This book by Fr Alfred Isacsson traces the life of Fr Redemptus Valabek, O.Carm. from his early years in Shelton, Connecticut to his years in Rome where the served the Order and Church. Fr Redemptus wrote many books on Carmelite spirituality and taught in various schools in Rome. He was a noted Carmelite scholar.
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Our Man in Rome: Redemptus Valabek, O.Carm.
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Life in Community
Rev. John Horan, O. Carm.
Executive Director, Carmelite Institute
On a snowy Saturday morning in February of 2010, accompanied by two other friars, I went to an exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC entitled Women and Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America. The exhibit is a celebration of the many and varied contributions that religious women made in the USA.
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THE LAST TIME
“What did you just say?” the husband cried outloud, “I just talked to him yesterday.”
“He had an accident this morning and passed away!” the wife replied.
“I told him to come to our home for a dinner this weekend, but now…”
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A Call within A Call
by Br. Robert Chiulli O.Carm.
Br. Robert Bathe has the important task of helping young men discern their vocation to religious life. He prayerfully walks with these men as they discover what God is calling them to do with their lives. His is not an easy task as he has to encourage candidates to be still and quiet enough to feel what God is stirring in their hearts.
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National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Carmelites arrived in Middletown, New York in 1912 and established the parish of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel. The "new" Church is behind Mt Carmel School. There were five mission churches attached to Mt Carmel.
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Advent Figures: John And Mary
Christopher O'Donnell, O.Carm.
Advent is with us once again. It comes around so soon. Like all liturgical time it is complex. In its simplest expression it is a season of preparation for Christmas. Christmas itself come about through a double process. It was a Christian substitution for the sun feast, natalis solis invicti, established by the Emperor Aurelian in 274,
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What Do Carmelites Do?
by Br. Robert Bathe, O.Carm.
Spiritual writers who capture the essence of the emerging kingdom of God posit charity as a defining characteristic of a life imitating Jesus. All of our Carmelite work is to be done with charity. For the Carmelite friar, work is seen in many ways. Described as service, ministry, chores, or study, our work captures a dimension of life oriented toward communion with God and neighbor.
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Middletown Eagle Scout’s Project Helps Beautify Picnic Grove at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Cameron Fedina, of Boy Scout Troop 169 in Middletown, NY recently created a raised garden structure and a walking path in “Brother Bernard’s Picnic Grove” at our National Shrine as part of his Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project.
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Fr. Lucian Beltzner interviewed by The Evangelist
Recently, Fr. Lucian Beltzner, O. Carm. returned to St. Joseph’s Church in Troy, NY and was interviewed by The Evangelist, The Official Publication of The Diocese of Albany. In the article, written by Angela Cave, Fr. Lucian talks about "tracing his desire to join a religious order" and "acting on an attraction to the Carmelites' devotion to Mary and mission work.”
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The Carmelites: The Province of St. Elias
TheCarmelites: The Province of St Eliasis a concise history of the St Elias Province. It tellsthestoryof thecomingof theCarmelitesfrom Irelandto NewYork's EastSidepari
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A Concise History of the Province of St. Elias - Part One of a Three-Part Series
Beginnings
The Irish population in America went from 6,000 in 1816 to over two million by 1854 with a large percentage of them living in and around New York City. By the last decade of the 19th century, the number of new Irish immigrants and second-generation Irish-Americans was close to four million. Serving the needs of this largely Catholic population was both a blessing and a problem to Archbishop Michael A. Corrigan. It was a blessing because the seeds of Catholicism had blossomed and there was every reason to believe it would continue to flower. It was a problem because there were not enough priests, especially native-born, to serve the Catholic population.
While Archbishop Corrigan’s predecessor, John Cardinal McCloskey, had done a yeoman’s job in building new parishes and increasing the number of priests in the Archdiocese of New York, more needed to be done to recruit priests from overseas.
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Looking Ahead - A Concise History of the Province of St. Elias - Part Three of a Three-Part Series
The first 50 years of the Carmelites of the St. Elias Province in New York were marked with periods of great growth. The next seventy-five years built upon the growth…with more growth:
1934 – Mount Carmel High School and Saint Raphael’s Church (Los Angeles);
1938 – various houses of studies near Catholic University in Washington, D.C.;
1946 – Whitefriars Novitiate/College at Auburn (NY);
1948– Our Lady of the Scapular, Unionville NY;
1952 - Mount Carmel Novitiate, Williamstown;
1954 - Saint Michael’s Retreat House, Tamaqua (PA);
1955 - Mount Carmel High School, Auburn (NY) and Nativity High School, Pottsville (PA);
1959 - African Missions were begun in the then Rhodesia;
1963 – Bancroft Street, College and Theology Residence (Washington, DC) ;
1965– Saint Joseph’s, Harewood Road, College and Theology Residence (Washington, DC);
1970– Saint Joseph’s Church (Troy, NY) and Mt. Carmel Hermitage (New Florence, PA);
1971– Chaplaincy in Ferncliff Residence (Rhinebeck, NY), Maspeth Provincial House (Maspeth, NY) and Rochester (NY) Residence;
1972– Trumbull (CT) Chaplaincy at St. Joseph’s Manor;
1979– Brandsma Hall in Purchase (NY) residence for Iona College;
1979– Joint Novitiate at Brandsma Priory at St. Albert’s (Middletown, NY);
1980 – Pope John Paul II High School (Boca Raton, FL);
1982– Saint Thomas Aquinas Church (Brooklyn, NY);
1993 Saint Eliseus Pre-Novitiate Formation House (Tappan, NY) moved to Harrison (NJ) in 2005;
1994– Saint Jude Church (Boca Raton, FL);
1996– Saint Therese House (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam);
1998– Saint Michael’s Church in Maracas Valley (Trinidad);
2001– Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Priory (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam);
2003– Carmelite Residence (Bloomingburg, NY);
2007– St. John the Martyr Church in New York City;
2008– St. Joseph Priory (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam);
2009– Campus Ministry at Iona College;
2010– Campus Ministry at Mount Saint Mary College (Newburgh, NY);
2012– Annunciation Hermitage in Austin, MN;
2014– Campus Ministry at Fordham University, Bronx, New York.
