications #Lent #online #retreat #StThereseOfLisieux

Saverio Cannistrà, OCD: Carmelite Shepherd for Pisa

On February 6, 2025, Pope Francis appointed Saverio of the Sacred Heart Cannistrà, O.C.D., as the new Archbishop of Pisa. A Discalced Carmelite friar, theologian, and former Superior General of the Order, Archbishop-elect Cannistrà has served the Church with wisdom, humility, and a profound sense of the Carmelite charism.

In 2019, during the Extraordinary Definitory of the Discalced Carmelite Friars in Goa, India, he delivered a homily at the site of the first Discalced Carmelite foundation in the country, established in 1619. This gathering marked the fourth centenary of the Teresian Carmelites’ presence in India, a milestone that invited reflection on the Order’s missionary spirit.

The homily that follows was translated by the blogger for that occasion. Archbishop-elect Cannistrà reflected on the courage and spiritual depth that animated the first Discalced Carmelites in India. His words from Goa take on renewed significance today as he prepares for his new pastoral mission in Pisa.

For a deeper look at his Carmelite roots and new pastoral mission, listen to our latest podcast episode below.

https://youtu.be/q6yDfu6rhhc?si=L3sD8gqk8bAUhK3k

His full homily from the 2019 gathering follows.

A Carmelite Reflection on Mission

(Homily of Father Saverio Cannistrà, O.C.D., Goa, February 8, 2019 – Translation by the blogger)

Votive Mass of Blesseds Denis and Redemptus
Readings: Eph 6:10–20; Mt 5:1–12

It is with special emotion that I preside at this Eucharistic celebration together with all of you, my dear brothers in Carmel. We are in the place where the first Discalced Carmelite convent stood in Goa and in India. The first three Carmelites arrived in Goa on Christmas Day, 1619: they were Father Leandro of the Annunciation and two professed students, Brother Elías and Brother José Alejo.

The convent was officially inaugurated on March 19, 1621, with the vestition of seven novices, among whom was a young Portuguese soldier who took the name Brother Redemptus of the Cross [Blessed Redemptus].

On July 16 of the following year, the church was solemnly dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The community remained here for about 90 years, until 1709, when all non-Portuguese missionaries were forced to leave. The convent was then handed over to the Oratorians of St. Philip Neri.

It was in this convent, on Christmas Day in 1636, that Father Dionysius of the Nativity [Blessed Denis] made his solemn profession in the hands of Father Filippo of the Holy Trinity, a missionary, theologian, writer, and, at the end of his life, Superior General of the Congregation of Italy. While Father Dionysius was studying theology in preparation for his priestly ordination, Brother Redemptus of the Cross, who had returned to Goa from the Tatta mission (in present-day Pakistan), was serving as porter and sacristan in the same monastery.

As we know, in 1638, these two friars—Blesseds Denis and Redemptus—were sent to Sumatra as part of a diplomatic mission to the Sultan of Aceh, where they were ultimately martyred for the faith.

These simple historical notes give us an idea of the richness of the history that we commemorate today: a history of holiness, of Carmelite life, of missionary zeal, and above all, of love for God and neighbor. Many thoughts and feelings arise as we remember this.

The first is a sense of awe at the dynamism shown by the Teresian Carmel in its early years. Who would have imagined that just fifty years after its humble beginnings in Duruelo, the Discalced Carmelites would already be in Goa—the capital of the Portuguese Indies, a metropolis of about 200,000 inhabitants—having passed through Poland, Persia, the island of Ormuz, and the empire of the Great Mogul?

Scholars can analyze the historical reasons behind this extraordinary expansion of a small group of contemplative religious. But for us, this history calls us to reflect on what the true strength of our religious vocation is:

It is not the force of numbers, nor of tradition, nor of structures, which can become a burden and an obstacle. It is the power of the Spirit, the abundance of his gifts, which transforms our weakness and our fears into the courage and joy of the disciples and apostles of Jesus Christ.

As we heard in the first reading, it is the armor of God that allows us to face the trials and challenges of history. Truth, justice, peace, faith, and listening to the Word of God are the weapons that make up this armor.

A second thought concerns the relationship between contemplation and action. Nothing is more misleading than opposing these two dimensions. The more one is truly contemplative, the more one is truly active—or rather, we become instruments of God’s action, servants of His will.

The first generations of Discalced Carmelites—especially Father John of Jesus-Mary—understood perfectly the core message of St. Teresa of Avila:

Contemplation is allowing oneself to be invaded and transformed by God, who is Love. And Love is always the same: love for God and love for humanity. These two cannot be separated.

