Communicationes N 24
15-05-2004
CONTENTS







Meeting of European OCD Students
Bishop Francis Adeodato Micallef ocd: Sacerdotal Golden Jubilee
Inter-Association On-going Formation Seminar
Austria: Maria Jeutendorf: change of jurisdiction
Film Therese by Leonardo Defillipis
New books
Deceased Sisters - 5
MEETING OF EUROPEAN OCD STUDENTS
The European Meeting of OCD students will take place from the 29 th August - 6th
September in the Carmelite Priory, Viano do Castelo, Portugal. About 120 OCD students are
expected to take part.
The Assistants from each Province will prepare material (posters, cards, photos, etc) for a
small exhibition which will give an overall view of the reality in each Province.
The Eucharist and the Divine Office will be celebrated each day of the Gathering in a
different language.
The theme to be studied at the meeting will be: The Challenges of European Culture to
the Church to Religious Life and to Carmel.
The titles of the talks will be:




The Challenges of European Culture to the Church: What kind of evangelization is
needed in this European culture? (D. Jose da Cruz Policarpo, Cardinal of Lisbon).
The Challenges of European Culture to Religious Life: What kind of witness? What
model(s) of Religious life and community? (Hermano Benito Arbues Torralba, ex-General
of the Marists).
What can the new ecclesial movements in the european context offer to the spiritual
heritage of Carmel and expect from it? (Fr Jacques Philippe, The Beatitude Community).
The Challenges of European culture to Carmel: what kind of witness is it asking for? (Fr
Luis Arostegui, Superior General O.C.D).
We hope that this gathering will help to appreciate better the different realities of the Order
and lead to a greater enthusiasm to live our fundamental charism.
SACERDOTAL GOLDEN JUBILEE
OF BISHOP FRANCIS ADEODATO MICALLEF, O.C.D.
On May 8, 2004, our Fr. Francis Adeodato Micallef, Bishop of Kuwait, celebrated his
Golden Jubilee of Priestly Ordination with his beloved people in Kuwait. At 7 in the evening a
solemn Mass was celebrated in his Cathedral of the Holy Family. The church was full and
overflowing. The Papal Nuncio, Bishop Giuseppe De Andrea, gave the homily. He read a letter
from His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, personally addressed to Bishop Micallef, which thanked
him for his 50 years of priestly service, the last 22 of these years spent in Kuwait as Vicar
Apostolic.
Fr. Stephen Watson, Definitor General, present for the occasion, also read a letter from
the Superior General, Fr. Luis Aróstegui, which extolled the service of Bishop Francis to the
Discalced Carmelite Order and the Church. Fr. Alfred Grech, Provincial of Malta also extended a
warm thanks on behalf of the Maltese Province, to which Fr Adeodato pertains. The love of the
people for their Bishop was evidenced by the warm applause given at various times throughout
the ceremony.
Bishop Francis Adeodato is assisted in the pastoral care of the Apostolic Vicariate by six
Carmelite and two secular priests. There are Apostolic Carmelite religious Sisters from India
maintaining a school. The Catholic population is made up largely of Filipinos and Indians.
Bishop Francis Adeodato, who had been Provincial in Malta and Definitor General in
charge of the ocd Missions (1973-1979) turned 75 last December and hopes to be able to return
to his native Malta.
INTER-ASSOCIATION ONGOING FORMATION SEMINAR
The Mary, Queen of Carmel Association held an Ongoing Formation Seminar on April 18th
to
2004, at the Carmelite Spiritual Center in Darien, Illinois. They invited the CCA and the
St. Teresa Association of the United States. The French-speaking Association of Canada and
the Mexican Federation were also invited. It was the first time that all five Associations of North
America were present at a meeting.
Father Kevin Culligan, OCD conducted the Seminar in which all the nuns participated.
Fostering Responsibility and Leadership in Community was the topic of the Seminar. A wonderful
experience and sisterly communion in our Carmelite Charism was shared by all present on this
occasion.
