The Discalced Carmelite friars of Avon, France, are offering a free online retreat for Advent, withreflections inspired by Blessed Mary of the Incarnation (Barbe Acarie) who was instrumental infounding Teresian Carmel in France. An English translation has been prepared by DiscalcedCarmelite Seculars in North America. You can sign up to the retreat at www.retreat-online.karmel.atAfter signing up, at the end of February you will receive by email the introductory text of this retreat.Then you will receive the meditations for each of the 4 weeks of Advent and for Christmas, with thefollowing themes:1st week: “Keep awake!” – virginity and vigilance2nd week: “He
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19 November is the feast day of our Carmelite brother St Raphael Kalinowski. He was born Joseph Kalinowski in Vilnius in what is now Lithuania in 1835, the second son of Andrew and Josepha Kalinowski (néePolonska), of noble Polish Catholic descent. From an early age Joseph felt called to the priesthood but first completed his education, specialising in mathematics, science and engineering.  Opportunities for further education were limited so Joseph enrolled in the Russian Army so that he could attend a military college. He became a lieutenant in the Russian army, supervising engineering works including the railway between Kursk and
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