Thanksgiving is such a special time. I am grateful for each of you — leaders in our Province for the benefit of our Lay Carmelites. Thank you for all of your dedication and hard work. I wish you and those you love a very happy Thanksgiving full of gratitude for the many blessings we all have.
Cindy A. Perazzo, T.O.Carm., Coordinator of Lay Carmelites
for the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary
How can we fulfill our community meeting agenda and incorporate a speaker or webinar?
I have said in the past (see Questions & Answers #9) that occasionally it would be fine to incorporate a speaker or webinar. “Occasionally” means once and no more than twice per year. The ideal time for incorporating something different for ongoing formation would be between books or as a break in a particularly long book. I have also mentioned that the Carmelite Institute Webinars that are held throughout the year would be an excellent choice for an occasional substitute for ongoing formation. The Carmelite Institute website is www.carmeliteinstitute.net.
As for when in the meeting this might happen? Part Three — Ongoing Formation — would be the appropriate place. Parts One and Two would still be required components in the community meeting. (See the Community Manual for more information about monthly meetings.)
Do we need permission from the Lay Carmelite Office (LCO) to conduct classes on prayer in order to look for new members?
I think it would be a great idea to offer a class or parish presentation on Carmelite Prayer. We have at least seven books, which highlight Carmelite prayer specifically, on our recommended books for ongoing formation list PDF, 1 MB. These would make great resources while preparing your material for such a presentation. Always feel free to run your material, outline, etc. by me if there is any concern or you just want to let me know how the presentation went. I’’d love to hear about your experience.
Do we have resources available for creating a community website?
Not directly, no. There are a number of community and regional websites from our province on the Internet. I recommend you Google “Lay Carmelite Websites” and look at a few ideas in creating your own community website. There are also websites that offer free help in setting up a website.