It was the fire of this love that made our confreres of four centuries ago so dynamic and effective. They loved God and gave themselves to Him without reserve. But precisely for this reason, they loved the Church and made themselves radically available to it, with obedience, without personal agendas.

They loved humanity, appreciated and valued the cultures, languages, and places where they lived. Their contemplation naturally opened them to mission, which was a movement of true encounter. These Carmelites understood that going on a mission meant getting close to others, listening, studying, and discovering the richness of different peoples.

Thus, their study of theology was not separate from their study of languages, religions, geography, and even botany.

Love is like the sun: it warms, it allows all of humanity to grow and bear fruit in those who allow themselves to be illuminated by it.

Dear brothers, let us thank the Lord for these 400 years of Carmelite presence in India. Let us do so with joyful hearts and with humble awareness of our smallness in the face of such greatness.

At the same time, let us do so with the conviction that this history is not over—it continues in us. We are the brothers of Father Leandro, Father Filippo, Father Dionysius, and Brother Redemptus.

From them, we can learn what it means to live our Carmelite vocation today—as children of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross.

Let us ask for their intercession, so that the flame that the Spirit ignited in their hearts may not be extinguished in us and in our communities.

Four hundred years ago, the first Discalced Carmelites set foot in India, carrying the spirit of St. Teresa of Avila beyond Europe. Today, one of their sons is called to shepherd the Church in Pisa. The same trust in divine providence that sustained those early missionaries now accompanies Archbishop-elect Saverio Cannistrà as he prepares for his new mission.

Let us entrust him to the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the protection of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May the Holy Spirit, who guided the first Carmelites to distant lands, guide him now as he takes up his pastoral office in Pisa.

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Translation from the Italian text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: Discalced Carmelite Superior General Saverio of the Sacred Heart Cannistrà, O.C.D. greets Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square at the Mass for the canonization of St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Baouardy. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

#archbishop #BlessedsDenisAndRedemptus #DenisOfTheNativity #DiscalcedCarmelite #friars #homily #India #nomination #Podcast #PopeFrancis #RedemptusOfTheCross

Pope St. John Paul II affirms that “praying for the souls in purgatory is the highest act of supernatural charity.” The Church, ever conscious of her vocation to love, has always been animated by this fraternal charity, inviting her children to pray and do penance on behalf of the faithful departed. This is expressly approved by the Bible: “It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins” (2 Mac 12:46). In response to this invitation, the Carmelite Order through the centuries of her existence, has developed a strong sense of communion with the suffering Church (the souls in purgatory).

Read More →

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/03/carmelite-order-and-souls-in-purgatory-carmel-holy-land/

#Carmelites #church #dead #friars #HolyLand #penance #pray #purgatory #StJohnPaulII #StellaMaris

… I tell you that ever-present to me is what they did with Fray John of the Cross, for I don’t know how God bears with things like that; even you don’t know everything about it.

For all these nine months he was held in a little prison cell where small as he is, he could hardly fit. In all that time he was given no change of tunic, even though he had come close to the point of death. Only three days before his escape the subprior gave him one of his shirts. He underwent harsh scourges, and no one was allowed to see him.

I experience the greatest envy. Surely our Lord found in him the resources for such a martyrdom. And it is good that this be known so that everyone will be all the more on guard against these people. May God forgive them, amen.

An investigation should be conducted to show the nuncio what those friars did to this saint, Fray John, without any fault on his part, for it is a pitiful thing. Tell this to Fray Germán; he will do it because he’s quite mad about this …

Saint Teresa of Avila

Letter 260 to Father Jerónimo Gracián, Madrid
Avila, 21–22 August 1578

Saint John of the Cross escaped from his prison cell in Toledo during the night of 17-18 August 1578. #StJohnOfTheCross

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Discalced Carmelite scholar, translator, and editor of the collected works of Saints John and Teresa, Father Kieran Kavanaugh offers his analysis of Saint Teresa’s letter to Father Gracián:

“These are two fragments from one letter. They reflect Teresa’s first impressions on learning of St. John of the Cross’s escape from his prison cell in Toledo and of what he suffered there.”

The nuncio at the time was the Italian Archbishop Filippo (Felipe) Sega. Father Kavanaugh’s editorial note is too tantalizing to excerpt, so we present it in its entirety.

Born in Bologna, he became Bishop of Ripa and nuncio to Flanders before being appointed nuncio to Spain in 1577 as successor to Ormaneto. He entered Spain with a bias against Teresa and her reform, the source of which was Cardinal Buoncompagni, a relative of his and nephew of the pope.

