INDEX Communicationes n 4 01-03-2003 Friars Our mission in Uganda New President of e Teresianum in Rome Bro. Boniface Scheerer awarded Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Nuns Associations/Federations New Council: Flanders - Belgium New member: Bunda - Tanzania New religious assistants: India, Mexico Monasteries: Pastuvas - Liuania Secular Order Central America, Spain, Italy, Mexico Our Saints Edi Stein s letter to Pope Pius XI OUR MISSION IN UGANDA FRIARS Mission Sunday, October 20, 2002 marks an historic day in e Carmelite history of is Province as e friars were officially entrusted wi St. Kizito Parish in e Diocese of Kiyinda- Mityana. The transfer of St. Kizito to our Province took place wi all e solemnity befitting such an occasion. The pomp and circumstance was singularly Ugandan, from e moment of a.m. Bishop Joseph Mukwaya's arrival at 10 until e last speech and final joyous song in e afternoon. Fr. Stephen Watson, e Provincial of e California-Arizona Province reflects, "During my two week stay, e reality of what our Province has undertaken began to sink in. I was immediately aware of God's presence... at is is a work of God and at is work will require much human toil and effort, many sacrifices and a great desire to serve and help our broers and sisters in Uganda. Sister Antonia and Sister Elisabe, Sisters of Mary of Carmel from Austria, have joined e mission team at St. Kizito. Their Order also wishes to establish a presence in Uganda. NEW PRESIDENT OF THE TERESIANUM IN ROME The Secretariat of e TERESIANUM Pontifical Theological Faculty (Rome Italy) advises at on 15 February 2003, wi Rescript Prot. N 153/2003, e Sacred Congregation for Caolic Education has appointed as PRESIDENT of e Faculty Fr VIRGILIO PASQUETTO, ocd, from e Venice Province in Italy. The new President succeeds Fr Bruno Moriconi, ocd, in e position. Bro. Boniface Scheerer awarded PRO ECCLESIA ET PONTIFICE The Bishop of San Bernardino, Bishop Gerald Barnes, conferred on 82 years old Broer Boniface Scheerer of California Province e prestigious Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award, granted by e Supreme Pontiff for his years of dedicated service to e faiful, especially e you, of e Diocese.
NUNS ASSOCIATIONS / FEDERATIONS NEW COUNCIL FLANDERS -BELGIUM In e general elective assembly of e Flanders Federation, in Belgium, celebrated at e beginning of February 2003, e new Federal Council was elected, consisting of e following members: President: Sr. Goretti (re-elected), from Leopoldsbourg, st 1 Councillor: Sr. Kristin, from Weelde, nd 2 Councillor: Sr. Maria, from Moerzeke, rd 3 Councillor: Sr. Therese, from Antwerp, 4 Councillor: Sr. Gemma, from Sint Niklaas, Substitute: S. M.Therese, from Brugge. NEW MEMBER BUNDA- TANZANIA st Wi Decree (Prot n. 2708/2003) of 21 January 2003 e Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life gave permission for Bunda monastery in Tanzania to enter e Our Lady of Africa Association, which is made up of e English-speaking monasteries in e continent. NEW RELIGIOUS ASSISTANTS ST JOSEPH ASSOCIATION, SOUTH-EAST INDIA Wi Rescript (Prot. N. 3329/96) dated 28 January 2003 e Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life appointed Fr Arul Raj OCD for anoer ree years as Religious Assistant of e St Joseph Association of Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Sou- East India. ST JOSEPH OF GUADALUPE FEDERATION, MEXICO Wi Rescript (Prot. N. 2272/2002) of 30 January 2003, e Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life appointed for anoer ree years Fr Jesús Antar Elías Chaín, OCD, as Religious Assistant of e St Joseph of Guadalupe Federation in Mexico. MONASTERIES PASTUVAS-KAUNAS, LITHUANIA. Canonical establishment of e St Joseph and St Therese of e Child Jesus monastery. Wi Rescript ( Prot. n. 99368/94) of 8 January 2003, e Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life canonically established in Liuania e first monastery of Discalced Carmelite nuns in modern times. As it so happens, ere were two previous monasteries in Vilnius: e first was founded in e XVII century in 1638 and e second in e first half of e XX century in 1938. The
vicissitudes of history, wars and communism brought ese foundations to an end: e first in 1865 and e second in 1945. Eleven years ago, in 1992, a tiny group of aspirants to e Carmelite contemplate life, led by Birute Ruzgiené, wi e blessing of Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevicius, Archbishop of Kaunas, and supported by Sr Mary Joseph of e Incarnation (Hughes), a nun of Liuanian descent from Glasgow monastery in Scotland, wrote to Fr General who supported em in eir rd desire. On 23 November 1994, e Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life gave permission to start e new foundation which has now been canonically established wi 15 nuns of whom 7 are solemnly professed, 3 are simply professed and 2 are postulants. Three nuns, Mary of e Incarnation Cullis from Golders Green monastery in London, Mavis Therese of e Incarnation Bayliss from Dolgellau monastery in Scotland and Sr Ana Maria of Jesus Pavlovic from Zagreb monastery in Croatia, who were members of e founding group, were not incardinated into e new monastery, but will remain ere on a temporary basis to assist in e spiritual and Carmelite consolidation of e monastery. When it is opportune ey will return to eir original monasteries. CENTRAL AMERICA OCDS Costa Rica.