Angelus was born in Florence or near there; the year is unknown but it was before 1386. He was the first member of the reformed observance of Our Lady of the Wood, was many times prior of various houses and noted for his work in preaching the Word of God. He died in Florence in 1438.
Bartholomew Fanti was born in Mantua: the year is unknown, but in 1452 he was already a Carmelite priest of the Congregation of Mantua. For thirty-five years at the Order's church in Mantua he was spiritual father and rector of the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for which he composed a rule and statutes. He is especially remembered for his love of the Eucharist. He died in 1495.
Frances was born in 1427, probably in Thouars in France. She was the wife of Peter II, Duke of Britanny. After his death, and under the direction of Blessed John Soreth, the prior general, she took the habit of the Carmelite Order in the monastery she had previously founded in Bondon. Afterwards she transferred to another foundation in Nantes, also erected by her, where she held the office of prioress and nourished the sisters with wise teaching. She is considered the foundress of the Carmelite nuns in France. She died in 1485.
Hilary Januszewski was born on 11 June 1907 in Krajenki (Poland). In 1927 he entered the Order of Carmel and was ordained on 15 July 1934. In 1939, Poland was occupied by the Germans and one year later, Fr. Hilary decided to present himself in exchange for an older and sick friar. He was sent to Dachau, where he was a model of prayer life, encouraging others and giving hope for a better tomorrow. He died from typhus on 25 March 1945, a few days before the liberation of the concentration camp. Fr. Hilary Januszewski was beatified by John Paul II on 13 June 1999.
Bl. Jacques Retouret was born at Limoges in France on 15th September 1746 to a merchant family. He was a serious young man, a lover of books and greatly gifted. At fifteen years of age, he entered the Carmelite house in his native city. After ordination, his zeal and learning were widely admired and large crowds of people were attracted by his way of preaching.
The French Revolution did not spare him. Like the majority of his fellow clergy, Jacques refused to accept the civil law, unilaterally introduced by the state. He was arrested and condemned, together with many other priests and religious, and sentenced to exile in French Guinea in South America. Jacques died at Madame Isle on 26th August 1794 at the age of 48 years. He was beatified, together with 63 other priests and religious, as martyrs for the faith, on 1st October 1995 by Pope John Paul II.
Mother Euphrasia was born on October 17, 1877. Her pious mother taught her to pray the rosary and to participate in the Holy Mass. She had a vision of Mother Mary at the age of nine and she offered her virginity to God eternally. Her father was opposed to her entering the Convent but eventually gave her permission to go to the Carmelite Convent in 1888. For the rest of her life she was immersed in prayer, in contemplation or praying the Rosary. People began to call her “The Praying Mother.” She was most devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and had a great longing to be with the Eucharistic Lord and participate in the Holy Mass and adore the Blessed Sacrament. She was canonized by Pope Francis on November 23, 2014 in Vatican City.
Saint Kuriakos Elias Chavara, co-founder and first prior general of the congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, was born at Kainakary in Kersala, India, February 10, 1805. He entered the seminary in 1818, and was ordained priest in 1829. He made his religious profession in 1855, in the congregation he founded. Throughout his life he worked for the renovation of the church in Malabar. Above all, he was a man of prayer, zealous for the Eucharistic Lord and devoted to the Immaculate Virgin Mary. He died at Koonammavu in 1871. Kuriakose Kathanar was beatified on February 8, 1986 and canonized on November 23, 2014.
Born about 1305 in southern Perigord in France, Peter Thomas entered the Carmelites when he was twenty-one. He was chosen by the Order as its procurator general to the Papal Court at Avignon in 1345. After being made bishop of Patti and Lipari in 1354, he was entrusted with many papal missions to promote peace and unity with the Eastern Churches. He was transferred to the see of Corone in the Peloponnesus in 1359 and made Papal Legate for the East. In 1363 he was appointed Archbishop of Crete and 1364 Latin Patriarch of Constantinople. He won a reputation as an apostle of church unity before he died at Famagosta on Cyprus in 1366.
Raphael Kalinowski was born to Polish parents in the city of Vilnius in 1835. Following military service, he was condemned in 1864 to ten years of forced labor in Siberia. In 1877 he became a Carmelite and was ordained a priest in 1882. He contributed greatly to the restoration of the Discalced Carmelites in Poland. His life was distinguished by zeal for Church unity and by his unflagging devotion to his ministry as confessor and spiritual director. He died in Wadowice in 1907.
I have an interesting question for you this week. I’m sorry for the long answer It still doesn’t seem as if I’ve adequately addressed this very important topic but I must stop for now. If anyone would like a clarification or followup don’t hesitate to contact me.
Cindy A. Perazzo, T.O.Carm., Coordinator of Lay Carmelites
for the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary
Guidance for Phase I or Phase II members who do not regularly attend community meetings (much less than 75% — family issues, have to work, etc.). Understandable reasons but miss many community meetings. Can they be received, make professions? Can they be inactive Phase II members?
We have a number of resources to help us when explaining to Candidates for Reception, Temporary Profession and Final Profession our attendance requirements. I’ve listed them below:
Carmel’s Call, Part II, Chapter 9, No. 17 (page 90) states “New members, those just beginning formation, should attend all the regular meetings of their community and demonstrate the sincerity of their call to Carmel....”
The Community Manual states in regard to formation “In all Phases attendance at monthly community meetings is also required.” (page 14).
And again during the interview process prior to acceptance into the Phase I formation program the inquirer is notified “Initial formation occurs over a period of at least 6 years with usually 2 required meetings per month during the first 3 years....” At that point a series of questions are asked as to whether they are willing or able to fulfill those requirements (Appendix A-2, No. 1)
Finally, the Phase I Candidate Workbook states (page 3) that two-hour community meetings AND two-hour formation meetings will be expected.
So I believe it is fair to say that as long as the Formation Director/Team are following correct entrance procedures, the Candidate/Member knows what will be expected from the very beginning.
Chronic absences generally mean that this is not the right timing for Candidates to move forward in formation. I might add that full participation is expected in that chronically leaving early or arriving late to meetings is not acceptable and if continued frequently should result in discontinued formation and/or membership.
Please understand that this is not disciplinary action or rejection of an ultimate Carmelite vocation. It simply is the recognition that now may not the right time to explore Carmel given an existing family or work situation. The community would hope that a situation that keeps a Candidate from fulfilling the commitment made is rectified but we certainly know that some things are beyond our control. We acknowledge that over the course of a lifetime many situations may come up where time will need to be spent away from community but at least in this initial formation period, if something unexpected happens in one’s life, we do ask that they step away to give it full attention without the serious commitment of exploring and developing a Carmelite vocation.
So the short answer to the question is that there is no provision for an inactive member or a Leave of Absence in initial formation. Also, it would be unwise to agree to forward a Candidate into Reception, Temporary Profession, or Final Profession if attendance is less than 75%. We could discuss “why” it is unwise for a long, long time but for now let’s just agree that the more members we have with 75% attendance the better chance there is of developing leadership for future directors, formation directors and councilors. 75% attendance is vital to the health of your community.