But the entire conflict that had developed in Spain among the Carmelites was so complex that he had little inkling of what he was getting into. He supported Tostado who was seeking to put into effect the decisions of the chapter of Piacenza. It was he [Sega] who called Teresa “a restless, gadabout woman.”

Sega considered the discalced friars who took part in the chapter of Almodóvar in 1578 delinquents and rebels, never listened to their defense, and imprisoned their leaders in different monasteries of the observant Carmelites.

Through the intervention of the king, an investigating committee was set up, and the friars as a result were placed under the care of Angel de Salazar, a former provincial of the observant Carmelites in Castile. Salazar dealt with the matter gently and promoted greater peace between the two groups of friars.

Sega then mellowed somewhat and acquiesced when the discalced formed a separate province. After leaving Spain, he served in Portugal, Germany, and France. He was made a cardinal in 1591 and died in Rome.

Finally, we share Father Kavanaugh’s note concerning Fray Germán:

“Fray Germán de San Matías was a confessor for the nuns at the Incarnation along with John of the Cross. He was taken prisoner at the same time as John, but very soon afterward broke free from his captors.”

Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: View of Toledo is an oil on canvas painting executed ca. 1599–1600 by Domenikos Theotokopoulos, better known as El Greco (Greek, 1541–1614). This artwork is found in Gallery 619 of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue in New York. The Met’s gallery label provides the following details:

Writing to the sculptor Auguste Rodin after having been astonished by this painting in Paris in 1908, the poet Rainer Maria Rilke described how “splintered light tills the ground, turning it over, tearing into it and bringing up here and there pale green meadows behind the trees standing like insomniacs.” Regarded as El Greco’s greatest landscape, it portrays Toledo, the city where he lived and worked for most of his life. But it is an emotive rather than a documentary vision that not only imaginatively revises the skyline—most notably, the cathedral has been moved—but also distorts architecture and landscape such that they are fully in service of the kind of drama Rilke and other modernists appreciated in his work.

Image credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art (Public domain)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir-J6a635UM

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/08/16/stj-ltr260-2/

#Carmelites #escape #FilippoSega #FrKieranKavanaughOCD #FrayJerónimoGracián #friars #nuncio #prison #StJohnOfTheCross #StTeresaOfAvila #StJohnOfTheCross #Toledo

… I tell you that ever-present to me is what they did with Fray John of the Cross, for I don’t know how God bears with things like that; even you don’t know everything about it.

For all these nine months he was held in a little prison cell where small as he is, he could hardly fit. In all that time he was given no change of tunic, even though he had come close to the point of death. Only three days before his escape the subprior gave him one of his shirts. He underwent harsh scourges, and no one was allowed to see him.

I experience the greatest envy. Surely our Lord found in him the resources for such a martyrdom. And it is good that this be known so that everyone will be all the more on guard against these people. May God forgive them, amen.

An investigation should be conducted to show the nuncio what those friars did to this saint, Fray John, without any fault on his part, for it is a pitiful thing. Tell this to Fray Germán; he will do it because he’s quite mad about this …

Saint Teresa of Avila

Letter 260 to Father Jerónimo Gracián, Madrid
Avila, 21–22 August 1578

Saint John of the Cross escaped from his prison cell in Toledo during the night of 17-18 August 1578. #StJohnOfTheCross

Tweet

Discalced Carmelite scholar, translator, and editor of the collected works of Saints John and Teresa, Father Kieran Kavanaugh offers his analysis of Saint Teresa’s letter to Father Gracián:

“These are two fragments from one letter. They reflect Teresa’s first impressions on learning of St. John of the Cross’s escape from his prison cell in Toledo and of what he suffered there.”

The nuncio at the time was the Italian Archbishop Filippo (Felipe) Sega. Father Kavanaugh’s editorial note is too tantalizing to excerpt, so we present it in its entirety.

Born in Bologna, he became Bishop of Ripa and nuncio to Flanders before being appointed nuncio to Spain in 1577 as successor to Ormaneto. He entered Spain with a bias against Teresa and her reform, the source of which was Cardinal Buoncompagni, a relative of his and nephew of the pope.

But the entire conflict that had developed in Spain among the Carmelites was so complex that he had little inkling of what he was getting into. He supported Tostado who was seeking to put into effect the decisions of the chapter of Piacenza. It was he [Sega] who called Teresa “a restless, gadabout woman.”

Sega considered the discalced friars who took part in the chapter of Almodóvar in 1578 delinquents and rebels, never listened to their defense, and imprisoned their leaders in different monasteries of the observant Carmelites.

Through the intervention of the king, an investigating committee was set up, and the friars as a result were placed under the care of Angel de Salazar, a former provincial of the observant Carmelites in Castile. Salazar dealt with the matter gently and promoted greater peace between the two groups of friars.

