Communicationes, n° 71
15-12-2006
Contents:
-Blessed Eufrasia of the Sacred Heart
-The Carmelites in India
-Vocation centres in Italy
-The next OCD address book
-The biography of Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity
-Christmas greetings from the Editors
Bl. EUFRASIA OF THE SACRED HEART
1877 – India – 1952
The beatification was celebrated in the place where she died, India; following the disposition of the present Pope. For this reason the news could have gone unnoticed. But it is right to recall that as from 3rd December, the feast of St. Francis Xavier, Carmel has another Blessed. Rosa Eluvathingal Cherpukaram was born 17th October 1877 in Kattoor, diocese of Trichur (India). She died there on 29th August 1952. Sister Eufrasia of the Sacred Heart belonged to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Mother of Carmel (CMS), the first female religious family of the Syro-Malabar rite in Kerala, founded by Bl. Kuriakos Elias Chavara and Fr. Leopold Beccaro, ocd, in 1866. It was an institute of the Syro-Malabar rite from the beginning and an institute of pontifical standing from 1967, aggregated to the Order on 5th April 1920. With its Generalate in Alwaye, Kerala (India), it can count today more than 6,000 religious, and is present in 20 Provinces and 610 houses in Asia, Africa, Europe and America.
The new Blessed took the habit of this Carmelite Congregation on 10th May 1897, overcoming the opposition of her father. She became local superior and mistress of novices. The local people, always seeing her with a rosary in hand, called her “the praying nun”. Her sisters gave her the name “mother tabernacle”. She enjoyed the highest mystical prayer. She was not afraid to dedicate herself totally to the people during a cholera epidemic in the region. Her tomb became a place of pilgrimage. The cause of her beatification was introduced in 1987. The miracle that was examined for the beatification in 1997 concerned a man, Thomas Tharakan, 54 years old, who suffered from bone cancer. The Postulator for the Cause is the priest George Nedungatt.
The beatification ceremony took place in Ollur, and was presided by Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Archbishop of Erakulam-Angamaly; the homily was given by the Apostolic Nuncio, Peter Lopez Quintana, with another 31 archbishops and bishops concelebrating, and more than 150 priests. Eufrasia of the Sacred Heart is the fifth Blessed from Kerala and the sixth in India. The Vatican newspaper “L’Osservatore Romano” on 3rd December dedicated an entire page to the event.
THE CARMELITES IN INDIA
India is the subcontinent with the greatest growth in the Order. To the five Provinces (Malabar, Manjummel, Karnataka-Goa, Tamilnadu, and South Kerala), can be added the Commissariates of Andhra Pradesh and New Delhi. To the missionary regions of Orissa, Ranchi and West Bengal can be added the new missionary territory of Chattisgarh, belonging to the Tamilnadu Province. Outside of India there are Missions in Indonesia and East Timor (Manjummel), in South Africa and Tanzania (Karnataka-Goa), and in the Ukraine (Malabar),… Within their own Provinces there are a variety of missionary endeavours. We should be happy that Carmel in India has become very missionary orientated.
Each Province has a considerable number in formation. For example, 11 novices from the South Kerala Province, made profession on 8th December. Each Province has its own particular “Ratio Studiorum”, which is the basis of its formation programme. The academic level is high. Because of the high numbers of brothers in formation it is not convenient to have one house of formation for the whole of India. It is better for each Province to maintain its own house of formation. An exception could be in northern India, due to the strong cultural differences with respect to the other Carmelite places. The rich cultural inheritance of India is integrated into Carmelite formation, with its own themes in philosophy and theology, as well as social programmes linked to each particular area. During the year studies are interrupted to allow the young students to leave their houses of formation and experience life in community and in missionary or pastoral activities. Inter provincial collaboration is fermented by meetings for students in theology, by a second common novitiate before solemn profession, and by meetings for the formators. In this way the risk of regionalism and differences over rites is overcome.
Carmel in India also has several centres of spirituality, where academic grades for religious and clerics can be obtained. They are working actively to translate our spiritual patrimony into the many different languages in India.
Particular initiatives that we can mention are: the first regional congress on formation in Mysore (2005) with 35 participants; in 2006 they celebrated a regional congress of the secular Order in India and Sri Lanka (Kollam, Kerala, 22-27 August); in 2007 they will celebrate a regional congress on liturgy and Carmelite prayer, and there was a missionary congress for the Orient and Extreme Orient (Sept 2006, Mangalore); for 2008 a regional congress is planned for the directors of our houses of spirituality.