23rd,
AUSTRIA: CONVENT OF MARIA-JEUTENDORF
Change of Jurisdiction
With the recript N 5351/2004 of the Congregation for The Institutes of Consecrated Life and the
Societies of Apostolic Life, 24th April 2004 permission has been granted the Carmel of Maria
Jeutendorf-Pottenbrunn, Austria, to be henceforth under the jurisdiction of the Order, no longer
under the Bishop(St Polten Diocese).
FILM THERESE BY LEONARDO DEFILLIPIS
The film was due to be released last autumn but it has been postponed until October to drum up
public and monetary support. Although it garnered a standing ovation at a private Vatican
screening last May, it has not yet created a stir among the public. The Producer, Leonardo
Defillipis, estimates the company still needs another $2 million to open in select theaters. He
says  this movie is a total work of charity. It has been done the Little Way with all these little
people scattered all over the world, trusting in this project . Therese is relying heavily on
publicity from a Web site, www.theresemovie.com and efforts from grassroots religious volunteers to
push the film into theaters. But, although St. Therese is a popular saint, it would need another
miracle to drum up just a fraction of the attention The Passion of Christ has achieved.
NEW BOOKS
Ascending The Mountain: The Carmelite Rule Today, Edited by Eltin Griffin O.Carm, Columba
Press, 2004, pp 138.
The Carmelite Rule is the least known of the great monastic and religious rules. It had enormous influence on St
Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross and other Carmelite Saints. This book comprises the papers from a conference held
in Dublin, 2002. It gives information not hitherto accessible in English and is a serious contribution to the task of reinterpreting the Rule for our time. It has been particularly appreciated by members of the Lay Carmelites.
EMMANUEL KANIYAMPARAMBIL, OCD, The Spirit of Life. A Study of the Holy Spirit in the Early Syriac
Tradition, Kottayam, 2003, pp 352.
Fr Emmanuel offers us a contribution in the field of Syro-Chaldaic Patrology. This book, says Msgr Yousif, a
Professor at the Oriental Institute in Rome, is a magnificent tool to discover our tradition...for (many peoples) spiritual
nourishment and for pastoral formation on the role of the Holy Spirit in our life.
MATHEW VEKATHANAM, OCD, Indian Christology. Perspectives and Challenges, Asian Trading
Corp., Bangalore, 2004, pp 996.
Fr Mathew presents this book as a contribution to the developing Indian Christology. The mystery of Christ is
discussed in the context of Indian Anthropology. There is also an attempt to bring this Indian tradition into an encounter
with Karl Rahner and W. Pannenberg, showing the complementary nature as well as the irreconcilable aspects of the
various Christological views.
JAMES MCCAFFREY OCD, The Carmelite Charism: Exploring the Biblical Roots, Veritas, 2004, pp
127.
While there have been a number of books on Carmelite spirituality and the origins of the Order, this is the only one
that explores the charism in relation to the Scriptures. Practical guidelines are given for lectio divina, each stage based on
the prayer of Mary, while She and other biblical figures are presented as models of the interior life. Fr James, based in
Oxford, is the Editor of Mt Carmel, a review of the spiritual life, and author of several books on Carmelite spirituality.
Deseos realizados. Escritos autógrafos de las Beatas Mártires de Guadalajara. Ed. Carmelitas
Descalzas de San José de Guadalajara (España). 2003. 268 p.
GIANCARLO LICITRA, Mistica dellEucaristia. Vita, opere, spiritualità di Madre Maria Candida
dellEucaristia. Roma, Edizioni OCD, 2004. 253 p.
CARLO GHIDELLI, Come ciottolo di fiume. Anastasio card. Ballestrero ocd, Cinisello Balsamo, Ed.
San Paolo, 2004. 157 p.
ERROR CORRECTED
In Communicationes N22, 15th April, referring to the laying of the foundation stone for the
new Centre in Avila (CiTES), please read a friend of Vilsbiburg (Germany) intead of a
friend of Wurzburg Carmel.
DECEASED SISTERS – 5 (http://www.ocd.pcn.net/nuns/n_def5.htm )