Lay Carmelite and
Scapular Center
DARIEN, ILLINOIS 60561-8417
630-969-5050
fAX 630-969-7519
Feast of Bl. John Soreth
Dear Lay Carmelite Community Directors and
Lay Carmelite Regional Coordinators,
Greetings from Aylesford! I have chosen to write to you on this important feast day for
Lay Carmelites. In his recent letter (25 May 2002) to the Carmelite Family our Prior General,
Fr. Joseph Chalmers, makes clear that it was the intercession of Blessed John Soreth (1394-1471) with Pope Nicholas V in 1452 which led to the definitive incorporation of lay persons into the Carmelite Order. In effect, the Third Order was established by Blessed John Soreth. May the prayers of Blessed John help each of us to be more faithful Carmelites in our following of Christ and his mother, Mary.
I want to thank those of you who have written to welcome me on board as the new Delegate to the Lay Carmelites of the Most Pure Heart of Mary Province. I am very happy to be working with and for you, the 275 Lay Carmelite Communities of this Province. Working with Fr. Bob Lee and Sr. Libby Dahlstrom, I hope to be able to build upon the past good initiatives, which originated under past Delegates the last 20 years. I hope we can continue to grow in an authentic and positive direction as members of the Lay Carmelite Order. As some of you are already aware, I am also in my third year of service as the General Delegate of the Order to the Carmelite Cloistered Nuns and Carmelite Hermits throughout North America. I will do both jobs from this office at Aylesford in Darien, Illinois.
I am writing to you this summer in order to appraise you and your communities of several noteworthy items. Please be sure to share this information with all the members of your communities and with any isolates you might be in contact with in your area or region.
First, we have a letter addressed to us from the Prior General, as I indicated above. Entitled �INTO THE LAND OF CARMEL�, this letter celebrates the 550th anniversary of the Papal Bull �Cum Nulla� addressed to Blessed John Soreth, Prior General at the time, by Pope Nicholas V on 7 October 1452. In September I will see to the publication of the last third of this letter for all our Lay Carmelites. Father General speaks specifically to Third Order members in this section.
Second, I want to inform you that the greatly expanded and enhanced edition of CARMEL�S CALL is at the printers and will hopefully be available come some time in September. As yet we do not know the cost per volume. Note that there will be some very important changes introduced into Lay Carmelite life in the new edition of this volume � temporary profession, dismissal of inactive members, a longer time frame for Phase I Formation, as well as other refinements in our way of living as communities.
Third, the long-hoped-for COMMUNITY MANUAL for Lay Carmelite Communities is also being printed this summer. This text will not be needed by individual Lay Carmelites. But, each community should have at least a couple of copies. This volume is filled with ideas and strategies for successful and growth-filled Lay Carmelite Communities and will be needed by directors, councils and formation directors.
Fourth, the appointment and/or reappointment of Regional Coordinators and Regional Formation Coordinators will also be forthcoming in September and October. Sr. Libby and Fr. Bob and I are presently working on securing qualified Lay Carmelites to fill both positions for each region. If you would like to personally recommend anyone for these positions in your region, please write or e-mail me as soon as possible. E-mail: [email protected].
Fifth, our newsletter �Mountain View� is also being redesigned and being expanded. Our hope here is to upgrade the kind and quality of news that it carries to our members. The changes will be noticeable in the next issue appearing at the end of September.
Sixth, we are putting a hold on the taking of vows by Lay Carmelites in our Province until such time as new criteria and better oversight can be established. There has been a serious abuse of this privilege, with many individuals becoming inactive after making vows. No one should petition me for vows until further notice from this office. We are hoping to resolve this situation by the beginning of the new year. Thanks for understanding.
Personally, I am excited about all that is happening in our Lay Carmelite Communities. I am especially excited about the publication come September of the items discussed above. I hope you are as enthusiastic as I am about the real progress we are making in renewing the living of the Carmelite charism among our thousands of Lay Carmelites. Thanks for reading this letter and sharing it with all those in your communities. Know that you are remembered in prayer each and every day. Peace!
In Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
Fr. John-Benedict Weber, O.Carm.
Provincial Delegate
Keep Mary in mind and Jesus will grow in your heart