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Experience the Carmelite Way - Come to our 2nd Fall Discernment Retreat - November 14-16
A weekend retreat at The National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Middletown, NY, for men ages 18-35 looking to explore Religious Ministries and Carmelite Spirituality. Come, pray, and ask questions about God. Let us help you explore consecrated religious life in the Church, and learn more about the Carmelite Friars. See if God is calling you to Carmel. You will have the chance to meet people who have been called to live a life in allegiance to Jesus Christ in a community of Friars. If this sounds interesting to you, it may be that God is calling you to something radical. Come and see if this is God’s will for you.
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Mass of Thanksgiving Celebrated at the National Shrine
On Saturday, September 27th, the Carmelite Friars of the North American Province of Saint Elias celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving to honor our benefactors. It was a beautiful day in Middletown, New York and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel glistened amongst the beautiful array of fall colors. Although we gather each year to mark God’s generous love towards the Carmelite family, this year marks our 125th anniversary of the Carmelites’ arrival to New York. These Irish friars who braved the sea and landed on the shores of Manhattan, were quickly put into service to provide for the spiritual needs of Irish immigrants and patients in one of our first ministries, Bellevue Hospital. These Carmelite priests found a home on the east side and built a Church and friary known as Our Lady of the Scapular of Mount Carmel. Years later, their trust in God’s providence led to the Scapular militia which provided every American solider with a Brown Scapular during World War II.
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News from the Lay Carmelites
The Lay Carmelites recently shared their second e-newsletter highlighting different activities and initiatives of their laity and youth in various parts of the world. They hope that publications such as this one will continue to consolidate them as a great international Carmelite Family. In this issue, they reflect on the figure of St.
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Five Carmelite Brothers Profess Simple Vows
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In a prayerful and beautiful celebration of faith and vocation, Brother James Thien Tran, O. Carm. (SEL), Brother Ignatius Tien Le, O. Carm. (SEL), Brother Mikhail Woodruffe, O. Carm. (SEL), Brother Paul Richmond, O. Carm. (SEL), and Brother Jeffrey Lima, O. Carm.(PCM) pronounced their first vows of obedience, poverty and chastity to God according to the Rule and Constitutions of the Order of Carmelites on Monday, June 8th at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Middletown, New York. Very Reverend Mario Esposito, O.Carm., Prior Provincial of the Province of Saint Elias presided, and Very Reverend William Harry, O.Carm., Prior Provincial of the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary preached. A lively luncheon followed with many Carmelite Brothers and Sisters, family and friends.
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Carmelite Friars Announce the Election of New Leadership at 28th Provincial Chapter
.thumbnail.jpg "Back Row: Fr. Paul, Br. Robert, Fr. Joseph, Fr. Sean, Front Row: Fr. Michael, Fr. Fernando, Fr. Raul")
In thanksgiving to Almighty God the Carmelite Friars of the North American Province of Saint Elias joyfully announce the election of our new leadership for the 2015 – 2018 Triennium.
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Seven Novices Receive Carmelite Habit
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On Sunday Evening June 7th, the Order of Carmelites, Province of St. Elias welcomed Brother Marlon Beharry, born in St. Joseph, Trinidad, Brother Joseph Viet Nguyen, born in Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam, and Brother Vincent Tinh Vu, born in Kien Giang Province, Vietnam, into our novitiate program. Four Brothers from the Most Pure Heart of Mary Province also received the Carmelite Habit: Brother Michael Joyce, Brother Kevin Keller, Brother Neil Conlisk and BrotherEduardo James Aquirre. These new brothers will begin a special year of spiritual, human and communal formation at Brandsma Priory in Middletown, NY, under the guidance of Novice Directors Father Paul Denault, O. Carm. (SEL) and Father Robert Traudt, O. Carm. (PCM).
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50th Anniversary of Ordination Recently Celebrated by Fr. Richard Champigny, O.Carm.
On Saturday, July 25, 2015 Fr. Richard Champigny, O.Carm. celebrated his 50th Anniversary of Ordination at St Jude Church, Boca Raton, Florida - a parish staffed by the Carmelites. The evening started off with Mass which was packed and was concelebrated by the Carmelite priests and others. Members of Fr. Richard's immediate family and many friends were present. Fr. Mario Esposito, O.Carm. gave a wonderful homily in which he focused on the ministry of a priest and the Eucharist. The St Jude choir, directed by Rosemary Stone, provided wonderful music for the celebration. At the mass Fr. Richard wore the vestment his mother made for him on the occasion of his ordination 50 years ago.
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The Life and Work of Reverend Lawrence Flanagan
An interesting online book on the life and work of Fr. Lawrence Flanagan, O.Carm.
http://en.calameo.com/read/0006754673dfd3e34d3d0
The Life and Work of Reverence Lawrence Flanagan
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