Sega then mellowed somewhat and acquiesced when the discalced formed a separate province. After leaving Spain, he served in Portugal, Germany, and France. He was made a cardinal in 1591 and died in Rome.

Finally, we share Father Kavanaugh’s note concerning Fray Germán:

“Fray Germán de San Matías was a confessor for the nuns at the Incarnation along with John of the Cross. He was taken prisoner at the same time as John, but very soon afterward broke free from his captors.”

Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: View of Toledo is an oil on canvas painting executed ca. 1599–1600 by Domenikos Theotokopoulos, better known as El Greco (Greek, 1541–1614). This artwork is found in Gallery 619 of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue in New York. The Met’s gallery label provides the following details:

Writing to the sculptor Auguste Rodin after having been astonished by this painting in Paris in 1908, the poet Rainer Maria Rilke described how “splintered light tills the ground, turning it over, tearing into it and bringing up here and there pale green meadows behind the trees standing like insomniacs.” Regarded as El Greco’s greatest landscape, it portrays Toledo, the city where he lived and worked for most of his life. But it is an emotive rather than a documentary vision that not only imaginatively revises the skyline—most notably, the cathedral has been moved—but also distorts architecture and landscape such that they are fully in service of the kind of drama Rilke and other modernists appreciated in his work.

Image credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art (Public domain)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir-J6a635UM

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/08/16/stj-ltr260-2/

#Carmelites #escape #FilippoSega #FrKieranKavanaughOCD #FrayJerónimoGracián #friars #nuncio #prison #StJohnOfTheCross #StTeresaOfAvila #StJohnOfTheCross #Toledo

https://open.spotify.com/episode/11UHyBDiXR8gjWOOgxfCBW?si=6c869e423f5e4a8b

I can say that I feel very, very happy to be living and experiencing this moment in my life, in the midst of so many difficulties in society. I feel that this is a moment of hope. I think faith means to believe in the Holy Spirit, who is now doing something new even if we don’t understand what is happening. I believe in this creativity of the Holy Spirit because I feel and know that the principal moments in the history of Carmel were apparently the worst.

I believe in opening history to newness—to something new. I would like to tell people that authenticity and fidelity to God are something we need to discover now. We need to be in love.

I believe and I am very, very close to our Mother Mary. You see, if we also enter into this example of being born in Mary, there is something new that society, the Church, and Carmel are going through, and we know nothing of it. It’s not in intelligence; it’s not in our strength; it isn’t found in geniality. It is simply something that we need to receive humbly and experience.

So this is a moment of hope for me, even in the midst of difficult things. I can’t explain clearly why I feel this. People speak about the end times and there are so many announcements about the apocalypse.

But for God, it’s always a beginning.

Father Miguel Márquez Calle, o.c.d.

Excerpt from interview with Carmelite Quotes (edited for clarity)

In times of great challenge, where difficulties seem to overshadow everyday life, finding hope can often feel like a daunting task. Father Miguel Márquez Calle, Superior General of the Discalced Carmelite Order, stands as a beacon of light amidst these challenges, embodying hope and strength. His insights offer a unique perspective on navigating the sorrows and joys that life presents.

A Life Dedicated to Service

Father Miguel is a native of Plasencia, Spain, who has dedicated his life to the Discalced Carmelite Order. Elected as Superior General three years ago, he has since embraced the role with a sense of joy, presence, and adventure. As a former soccer player who has undergone multiple knee surgeries, he understands the intricacies of pain and recovery, both physically and spiritually, enabling him to bring comfort and consolation to others in difficult situations. His personal journey through hardship has given him profound empathy and insight, allowing him to connect deeply with those who are suffering and to offer genuine support and understanding.

Father Miguel’s travels have taken him to some of the most difficult places in the world, where he has stood in solidarity with those facing hardship. His visits to countries like Ukraine, Burkina Faso, and Lebanon are driven by a desire to be present with his brothers and sisters during times of need, embodying the true spirit of the Carmelite mission.

Sorrows and Joys in the Midst of Conflict

Reflecting on his experiences, Father Miguel shares, “First of all, when people ask if there are lots of sorrows or problems or difficulties, I say that there are more blessings, more joys than sorrows. But it is true that I found sorrows, and I went to meet people who were suffering in special situations of difficulty.”

One of his poignant memories comes from his visit to Ukraine, during the early stages of the war. Despite the destruction and loss, he encountered a profound sense of joy among the faithful. “In Ukraine, the faithful were singing joyfully, like I had never heard at the Easter Vigil,” he recalls. “So it was so nice to listen to the Alleluia. In that way, it was so meaningful for me.”

