Saint Titus Brandsma

We are delighted that on 15 May 2022, Pope Francis will canonise our Carmelite brother Titus Brandsma, together with nine other new saints, including the French contemplative Charles de Foucauld.Titus was born Anno Sjoerd Brandsma on 23 February 1881. His family lived on a large farm at Oegeklooster in the Frisia region of Holland, an area where Catholicism was very strong. Anno was one of seven children, all but one of whom entered religious life. Just before Anno made his first Holy Communion at the age of eleven, he confided to his parents that he wanted to become a priest.
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New Father General

From 30 August – 14 September the General Chapter of the Discalced Carmelite Friars took place in Rome. On 6th September, Fr Miguel Marquez Calle (Miguel de Maria) of the Iberian Province was elected as the new Superior General. We welcome him and assure him of our prayers as he takes up this important role in our Order. Biography of Fr Miguel Address of Fr Miguel during the audience with Pope Francis Address of Pope Francis to the General Chapter Vatican News report: Pope urges Discalced Carmelites to God’s friendship, mission Daily news from the Chapter
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Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Our Lady of Mount Carmel On 16 July, united in prayer with the Carmelite family throughout the world, we celebrate the great Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, our patronal feast. This title of Our Lady has its origins with the beginnings of the Carmelite Order itself, when in the late 12thor early 13thCentury, a group of hermits living on Mount Carmel built a chapel in honour of ‘Our Lady of the place’.  Later they became known as the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Mary is invoked by Carmelites both as Mother and as sister; she is
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St Mary Magdalen de Pazzi

25 May is the feast day of Carmelite nun St Mary Magdalen de Pazzi.  She was born Catarina de Pazzi on 2 April 1566 in Florence into a pious, aristocratic family.  She was attracted to prayer and solitude from an early age and resolved to become a nun. At 16, she entered the Carmelite monastery of St Mary of the Angels in Florence, choosing this particular monastery because the nuns there received Holy Communion daily, a rare privilege at that time. She was given the name Sr Mary Magdalen and made her Profession of vows after only a year due
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World Day of Vocations 2021

Every year the fourth Sunday of Easter (also known as Good Shepherd Sunday) is a worldwide day of prayer for vocations.  It is also an opportunity for everyone to reflect on their own specific calling, whether that is to priesthood, religious life, another form of consecration, marriage or single life.   This year the World Day of Vocations is on Sunday 25 April.  In his message for the day, which is inclusive of all vocations in the Church, Pope Francis recalls that we are currently celebrating the Year of St Joseph. He writes:  “Saint Joseph is an extraordinary figure, yet at the same time
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St Teresa: Prayer as Relationship

During Lent, Sr Sally of Dysart Carmel took part in the INSPIRE series of Lenten prayer talks run by the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh, speaking on Prayer as a Relationship reflected in the life of St Teresa of Avila. The talk was streamed live, after which Sr Sally answered some of the viewer’s questions. The complete video can be viewed here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJIPi5oxzYg
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Sr Teresa’s Private Passions

On Easter Sunday, Sr Teresa of Quidenham Carmel spoke with Michael Berkeley on the popular BBC Radio 3 programme Private Passions. The hour long interview including Sr Teresa’s music choices can be heard on BBC Sounds here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000tw5j
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Christian Unity Week 2021

18 – 25 January is the week of prayer for Christian Unity, when Christians throughout the world pray for that unity for which Christ himself prayed: “That they may be one” (John 17:11,22).   This year, in the midst of a pandemic, it will sadly not be possible for many of the usual joint prayer services to go ahead. Some churches will be organising virtual events, while we are all able to join together spiritually in prayer for this intention without the use of technology, as we do in our Carmelite communities every year at this time and indeed throughout the
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Online Carmelite Advent Retreat

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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St Raphael Kalinowski

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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