Provincial delegate's letter

Dear Carmelites,

Spring has been a time for review of reports made in visitations that took place in late summer (Georgetown TX) and fall (DeRidder LA, St Louis, Atlanta, Lawrenceville GA, and Savannah GA). Madison AL & New Iberia LA were visited this spring. Our Thomasville Study Group has been disbanded due to lack of qualified Carmelite formators in Southern Georgia. Vocational prospects down there have been asked to contact our Provincial Council to be assigned to an existing community. Conyers has taken in the two Definitively Professed members in Thomasville. We have also been busy assigning other isolates to communities. Some have been relocated due to Hurricane Katrina, some have moved into the province, and some have just recently reconnected. We appointed Linda Klotz of New Orleans to represent our province (along with Paul Schubert of Mobile and Elizabeth Korves of Austin) at the meeting of the National Council in Seattle this June. The Congress there is from June 15-18. The next congress held in our province will be in September of 2008 in Houston.

The friars stationed at our province’s novitiate at Marylake thank all of you for your generous support of us in our financial crisis. Many communities have begun to take up a monthly collection to help. We are most grateful for your generosity. The novitiate wing was kept at 40 degrees through the coldest part of last winter. Oh welcome spring. One postulant from Mexico appears “in the wings” in Oklahoma learning English good enough to enter the novitiate soon. Pray for vocations.

Georgia

After reviewing Elizabeth Korves’ visitation report of December, we recognized Savannah as Study Group on 22-Jan-07, and I appointed Michael Burns as president, Ingrid Close as Director of Formation, and Moscelyne Maggione as Councilor. Fr. Desmond Ohankwere MSP has been Assisting the group since they moved back to Savannah from Hilton Head SC in 2005. The report of the December visitation was sent out on 04-Mar-07.

In March, the Study Group in Thomasville was officially discontinued after the provincial council reviewed Amelia Wilken’s visitation report. The two definitive members there are assigned as isolates of Conyers. John Bollman, a Definitively professed member of Jacksonville FL who lives in Valdosta was instructed to refer any members of his group who wish to join our order to our Provincial Council to be assigned as isolates of a community in our province.

Louisiana

On 02-Mar-07 I appointed Fr. Daniel Torres, pastor of St Joseph Church in De Ridder, Assistant to our OCDS Group that meets there. Sue Fontenot [right] has been transferred from Lafayette to DeRidder where she has served as Formation Director for the last year.

Arkansas

Mary Davis made her profession on Saturday 10-Jun-06 in our Nuns’ chapel in Little Rock. Dr. Miguel Aguinaga [left] made his profession there on Saturday 14-Oct-06. Miguel comes from Spain and works at a hospital in Searcy. Jeannine Hart and Joanie Goodwin made their Definitive Promises on 13-Jan-07. They are shown [right] with Assistant Fr. Raphael Kitz [known in some places as “Father Rayfield”] who received the Promises that day of Jeannine and Joanie.

The Little Rock community also celebrated two clothings: Aodhan Richardson on 13-Jan-07, and Paula K. Martin on 10-Feb-07.

Paula is shown here with Director of Formation Mary Armstrong, and Councillor Ginger Crews who facilitates the formation of aspirants. Aodhan lives in a suburb of Memphis and makes a long drive down I-40 to attend the meetings in Little Rock.

Mississippi

On 28-March, I proposed to Our Fr. Provincial, the appointment of Msgr. James McGough of Biloxi as Assistant to our Carmelites on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. President David Courtenay and his wife Beverly (formation), interviewed Monsignor in January and he graciously offered to accept the job.

Alabama

Fr. Palmer Maxwell has offered to consider filling the vacant Assistant post in Birmingham. The community is considering this proposal.

Texas

I appointed Margaret Yong [right] councilor to St Theresa’s group in Houston in February. Margaret accepted on 08-Feb-07, which gives this group a three member council: Chris Wood president, Margarita Dufilho formation, and Margaret.

Regina Schmidt of Lubbock had eye surgery in January, followed by complications. We pray for her recovery from a second surgery and lens implant ion March. Maria Cruz has also has surgery.

--Fr. John Michael OCD, prov. delg.

Note to Treasurers

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Where has this year gone? Are they racing by for you? They certainly are for me. It has been a good year here in the Darby household, thanks be to God. My husband, Ray, has adjusted very well to the amputations, and we go everywhere we want because he has a "Scooter" and our car has been adjusted so that he can drive and transport the Scooter. Life is good and he is enjoying his newfound faith (me too). How marvelous it is that the Good Lord never gives up on us. I am profoundly grateful.