Father Miguel’s presence in war-torn regions is not just a testament to his courage but also to his belief in the power of community and faith. “We try to be close and be a family,” he explains. “In the sorrow, you find that they also experience a special joy in the midst of these difficult situations.”

A Moment of Hope

As the interview progresses, Father Miguel’s message of hope becomes even more profound. He states, “I can say that I feel very, very happy to be living and experiencing this moment in my life, in the midst of so many difficulties in society. I feel that this is a moment of hope.”

For Father Miguel, hope is rooted in faith and the belief in the Holy Spirit’s work, even when circumstances seem bleak. “I think faith means to believe in the Holy Spirit, who is now doing something new even if we don’t understand what is happening,” he explains. “I believe in this creativity of the Holy Spirit because I feel and I know that the principal moments in the history of Carmel were apparently the worst.”

His connection to the Virgin Mary, our Mother, also plays a significant role in his perspective. “I believe and I am very, very close to our Mother Mary,” he says. “You see, if we also enter into this example of being born in Mary, there is something new that society, the Church, and Carmel is going through, and we know nothing of it.”

Embracing New Beginnings

Father Miguel’s insights remind us that challenges often precede renewal and growth. He encourages us to embrace authenticity and fidelity to God, allowing ourselves to be open to newness. “This is a moment of hope for me, even in the midst of difficult things,” he shares. “I can’t explain clearly why I feel this… But for God, it’s always a beginning.”

In a world filled with uncertainty, Father Miguel Márquez serves as a messenger of hope, inspiring us to find joy and courage amid life’s trials. His faith, determination, and dedication to serving others remind us that even in the darkest times, there is always the potential for new beginnings.

Featured image: Father Miguel Marquez, o.c.d. was a featured speaker during the 2024 Carmelite Symposium at the Catholic University of America, sponsored by the Carmelite Institute of North America. Members of the Carmelite family from throughout North America—O.Carm. and O.C.D., friars, nuns, and laity—gathered for days of study and fellowship from 28 July through 1 August 2024. Image credits: Carmelite Quotes (Some rights reserved)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/08/03/ep17-marquezhope/

#DiscalcedCarmelite #friars #history #HolySpirit #hope #love #MiguelMárquezCalle #new #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #SuperiorGeneral

The foundation for the friars in Córdoba was completed with greater applause and solemnity throughout the entire city than was ever given there to any other religious order. All the clergy and confraternities of Córdoba gathered, and the Most Blessed Sacrament was brought with great solemnity from the Cathedral. All the streets were beautifully decorated, and the people acted as though it were the feast of Corpus Christi. This took place on the Sunday after Ascension Thursday. The Bishop came and preached, praising us highly. The house is situated in the best district of the city, in the neighborhood of the Cathedral.

I am now in Sevilla for the transference of our nuns, who have bought some very fine houses. Although the houses cost around 14,000 ducats, they are worth more than 20,000. The nuns are now settled in them, and on the feast of St. Barnabas, the Cardinal will reserve the Most Blessed Sacrament with great solemnity.

Saint John of the Cross

Letter 5 to Madre Ana de San Alberto (excerpt)
June 1586

John of the Cross, St. 1991, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Revised Edition, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K and Rodriguez, O with revisions and introductions by Kavanaugh, K, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: The Corpus Christi Procession in Seville was executed by Seville artist Manuel Cabral y Aguado Bejarano in 1857. This oil on canvas painting comes from the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. (Public domain)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/06/10/juan-ltr5-2/

#bishop #BlessedSacrament #Cathedral #Córdoba #DiscalcedCarmelite #foundations #friars #nuns #procession #Sevilla #Solemnity #StJohnOfTheCross

Some years before our departure for France, M. de Bretigny made a journey to Spain. He begged most earnestly of the Superiors of the Order permission to take some Spanish Carmelites to France; but he could not then succeed in his design.

Not having been able to get the Carmelites, he took home the writings of the Saint and had them translated into French. As in these works there is so much said in favor of France, the French servants of God who had devotion to our holy Foundress loved her more and more, and took new courage.

In several cities they gathered together some very virtuous high-born ladies to initiate them little by little into the spirit of this new Order. These reunions once well established, they asked permission of the king to found a monastery in Paris, desiring for this purpose to have Spanish Carmelites brought there; but in case the Carmelites were not willing, their plan was to have our Constitutions brought from Spain and be taught to these young ladies whom they had gathered together, with the intention of giving them the habit and making them daughters of the Order of our Holy Mother, St. Teresa. 

