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.
It’s been a week of reflection, thanksgiving for our many blessings and earnest prayer for all of the souls who perished and those still suffering from the effects of the terrorist attacks on 9-11.
Cindy A. Perazzo, T.O.Carm., Coordinator of Lay Carmelites
for the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary
Time and time again our reflective nature and our love of quiet prayer strengthens us in order to offer ourselves to others, whether it be standing with someone in pain or sending our prayers of intersession to the One we know loves us all. I thank Our Lord and Our Lady for this wonderful gift as I know you do too. Now onto our Q&As:
Any plans for a book to accompany the Phase I manual?
The Phase I Candidate Workbook was developed as a stand-alone formation tool; however, here are a couple of suggestions:
Fundamental Values of Carmelite Spirituality is an excellent reference and a “must read” many times over for all of us in my opinion. Written by previous Prior General, and now deceased, Most Rev. John Malley, O.Carm., it holds some of the most critical elements of the Carmelite charism. Not only do we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Fr. John for his writings but during his time as General of the Order he was known for promoting the “Carmelite Family.” He was a huge champion for the Lay Carmelites and considered us every bit as part of this family.
You will note that each of these pages are duplicates of the first page of each lesson in the Formators Guide. As you look through each page you will see many, many additional resources, all of which could be recommended. I would stick with the Required Reading and Carmelite Authors sections in order to keep the focus on Carmel. Springs of Carmel, Seasons of the Heart, Pattern for Life, Prophet of Fire are all good introductory books and are listed throughout Appendix B. It's always a joy to have an inquirer in initial formation that wants more information and reads everything they can get their hands on. Luckily we have many books and articles to recommend!
Is a Leave of Absence the same as a Dispensation? At what point does a Leave of Absence become Dispensation?
A Leave of Absence (LOA) is not the same as a Dispensation. A LOA is a Category of membership within the Lay Carmelites. Lay Carmelites cannot place themselves on a LOA. A LOA is always granted by the Lay Carmelite Office (LCO).
There are generally three reasons for a LOA:
Generally, the LCO offers a LOA to Lay Carmelites for a period of twelve months. After this period the Lay Carmelite either comes back to the community or is dispensed of his/her profession of promises. No LOAs are granted to Lay Carmelites who are received or temporarily professed. The issues listed above usually result in the local community dismissing or postponing the next step in anyone who is not finally professed.
A Dispensation means the person is no longer a Lay Carmelite and no longer a member of the Carmelite Order.
For more information on Leave of Absence and Dispensation refer to Carmel’s Call, Chapter 11 — Categories of Member, pages 98-101 and The Community Manual, Chapter V — Categories of Membership, pages 19-20.