Now down to business: As you probably know, it's time to collect your annual dues. My thanks to those who have already sent them in! The following is to refresh your memory and clear up some questions that have come to me recently:

ANNUAL DUES:

For Community Members: $30.00
For Isolates $30.00
For Aspirants $12.00
For individual subscribers: $16.00
You may pro-rate these dues when necessary

When sending in your dues, state your Community Name, and City where you meet. If you are paving for Isolates, indicate if this increases the total number sent to you community or if the newsletter goes directly to the Isolate. List the Isolates name and address. Please be very clear!

PLEASE MAKE YOUR CHECKS PAYABLE TO: " OCDS "

and mail them to me at: Pat Darby
315 N. Greenville Avenue, #1214
Allen TX 75002-9146
My phone number is: 214 495-0597

Email: jmjtj33@aol.com

I prefer that you contact me by email when possible, as I check my mail every day. If no computer, please feel free to call with any questions you may have.

I'm writing to you today, January 1, the feast day of The Mother of God… "May the mystery of the Incarnation of God in Mary be a source of joy and a stimulus for kindness, charity, and mercy."

Your sister in Carmel,
Pat Darby, ocds

[above taken from Flos Carmeli winter 2007 issue, p. 1]
[below taken from spring 2007 issue, p. 1]:

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

I thank those communities who have sent in their dues, financial statements and lists of their Isolates. May I remind those who have as yet to send them in that they are due and payable in January and the deadline is March 31, so please take note of this and begin collecting from your members in December or early January, is possible, and I thank you.

Your sister in Carmel,

Pat Darby, Provincial secretary

Tax Exempt number

Back in 1984, I filed for an IRS tax exempt number that would apply to any bank account containing the name: O.C.D.S. That number is: 71-0588314. This was filed in a federal court, so it means that OCDS is recognized nationally as a non-profit organization. [Flos Carmeli, Spring 04, p. 5] I have since been informed that the above number is inactive, so please do not open any new accounts with this number.

Fr. John Michael, ocd

Elections are Coming

Provincial Council elections are approaching next Spring. We have asked all our canonical communities to nominate someone (deadline is June 1) With that in mind, we thought it might be good to hear some comments from current Provincial Councilors:

Amelia H. Wilken, ocds

"When I was asked to be on the Provincial Council, I did not know what it would involve. I was first aware of the Provincial Council when the new Constitutions were sent to all the communities for suggestions/corrections.

One day I received an email from Fr. John Michael asking if I would consider serving on the Provincial Council. My first reaction was that it is an honor to be asked! Then - reality set in. and I asked myself, "What will this involve?" I thought of our Blessed Mother, how she accepted what the Angel told her and trusted that I could do the same.

I'm not sure how to say this, but being human, we always want to see what benefit there is for me? I know serving the Province is a noble cause but that's not all! It's different going to Congresses and meeting everyone since it is just one time, but when making a visitation, you get to know them and be bonded with them. It is always a great feeling at visitation to be able to encourage, support and help communities grow in their Carmelite charism.

Another aspect is helping those people interested in Carmel but not close to a community who have to be an Isolate. One of my jobs on the Provincial Council has been to assign them to communities and it's great when they are happy with the outcome. I will not be telling the truth if I said all is dandy. Yes, there are bumps/trials along the way, but you are not alone because of the other members of the Provincial Council helping, but most of all, you learn to trust the Lord. This is very Carmel.

I recommend when asked to serve, please pray and accept the offer. Find out for yourself what God's plan is for you in Carmel.

Pascal Alfano, Jr., ocds
Who Me? A Provincial Council Member!!

God, in His overwhelming wisdom, reaches out to those not necessarily looked upon very highly by the world, and calls them to His service for the salvation of souls. We saw this in the selection of the apostles. After all, we are not serving on our own, but Christ is using us as His instruments. He is the one who is leading us. Trust in God is what is asked of us in fulfilling His command.

What do we look for in choosing someone to serve on the provincial council? First, we go to our room and pray to the Holy Spirit to inspire our minds and hearts. The person that may come to mind may be a member who has shown his or her love for the Carmelite life and has demonstrated this by their life of love for God and their relationship with their fellow members in their service to the secular order. We can recognize this in their lives by looking into their eyes and hearts and seeing the love, kindness, interest and brotherly affection they project.

What are the duties of a provincial council member? First, he or she must be open-minded, humble and not strong-willed. They must be someone who is people oriented. Whether they are employed, retired or homemakers, they must have the time, effort and ability to serve on the council. The first council has members who are full-time employees, retirees and part-time workers. The person must be able to use a personal computer due to the fact that most of the correspondence is done by email and on websites.