This first foundation having been arranged, the servant of God whom I mentioned above, M. de Bretigny, returned to Spain, bringing with him three noble French ladies. They intended, if their enterprise was successful, to take Spanish religious with them to France. Besides, during their stay in Spain, they were to learn the language of the country.

Messrs. Rene Gauthier and de Berulle also went to Spain, not without meeting great dangers at sea, as they themselves narrated. For our Lord tried their courage in every way and on all sorts of occasions. But they were so faithful to God and so firm in their design, that nothing terrified them.

They were several months in Spain without succeeding in obtaining religious from the Order. Seeing this, M. de Berulle and the others did their utmost and labored for a whole year before obtaining from the Superiors of the Order what they asked.

The deputation sent from France had to endure much labor and many affronts; this, because it was not known what great servants of God they were; for they certainly were such—their works and the zeal they showed for the glory of God proved their great fervor.

But in order that their virtue might be more purified, God permitted that they should not be esteemed at their proper worth. Some said that they were heretics, and other things of a similar nature. They suffered with much patience and humility, and, persevering in this way, their enterprise was crowned with success.

At last our Father General, Francis of the Mother of God, came to Avila with several Fathers of the Order to arrange for our departure. We left on the morning of the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. [1604] Our Father General accompanied us a great part of the day. When he was obliged to leave us we begged his blessing. He gave it with an emotion that was shared by all the religious. In parting, both Fathers and daughters made a great sacrifice to God.

Two friars of our Order, great servants of God, two French priests, one of whom was M. de Berulle, and the other, M. Rene Gauthier, together with three Frenchmen on horseback, and several Spaniards, accompanied us on this journey. The three French ladies were alone in one carriage and the six religious in another. We were together in the inns.

The French ladies taught us their language; it must be acknowledged we did not make great progress in it; we learned sufficient, however, to understand most of what was said to us. But we did not speak fluently; we could, with difficulty, say only a few sentences. Our Lord wished to humble us in this, and I think it was best for us, for by speaking little we did not give disedification. Every nation has its own customs.

Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew

Third Book, Chapter 1, Deputation Sent From France

“Every nation has its own customs,” wrote Blessed Anne. Truer words were never spoken. The influence of “Monsieur de Bérulle” upon the Carmelites in France grew and expanded as his authority expanded, not only in the Church but also in government.

Considered by many as the founder of the French School of Spirituality, he collaborated with Blessed Marie of the Incarnation, better known as Madame Acarie, in the foundation of the first Discalced Carmelite monastery in Paris, the original destination of Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew, Venerable Anne of Jesus and their traveling companions in 1604. 

As a priest, Pierre de Bérulle was passionate in his ministry. Educated by the Jesuits, he had only been ordained five years earlier when he set out on his great adventure in Spain in the year 1604. In 1611, he undertakes another great project: the foundation of an Oratory in France similar to the Oratory founded by Philip Neri in Italy.

In the space of 18 years, Bérulle founded 40 Carmels and 60 houses for his Oratorians in France.

As his fame spread in the Church in France, he naturally attracted the attention of the royal family, as well. In 1625, he became a personal chaplain to Queen Consort Henrietta Maria of France, the wife of England’s King Charles I.

In 1627, Pope Urban VIII insisted upon creating him a Cardinal. His influence in affairs of state continued to develop when he was named head of the queen’s council, then councilor of state. Through all of this, Bérulle’s influence on the French Carmelites remained firm.

But there was dissension. The Venerable Anne of Jesus, Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew’s companion in making the original foundation, believed that Bérulle was leaving an imprint upon the Carmels in France that decidedly was not in keeping with the Teresian ideal. Further, she desired for the nuns to be directed by Discalced Carmelite friars. Frustrated, in 1607, she accepted an offer from the Archduke of Belgium to transfer to Flanders, where she founded Carmels in Brussels, Louvain, and Mons.

Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew had moved from Paris to Pontoise where she was elected prioress (1605) and then assumed the same office in the Carmel of Tours (1608). But in 1611, she too was called to make the journey north. She left on 5 October, “the day following the anniversary of the death of the Saint.” She wrote that she “had no desire to go to Flanders,” but Anne of Jesus needed her in Mons, and she would go on to found the Carmel of Antwerp.

Meanwhile, in France, the spirituality of le Carmel Bérullien that so concerned Venerable Anne of Jesus continued to thrive without the Spanish foundresses. Cardinal de Bérulle died suddenly while he was celebrating Mass on 2 October 1629, making the greatest ecclesiastical figure in France seem larger than life. His legacy did not fade.