- From 24 to 26 January, Fr Aloysius Deeney, OCDS General Delegate, took part in a congress of e Secular Order in Central America. There was very good response from e secular members, which augurs well for a rich harvest in living eir vocation, shown particularly in a greater response to e divine call ey have received. El Salvador.- The religious of e Province had a meeting wi Fr Aloysius, who shed light on e secular Carmelite vocation and how to guide and accompany a Secular Carmelite community. SPAIN Avila.- In is Teresian city, e elections to renew e OCDS National Council took place on 18 January. The meeting was held in e Spirituality House of e Carmelite Missionaries. Present were e members of e previous council, e selected representatives from e various Provinces and e President of e Council of Assistants, Fr Antonio Mingo. The result of e elections was as follows: President: Evaristo Arroyo, from Navarre Province Vice-President: Pilar Ángel Cerveró, from Aragon-Valencia Province. Secretary: Pilar Ángel Cerveró. Treasurer: Mercedes Ochoa Vice-Treasurer: Carmen Pascual. nd Badajoz.- In our Badajoz monastery on 2 February, ere was a solemn concelebration at which Fr Provincial presided, commemorating e Presentation of our Lord in e Temple, e blessing of candles, and e Day for Consecrated Life. Our broer, Antonio Jesús Naranjo Montoro, made his first promise in e Secular Order. The Eucharist Celebration was beautiful and was followed by a happy gaering for all. ITALY Rome.- On 10 February, Jole Giacomelli Galofaro, OCDS, returned to her heavenly Faer. She was a member of e Secular Order community in e parish of St Teresa, Rome. Born on 18 January, 1909, on e island of Curzola in Dalmatia, from childhood she experienced e pain
and suffering provoked by political persecution. In 1934 she married Cesare Galofaro. Bo were dedicated to painting, while at e same time took a militant part in politics and local government. She belonged to e Italian Communist Party and worked wi professional honesty. Finally she was touched by grace, recovered her fai and became a minister of e Gospel. She drew close to Carmel, absorbing e spirituality of St John of e Cross and placed herself at e service of e Order. She was of great help to e General Postulation, where she carried out various revisions, translations and prepared books and articles for various journals mainly on Edi Stein, Raphael Kalinowski and e martyrs of Guadalajara. She also contributed to e Observatorio Romano. Daily food for her was e Eucharist as well as mystical poetry. She associated suffering wi Carmelite Spirituality as a purifying and transforming element at brought freedom and salvation to oneself and oers. She said, I ought to be suffering, prayer and love, which she explained in e following manner: it is not enough to pray, it is necessary to be prayer; it is not enough to suffer, it is necessary to be pain; it is not enough to love, it is necessary to be love. MEXICO Provincial Chapter.- The Provincial Chapter of e Mexican Secular Order was held in e Pastoral House in San Juan de los Lagos, Jalisco State. Presiding were Fr José Antonio Puente, OCDS Provincial Delegate and Fr. Tomás Ostos, representing our Provincial. Present were 119 members, representing more an half of e Secular Communities making up e Province. From among e Assistants to e communities were present Frs Bernardo María Bilbao, Renato Terenzi and Jesús Estrada. The members analyzed e situation of e Secular Order during e past ree years and elected e new Provincial Council for e 2002-2005 triennium as follows: President: Ofelia Chacón de Vieyra (re-elected), from e Silao, Gto., community In charge of formation: Maria del Carmen P. de Núñez, from e San Luis Potosí, SLP., community Councillor for Spiritual Life: Enrique Aguilar, from e CESP de Guadalajara community Councillor for Marian Life: Aurora Guerrero, from e León, Gto., community Councillor for e Apostolate: José Juan López G., from e Celya, Gto., community We pray at is team will be inspired by e Divine Spirit who will shed his light on eir plans and eir works. Triennial Chapters.- In e presence of e Council and e Provincial Delegate were held e Chapters of e communities in Río Verde, SLP.; "La Sabatina" in e Federal District and San Luis Potosí, SLP. The following were elected as Presidents, respectively, Carlota Chávez Vásquez, Flora Melo López and José Luis Leija Sánchez. We wish em all success in e work e Lord has entrusted to em. OUR SAINTS SECRET LETTER FROM EDITH STEIN TO THE POPE ON THE JEWISH QUESTION 12.IV.1933. The famous letter of Edi Stein (Discalced Carmelite, martyred in Auschwitz) to Pope Pius XI on e persecution of Jews and Caolics in Nazi Germany has been published Monte Carmelo magazine, of e Burgos Discalced Carmelites, published in its last number e secret letter at Dr Edit Stein wrote to Pope Pius XI in Holy Week 1933. In e letter she asks