VOCATIONAL COMMUNITIES IN ITALY
Fr. General has been behind an initiative to create a place to welcome, accompany and discern vocations to Carmelite life. With this in mind Fr. Luis Arostegui contacted Fr. Antony Sangalli, of the Lombardy Province, and Fr. Joseph Pozzobon, of the Venice Province. From the first meeting people saw a need to create two different communities in two different places. The first, that of Montechiaro in the Naples Province, was inaugurated on 25th March. The community includes Fr. Rudolf Girardello, of the Venice Province, Fr. Antony Sangalli, of the Lombardy Province, Fr. Mario Ferrante and Fr. Joseph Iaquinto, both from the Naples Province. The house will serve as a place for postulants.
The second community will be based in Canale Monterano, in the historic desert house of Montevirginio, some 60 kms., from Rome. In this community will be Fr. Joseph Pozzobon, Fr. Michael Masella, Fr. Romano Zaffina, both from the Roman Province, Fr. Frederick Trinchero, from the Genoa Province and Fr. Joseph Caramia, of the Sicilian Commissariat. The priory has a novice, and several others are being formed in their respective provinces; for example, there are six lombardian novices in Concesa.
The Canale Monterano and Montevirginio communities began this path on 9th November with a concelebrated Mass presided by Fr. Arnaldo Pigna, Provincial of Rome. They will be dependent upon the Conference of Italian provincials, and at least for the first three years their point of reference will be the Generalate. The Roman Province will maintain the property of the house. Putting these places at the service of Carmel in Italy, it is hoped that they will be places of welcome and reference for those who are preparing for solemn profession, for vocation directors, for directors and brothers in formation.
The two houses are open to all Carmelites and to whoever feels the need to rest.
THE NEW ADDRESS BOOK OF THE ORDER
We repeat the request to send us corrections and additions so that we can complete and correct the postal and email addresses of our priories and convents. In 2007 we want to publish again the address book of all the houses of the Order. We want it to be the most complete and correct possible. Could you please send any changes and observations:
-of the postal address
-of the telephone number
-of the fax number
-of the email address
All this data can be sent to the Secretary at the Generalate (Corso d’Italia 38, 00198 Rome, ITALY), to our fax number (+ 39 06-8535.0206), to our email Could you please do this before 31st December 2006.
A BIOGRAPHY OF BL. ELIZABETH OF THE TRINITY
This has been a long awaited book of the centenary and, together with the Concordance, the most important. Its author, the Flemish Carmelite Conrad De Meester, wrote it and called it: “Elisabeth de la Trinité. Biographie”. It contains 742 pages, and was published by “Presses de la Renaissance”, Paris. There are 30 chapters plus an appendix.
We will not judge it critically, nor even give our personal opinion. We resign ourselves to announcing its publication. With the collection of documents, with the handling of the writings of the Blessed, the book which Fr. De Meester offers us is a complete work, the most detailed, the most researched, the best interpreted. It is a dignified contribution to the centenary, a fruit that will endure. It is truly certain to help you know the person, the life and the mind of Elizabeth of the Trinity better. It is being sold through Carmelite publications andin religious bookshops. We do not know if anyone intends immediately to translate it into other languages. But in the original French it remains a documental resource, which can be completed by the volume containing the statements of those who knew her (“Elizabeth de la Trinité les témoins”. Toulouse 2007).
CHRISTMAS GREETINGS FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAM
Fr. General has sent his Christmas greetings to all the priories and convents of the Order. The COMMUNICATIONES team now presents its own greetings to all our readers, wishing you a holy, joyful and happy Christmas. We recall the words of Pope Benedict XVI:
“In the night at Bethlehem, the Redeemer
made himself one like us, in order to be
our companion along the treacherous
paths of history. We take the hand
He offers us: a hand that does
not want to take, only
to give…”
Message “urbi et orbi” - 25th December 2005
We are sure that the communication of the Order, which encourages communion, will proceed assiduously and attentively in 2007, the New Year of grace. It is the time to remember the Teresian principle: “Increase charity while it is being shared” (Life 7, 22).
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
BLESSED NEW YEAR