Discalced Carmelite theologian François-Marie Léthel points out that the Bérullien influence is seen in the writings of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. For example, Christocentrism is one of the hallmarks of his French School of spirituality. Father Léthel indicates that Thérèse refers to the name of Jesus twice as much as she mentions “God”: more precisely, she writes the name of Jesus more than 1600 times, but she only makes roughly 800 references to “God” (Léthel 2011).

Antoinette Guise Castelnuovo has carefully documented the history of the Bérullien crisis in the 20th century. In response to the promulgation of the new Code of Canon Law in 1917, all religious orders were obliged to revise their constitutions, including the Discalced Carmelites.

In France, disorder reigned supreme; every Carmel’s superior was the local bishop, and none of the local superiors consulted with one another. Thus, the nuns of the Carmel of Clamart—the post-revolutionary re-foundation of the original Carmel of Paris in Faubourg Saint Jacques—undertook the task to issue a set of constitutions in 1924 that might unify the Discalced Carmelites of the so-called “French Observance”. Getting Vatican approval for their text was another matter completely. (Castelnuovo 2015)

Every other Discalced Carmelite monastery worldwide turned to the general curia of the Discalced Carmelite friars for their care and direction. In short order, the friars’ revised constitutions for the nuns were approved in 1926. In France, no word of approval had been received yet.

At this point, St. Thérèse’s own sister, Mother Agnès of Jesus—then the prioress in Lisieux—saw an opportunity to restore a true Teresian spirit in France and make Venerable Anne of Jesus’ dream a reality, that the nuns in France might once again submit to the governance of the Discalced Carmelite friars in Rome.

Although Mother Agnès herself enjoyed an office that was hardly Teresian, having been named prioress-for-life by Pope Pius XI in 1923, she had gained a level of influence, unlike no other prioress, due to her tireless efforts to make Thérèse known, loved, and canonized. She set forth to use that influence to seek the imposition of the friars’ constitutions in France.

Castelnuovo describes the conflict between Mother Agnès and the Carmel of Clamart as degenerating from a struggle for influence into an all-out fratricidal war. Letters to the apostolic nuncio, the Sacred Congregation for Religious, and even to the pope were flying fast and furious.

Mother Agnès wrote in 1925 to the nuncio, Archbishop Cerretti, that she was confident that 12 to 15 monasteries would pass to the Teresian observance with Lisieux; she said the “Bérullien Carmels” who would stick with Clamart were blind.

In 1927, Mother Agnès sent a confidential report to the new nuncio, Archbishop Maglione, outlining why this or that Carmel—although desirous to adopt the friars’ constitutions—could not do so. In every case, although the nuns were in favor of the change, the superior (either the bishop or his delegate) prevented such a transition. Nevertheless, a handful of monasteries joined Lisieux and adopted the friars’ constitutions of 1926.

Sadly, Mother Agnès learned in 1931 that the prioress of the Carmel of Agen circulated a letter among her fellow prioresses in the circle of Bérullien Carmels, accusing those who followed the 1926 Constitutions like Lisieux of being “lax” and “mitigated”.

In her historical study, Castelnuovo draws a distinct correlation at this point between the Lisieux-Clamart conflict in the 1920s and the constitutional crisis between the followers of Saint Maria Maravillas (1990 Constitutions) and the majority of the nuns who were committed to the direction of the Discalced Carmelite friars (1991 Constitutions). The similarities are striking.

To resolve the conflict in France, the Sacred Congregation for Religious issued a decree on 20 September 1936 to impose the adoption worldwide of the 1926 Constitutions revised by the Discalced Carmelite friars’ general curia in Rome.

This was an unprecedented action that proved unsuccessful; the Bérullien Carmelites refused to accept the decree of the Sacred Congregation and continued to follow their French Observance.

Divine intervention finally came with the nomination of an apostolic visitator in 1948: the vicar general of the Discalced Carmelite friars who was himself a native of France, Blessed Marie-Eugène of the Child Jesus. It was a stroke of genius. Castelnuovo notes that  Bérulle in his day had placed great importance in the role of a visitator. St. Teresa, for her part, had great recourse to the visitators to save her reform.

Marie-Eugène was known and respected by all, thanks to his preaching during the canonization of Thérèse. Now, he had 130 Carmels to visit; he began in September 1948 and completed his visits in March 1951, delivering his report at the end of the month. In the meantime, Pope Pius XII published Sponsa Christi and an Instruction concerning the cloister.

No longer was there simply a matter of constitutional conformity in France to deal with; Blessed Marie-Eugène also realized that the Carmelites needed guidance in the implementation of Sponsa Christi, as well. He set to work as an invaluable courier between the Holy See and the nuns, helping the pope to safeguard the contemplative vocation and helping the nuns to broaden their horizons.