him to intervene in e growing persecution of Jews and Caolics by e Hitler government. The publication of such a valiant and prophetic letter, after 70 years of its writing, was made possible by e recent opening of e Vatican Archives referring to e papacy of Pius XI(1922-1939). Edi Stein, St Teresa Benedicta of e Cross, a famous daughter of e Hebrew people, devoted her life to e search for tru using phenomenology. One day she came in contact wi St Teresa of Jesus and decided to become a Caolic. When Nazi persecution made it impossible for her to continue her teaching and scientific work, she entered e Discalced Carmelites in Cologne. Her witness and renunciation were sealed by martyrdom in Auschwitz in 1942. She was canonized in 1998. The now-published letter claims our attention not only for its dramatic and profound tone but also for e lucidity wi which it anticipates future events at came to be. For is reason e date of e letter claims most attention. This holy doctor went on to point out responsibilities at only much later history was to verify wi clarity. It was not sufficient to say AMEN. From e time it was known to exist, is letter has bourne a witness of its own, even ought it is only now at we know its content in her own words. The following is a translation of e letter: Holy Faer! As a child of e Jewish people who, by e grace of God, for e past eleven years has also been a child of e Caolic Church, I dare to speak to e Faer of Christendom about at which oppresses millions of Germans. For weeks we have seen deeds perpetrated in Germany which mock any sense of justice and humanity, not to mention love of neighbor. For years e leaders of National Socialism have been preaching hatred of e Jews. Now at ey have seized e power of government and armed eir followers, among em proven criminal elements, is seed of hatred has germinated. The government has only recently admitted at excesses have occurred. To what extent, we cannot tell, because public opinion is being gagged. However, judging by what I have learned from personal relations, it is in no way a matter of singular exceptional cases. Under pressure from reactions abroad, e government has turned to "milder" meods. It has issued e watchword "no Jew shall have even one hair on his head harmed." But rough boycott measures--by robbing people of eir livelihood, civic honor and faerland--it drives many to desperation; wiin e last week, rough private reports I was informed of five cases of suicide as a consequence of ese hostilities. I am convinced at is is a general condition which will claim many more victims. One may regret at ese unhappy people do not have greater inner streng to bear eir misfortune. But e responsibility must fall, after all, on ose who brought em to is point and it also falls on ose who keep silent in e face of such happenings. Everying at happened and continues to happen on a daily basis originates wi a government at calls itself "Christian." For weeks not only Jews but also ousands of faiful Caolics in Germany, and, I believe, all over e world, have been waiting and hoping for e Church of Christ to raise its voice to put a stop to is abuse of Christ's name. Is not is idolization of race and governmental power which is being pounded into e public consciousness by e radio open heresy? Isn't e effort to destroy Jewish blood an abuse of e holiest humanity of our Savior, of e most blessed Virgin and e apostles? Is not all is diametrically opposed to e conduct of our Lord and Savior, who, even on e cross, still prayed for his persecutors? And isn't is a black mark on e record of is Holy Year which was intended to be a year of peace and reconciliation? We all, who are faiful children of e Church and who see e conditions in Germany wi open eyes, fear e worst for e prestige of e Church, if e silence continues any longer. We are convinced at is silence will not be able in e long run to purchase peace wi e present German government. For e time being, e fight against Caolicism will be conducted
quietly and less brutally an against Jewry, but no less systematically. It won't take long before no Caolic will be able to hold office in Germany unless he dedicates himself unconditionally to e new course of action. At e feet of your Holiness, requesting your apostolic blessing, (Signed) Dr. Edi Stein, Instructor at e German Institute for Scientific Pedagogy, Münster in Westphalia, Collegium Marianum.