Canonization proceedings have now begun for Adelrich Benziger, OCD and Bishop of Quilon India (1901-1931).

​

Adelrich Benziger was born on 31 January 1864 at Einsiedeln in Switzerland.  

While studying in Belgium, he came into close contact with the Discalced Carmelites and joined the Carmelite Order of Flanders in 1884. He was ordained a priest in 1888. With a strong missionary desire, he set out for India in 1890.  Once there, he governed the Quilon diocese for 31 years, five years as the auxiliary bishop and 26 years as bishop. 

​

Benziger was instrumental in affecting many conversions and religious vocations.  He helped rebuild seminaries, and encouraged devotion to the Sacred Heart, the Blessed Virgin Mary and various saints. He was considered as a saint even while alive by many, due to his simple lifestyle, hard work, prayer and penance. 

​

And, as a matter-of-fact, our member Rosemarie Ludwig is actually the grand niece of this Bishop Benziger!

​

More information here:

http://www.carmelitaniscalzi.com/en/benziger-bishop-of-quilon-1901-1931-and-the-titular-archbishop-of-antinoe/

This last June, the General Definitory sent a letter to Provincials in East Timor, thanking them for effort on the part of missionaries of the Order who had been present in the country of East Timor for the last several years. 

However, for various reasons (and despite numerous efforts), it was not possible to maintain a continued presence there. The decision was made to close this outpost temporarily.

It is hoped that in the future a presence of the Teresan Carmel can be re-established in East Timor.

The beatification process is now underway for María Guggiari Echeverría (12 Jan. 1925 - 28 Apr. 1959), aka María Felicia de Jesús Sacramentado, a Paraguayan Discalced Carmelite nun.

In her youth, Maria was a member of Catholic Action and a catechist for children.  Nicknamed "Chiquitunga", she entered the Carmelites in 1955, but died soon thereafter from hepatitis. 

​

Pope Francis has confirmed her beatification, and the day chosen for the event will be June 23rd.  This will be a day of celebration for Catholics in Paraguay.  She will be the first person so recognized in that country.  The cermony will be held in the "Nueva Olla” football stadium, so as many persons can attend as possible.

By Roy Curry, OCDS

March 24, 2018

In a gathering of our 2017 Provincial Chapter last year, Fr. Donald Kinney told us there are now over 2,000 professed O.C.D.S. members in 45 canonically established communities, 21 groups, and 5 study groups – 71 in all.  This is four more than we had in the last triennium.

Father mentioned that the great event for the Secular Order was the OCDS Western Regional Congress held in San Jose, held June 23 thru 26 in 2016.   A record 527 Carmelites attended this conference.   A large number of our priests and brothers were able to attend also.  Our Province’s next Congress will take place June 20-23, 2019 in Ontario, CA.

Our Provincial Superior and brothers in Carmel in Redlands remind us of the wonderful inspiration we provide as we strive to live out our vocation for the Church and the world.  We are one family, as our Constitutions state – and as we experience again and again. . .

By Maryann Symancyk, OCDS

March 24, 2018

Last year on the 13th of February 2017, the diocese of Coimbra in Portugal concluded the diocesan section of the process for canonization of Sister Lucy Dos Santos, a Discalced Carmelite nun and one of the three Fatima visionaries. The Cause will now begin to be analyzed in the Vatican by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints.

​

Sister Lucy was a Discalced Carmelite religious for 57 years.  After her death in 2005, she was buried in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary in the Fatima Sanctuary. Her full religious name is Sister Maria Lucia of Jesus and of the Immaculate Heart.

Sr. Lucy’s process took a long time because she lived almost 98 years, and corresponded with a great number of individuals.  She worked with popes (Pius XII thru John Paul II), cardinals, plus a great many others.

March 24, 2018

This last August, the Philadelphia church recently got a boost when 10 young Discalced Carmelite nuns transferred to the local Carmelite monastery in Philadelphia.   The Philadelphia Carmelite Monastery is the church of St. Joseph and St. Anne, at 66th Avenue and Old York Road.

Six nuns came from Valparaiso, Nebraska, and four more nuns came from Elysburg, Pennsylvania. The communities of Elysburg and Valparaiso stem from the Mexican tradition of the Carmelites, which fled to San Francisco, California in fear of Mexico's religious persecution during the Cristero War in the 1920s.

The nuns are all in their 20s and 30s.

March 24, 2018

Bishop Anders Arborelius, OCD is the first native Swede to be named a cardinal in the two millennia of the Church.  He was promoted to the ranks of cardinal on June 28, 2017.

Cardinal Arborelius was born in 1949, and was raised Lutheran.  However, he converted to Catholicism at the age of twenty and then entered the Discalced Carmelites. Pope John Paul II appointed him bishop of Stockholm in 1998, becoming the first native Swede and second Scandinavian Catholic bishop.   Since Reformation times, the majority of Catholics in Scandinavia have been immigrants or of immigrant descent.

In a recent interview, Cardinal Anders was asked what he thought his elevation to the cardinalate meant for the Catholic Church in Sweden, and for the Church in the world. He responded “For the Catholic Church in Sweden it is something very special, because we are not used to Cardinals in our part of the world, and people think it is very thrilling and somehow it shows that the Holy Father is interested in us. That we belong to the worldwide Church, and somehow he wants to tell us that ‘also you are important in a secular, pluralistic country as a minority.’”

March 24, 2018

Did you know that there is a cloistered Carmelite monastery in Mobile, AL composed mainly of nuns from the country of Vietnam ?

​

The nuns came to reopen a monastery that was nearly shut down because of a lack of vocations.  Early in 2010, due to a several factors – including age, illness, and lack of vocations – the monastery's four existing American nuns decided they could no longer care for themselves and their monastery. They moved out in March, but asked Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi for help in finding another Carmelite community that could replace them.

​

On February 20, 2011 eight Carmelite Nuns from the Nha Trang Carmel in Vietnam arrived in Mobile at the request of Bishop Rodi to continue their life of prayer and sacrifice.

The website for the Carmelite Sisters in Mobile is: http://carmelitemonasterymobileal.com/