In a final, grand effort to assure that his hard work would not be wasted and that the new-found unity of the Discalced Carmelite nuns in France might be preserved, Blessed Marie-Eugène of the Child Jesus took the bold step of assisting the nuns to organize themselves into four federations according to geographic location. Two federations in the north, conforming to the friars’ Paris Province, and two federations in the south under the care of the Province of Avignon-Aquitaine were established, and Marie-Eugène himself was the assistant to all four federations.

Anne of St. Bartholomew, M; Bouix, M 1917,  Autobiography of the Blessed Mother Anne of Saint Bartholomew, inseparable companion of Saint Teresa, and foundress of the Carmels of Pontoise, Tours and Antwerp, translated from the French by Michael, M A, H. S. Collins Printing Co., Saint Louis.

Guise Castelnuovo, A 2015, ”Femmes en réseau et centralisation romaine : le gouvernement des
carmélites de France au XXe siècle,’ Les Carnets du LARHRA, 2015, Gouverner l’Eglise au XXe
siècle, no. 28, pp.109-131, halshs-01404512, viewed 17 April 2024, <https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01404512/document>

Lethel, F 2011, La lumière du Christ dans le coeur de l’Église : Jean-Paul II et la théologie des saints : retraite de carême avec Benoît XVI, 13-19 mars 2011, Parole et Silence, Paris.

Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: This is a detailed image from a stained glass window in the 1946 series by French stained glass artist Raphaël Lardeur in the Church of Notre-Dame des Blancs-Manteaux (Our Lady of the White Mantles, the French Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin, founded in 1257 and suppressed in 1274). It shows Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle blessing the Discalced Carmelite nuns who were brought to Paris from Spain through the resourceful efforts of Madame Acarie. A curiosity: the artist did not depict the nuns in their white mantles, which they most certainly would have worn to receive the Cardinal’s blessing. Image credit: GFreihalter / Wikimedia Commons (Some rights reserved)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/04/17/acarie-customs/

#BlessedAnneOfStBartholomew #BlessedMarieEugeneOfTheChildJesus #BlessedMaryOfTheIncarnation #CarmelOfLisieux #conflict #Constitutions #DiscalcedCarmelite #federations #FrançoisMarieLéthel #France #friars #history #MadameAcarie #nuns #PaulineMartin #PierreDeBérulle #Spain #VenerableAnneOfJesus

AND 1! PUT THIS TEAM AWAY AND SEND THAT TRAITOR HOME #friars

This is hold on to your nuts time #friars

RUN THEM OUT OF THE FUCKING GYM! #friars

In 1983, Phyllis Diller snuck into the male-only Friar’s Club roast for Sid Ceasar dressed as a man aka Phillip Downey. She was the first woman to attend the Club.

It wasn’t until 1987 when the first female, @officiallizaminnelli was officially inducted and openly allowed into the club.

Phyllis shown here with her co-conspirator and date, Howard Rosen.

#phyllisdiller #beingphyllis #1980s #friars #menonly #justformen #disguise #spoof #trickery #gotcha #lizaminnelli

St. Raphael Kalinowski received the Discalced Carmelite habit on 26 November 1877 and made his religious vows on the same date in 1878. Visit our #blog to read an excerpt from his conference for the Carmelite friars in Wadowice: “Mother of God, Hope of the World.”
❤ https://carmelitequotes.blog

#StRaphaelKalinowski #OnThisDay #BrownScapular #DiscalcedCarmelites #friars #VirginMary #MotherOfGod #novice #religious #vocation #vows #Catholic #spirituality #Carmelite #Poland

St. Raphael Kalinowski received the Discalced Carmelite habit on 26 November 1877 and made his religious vows on the same date in 1878. Visit our #blog to read an excerpt from his conference for the Carmelite friars in Wadowice: “Mother of God, Hope of the World.”
❤ https://carmelitequotes.blog

#StRaphaelKalinowski #OnThisDay #BrownScapular #DiscalcedCarmelites #friars #VirginMary #MotherOfGod #novice #religious #vocation #vows #Catholic #spirituality #Carmelite #Poland

St. Raphael Kalinowski received the Discalced Carmelite habit on 26 November 1877 and made his religious vows on the same date in 1878. Visit our #blog to read an excerpt from his conference for the Carmelite friars in Wadowice: “Mother of God, Hope of the World.”
❤ https://carmelitequotes.blog

#StRaphaelKalinowski #OnThisDay #BrownScapular #DiscalcedCarmelites #friars #VirginMary #MotherOfGod #novice #religious #vocation #vows #Catholic #spirituality #Carmelite #Poland