Flos Carmeli summer 2005

Provincial Delegate's Report

The Chapter of 05

As announced in the last newsletter, Fr. Gregory Ross was elected our new Father Provincial. He was installed on the first day of the provincial chapter, Monday evening, 16-May-05. After a congradulatory supper the chapter Fathers convened in the upper room of our old monastery in Oklahoma City to hear Father Ralph’s state of the province report and hand in to Fr. Gregory our nominees for provincial councillors. John Magdalene Suenram [right] was elected first councillor which makes him the Vicar Provincial. John is pastor of our basilica in San Antonio. Fr. Ralph [left] was elected 2nd councillor, and Raphael Kitz, [2nd right] our novice Master, 3rd. The 4th councillor is newly ordained Luis Joaquin Castaneda [not present] who will be returning from Rome this fall.

The first order of business was discussion of an interprovincial novitiate. It was an idea we thought the Washington province was ready to embrace. We sent our proposals to their chapter on Wednesday afternoon, and resumed a discussion of restructuring our province to meet our present personnel needs. On Thursday we began to formulate a vision statement, and began the triennial review of our Chapter Acts which will govern the life of the friars for the next three years. We began the second week of the chapter working on a policy to insure our provincial facilities and personnel guarantee a safe environment for children in light of the sexual abuse issues that have affected so many. On Tuesday 24-May-05, we examined our Ratio that governs the formation of our friars, chapter Directives and Policies.

On Wednesday the chapter welcomed the OCDS Provincial Council. Our five councillors with Anita Mendoza had arrived over the weekend and spent Monday and Tuesday working on our own formation statute. Shown here at the chapter are: [left to right] Nancy Thompson, Amelia Wilken, me, Pascal Alfano & Gerald Alford. After introducing our Councillors to the Fathers, I gave a brief statistical report: 19 canonical communities, 16 Study Groups, six groups in discernment. Forty one separate localities under our jurisdiction encompassing over 850 active members. Our president Elizabeth Korves gave the first presentation: an over-view of our Constitutions and Statutes and recent formation of the Council. Nancy then gave a presentation on the history of our legislation, and led a discussion on the changing role of Assistants, our Promises, and our relationship to Jesus’ beatitudes. After lunch, Gerald began explaining our new statutes. Amelia presented the formation program we have been working on: “something for the mind, something for the heart, and then something to do.” Pascal finished the statutes, and a lively discussion followed focused on how the friars can help the OCDS and how the OCDS can help the friars.

Thursday, the chapter welcomed the prioresses of the nuns under our jurisdiction: the Prioresses of Piedmont OK, Little Rock, New Caney TX, San Antonio, Sioux City and Covington LA each gave a presentation on their community. We were surprised to find that despite our different lifestyles, we faced the same issues of personnel shortage, vocation promotion, and collaboration. On Friday we approved the vision statement as a preface to our 2005 Acts, and the chapter adjourned. We had one week to recuperate from the chapter work, then the friars gathered in San Antonio for our annual provincial assembly.

Alabama

Scott Jones SDS, clothed Robbie Hayes, Kay Satterfield, Pauline Rizzo, and Bobby Pearson, in the large brown scapular on Sunday 10-Apr-05, admitting them into the formation program of Donna Lowe in Madison, Alabama. Mr. Pearson, pictured here, began this group in April a year ago. These four novices were approved at the Visitation of Provincial Councillor Pascal Alfano on 12-Mar-05 in Birmingham.

On 08-Jul-05, I appointed Fr. Thomas Perrin SDS, pastor of St John Evangelist in Lewisburg TN, Spiritual Asssistant to our Study Group in Madison, near Huntsville, Alabama. Father was a civil engineer who entered the Salvatorians (Society of the Divine Savior) in Milwaukee and took vows in 1992. He is willing to drive two and a half hours (to Madison and back) to attend to our Study Group there. “I look forward to serving the Carmelite community to the best of my ability.”

Texas

On 09-May-05, I appointed Jesus Campos councillor in McAllen to replace Ceci Davis who resigned that office due to family obligations.

I appointed Msgr. Bill Pickard Spiritual Assistant to our Group in Discernment that meets under the direction of our New Caney community at St Theresa’s church on Haskell in NW Houston. Monsignor is in residence at St Theresa’s , has been a priest for 51 years, and is devoted to the Little Flower.

On 08-Jul-05, I appointed Fr Marion Joseph Bui, OCD [right] Spiritual Assistant to our community in San Antonio. Marion is the first native born Vietnamese to be ordained a Discalced Carmelite priest in this country. We welcome him warmly to the OCDS ministry.

Louisiana

In Covington, Lynda Schwartz, Pam Giangrosso and Sandy Wall made their Definitive Promise at our nuns on Saturday, 14-May-05. Assistant Fr. Gregory Ross received their Promises. At the June meeting it was announced that Father Gregory’s election as Father Provincial would mean “he will be traveling a lot so he will not have time to meet with our Study Group.” On 08-Jul-05, Fr. Sam Anthony Morello, OCD was appointed Spiritual Assistant.

Bruce Weaver was re-elected president in New Orleans. Lucille Brinz was replaced as Director of Formation by Councillor Mary Bordeon. Lucille remains temporarily as Director of Formation in Covington. Mary attended the Councillors workshop in June. After that workshop Provincial Council president Elizabeth Korves made visitation of New Orleans on Sunday 26-Jun-05. Fr. Sam Anthony Morello OCD was appointed Spiritual Assistant to our New Orleans community as well as to the Covington Study Group across Lake Pontchartrain.

Georgia

I have been consulting with Ingrid Close about reviving our Study Group in Savannah. This group migrated to Hilton Head SC when Director of Formation Doris Hadden was unable to make the monthly trip to Savannah from her home in Hilton Head. Ingrid recently moved to Rincon Georgia from Eugene Oregon. With the encouragement of Joann Gartner [right] whom the bishop recently appointed prioress of our nuns in Savannah, Ingrid and I have been doing what we could to re-establish the former Study Group without detriment to the new group in Hilton Head. The former priest Assistant has indicated that he can no longer continue, and I am presently in negotiations with another religious priest in the area to see if he can take on the job. We are planning an OCDS Day of Reflection in Savannah for November 12 with the provincial delegate, and hope to get the group back together by then.

Councillors Workshop

I flew to New Orleans to attend the councillors workshop sponsored and presented by our new provincial council. They did a bang-up job. That means excellent. Elizabeth Korves, our president is shown in the photo leading a discussion on council issues. I was most gratified to see councillors there from Lafayette, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, New Iberia, Alexandria, Jackson, Knoxville, Conyers, DeRidder, Madison, Birmingham, Irondale, and Covington. Our Father Provincial, Gregory Ross attended the Saturday afternoon session. Two disappointments: those Study Groups who did not send a delegate, and the lack of “new” councillors. Many sent their president and formation director and we were so glad to have them for they too are councillors. But we had hoped to see more who were new to the job and may have needed direction on how to best fulfill their new role as an officer of the community that elected them. Two weeks later in July the workshop was presented in Dallas. Provincial Councillors Elizabeth Korves, Nancy Thompson, and Gerald Alford presented this workshop. Amelia Wilken and Pascal Alfano were the presenters in New Orleans. God bless all of you who came.

--Fr. John Michael, prov. delg. to OCDS of OK province