News

As the New Year begins, Carmelite friars at the Kent shrines of Aylesford and Faversham are ready to welcome pilgrims through the ‘Doors of Mercy’ set up specially for the Church’s Year of Mercy.

“Chalking the door” is a way to celebrate and literally mark the occasion of the Epiphany and God’s blessing of our lives and home. With time the chalk will fade. As it does we let the meaning of the symbols written sink into the depths of our heart and be manifest in our words and actions the Latin words, Christus mansionem benedictat, “May Christ bless the house.”

With joy and fraternity we offer you a new edition of E-Bulletin for the Carmelite Laity. This time around, you will find some testimonies from people who have come closer to God through the Carmelite spirituality that we offer in our various groups and institutions.

On this commemoration of All Carmelite Souls, we call to mind all Carmelites who have gone before us and their part in the heritage that has been handed down to us. These brothers and sisters of ours may not have been famous spiritual writers nor renowned for extraordinary experiences of prayer, but they made their mark on the Order and on each of us through their own efforts to live in allegiance to Jesus Christ in service to the Order and to the Church. Whether as priests or brothers, nuns or sisters, consecrated lay or third order members, they brought the spirit of Carmel to their daily lives and to all those around them.

Message from the Prior General — 2015 Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Another year gone by, and we are again looking forward to the feast of our Lady of Mount Carmel. On account of that I would like to say a word to you all, first of all, to wish you a happy feast day and to express the wish that the novenas, liturgies, prayers and celebrations of the coming days may help all of us to give new life to our charism and make it more present and more alive in our hearts.