There is an annual meeting of all members, the secretary and the provincial delegate. This gathering lasts for about three to five days including traveling time. It is usually held in Little Rock at Marylake or in Dallas at the Mt. Carmel Center. These facilities are capable of housing and feeding the members. This period may also include a day of recollection. At no time is any financial expense expected of the council members. The cost is absorbed by the provincial fund. These meetings have produced results in drawing up the Provincial Statutes for our province and visitation rights granted to us by Fr. Ralph Reyes, Provincial of the order at that time. We have developed workshops in New Orleans and Dallas to prepare our members to function in accordance with our Constitutions, Statutes and the formation programs developed by the Provincial Council to be used by all chapters. A website was established to assist all in their many needs and questions about the secular order, how it functions and where books and information material may be acquired. The Provincial Council studies ways to improve on the duties, material and challenges of our chapters and study groups. Any chapter having problems should present them to the Provincial Council if the Local Council is unable to resolve them. Charity among our members must prevail.

Each member is asked to make four to six visitations of chapters or study groups per year. They have an option to present a conference to the group if asked to do so. What a joy it is to meet so many fellow Carmelites seculars in other cities and share in their love and commitment. The Provincial Council assigns all isolated members to chapters. It maintains a record of the status of all isolates. When study group members are prepared to make their promises, a discernment letter is submitted to the Local Council and then to the Provincial Council for approval. We also work with our study groups to help them make progress towards eventual canonical establishment.

The Provincial Council members have a great time being with each other, sharing ideas and experiences and just being down home brothers and sisters. What an honor it is to be nominated to the Provincial Council. God will bless you abundantly. The term of service for each council member is six years. The terms are staggered in such a way that every three years a batch of new comers will join with those who have at least three years of experience on the council.

The "Who Me" may be You. Remember always, not my will but God's will be done.

Provincial Council report

REPORT FROM THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL
April 2007

The beginning of the year has been a slow time in general for the Provincial Council. We’ve been making arrangements for this year’s visitations as well as finally finding a date for all of us for our annual meeting. This took awhile because certain members (we’ll not name names) wanted to avoid having our meeting on their upcoming 70th birthday. If we didn’t know that their families will make a big deal about it, we’d think they were avoiding such an important event worthy of great celebration.

Only a couple of visitations have happened during this quarter. Elizabeth visited New Iberia, LA where the council offered to find her a husband. She politely declined. Pascal visited our Madison, AL study group.

We’ve also started the process for the first Provincial Council elections. Per Sec. XX of our Provincial Statutes, canonical communities are allowed to nominate one candidate. We’ve sent letters to all our canonical communities asking for nominations. Deadlines for the nominations are June 1 which will allow the Provincial Council to consider the nominees during our annual meeting. We will narrow down the candidates to five and contact each one with information about what is involved in this important service to our province. Ballots for the actual election will be mailed out at the beginning of December. In anticipation of all the elections in spring, we plan to focus the fall issue of the Flos Carmeli on leadership and election issues.

All this election business necessitated some discernment on the part of the current Provincial Council regarding who would like to step down next year and who are willing to continue serving until the 2011 elections as we start staggering the terms. Pascal, Gerald, and Amelia have all decided to step down and return to fully enjoying the life of the retired. Nancy and Elizabeth have agreed to continue serving (we note for those who might be asked to consider being nominated that Nancy and Elizabeth do both work full time jobs, so it is possible to serve on the Provincial Council without yet being retired). It is with some bitter-sweetness that we look forward to our meeting this year as we realize this will be our last time together as a Provincial Council since our 2008 meeting will be with the three new members. But it’ll be another year yet before we bid these three farewell from their service and in the meantime, we’ll have plenty of work for them.

Oh, and we should mention by way of preparing everyone that we promised Fr. John Michael that we would allow him to retire at the end of this triennium. So, we’re putting our minds towards discerning which friar we might recommend to be our new Provincial Delegate starting next year. The final decision rests with Father Provincial but last time he did ask for our input. So if you would like to recommend any of the friars, do feel free to contact any member of the Provincial Council with your thoughts. Fr. John Michael hopes to then be able to devote more attention to his duties as provincial archivist and write a history of the province.

Finally, Linda Klotz of our New Orleans, LA community has been asked to serve as one of our representatives to the OCDS National Council. She replaces Nancy who has served her three year term and now rotates off. This is the final year of Elizabeth’s term on the National Council (she’ll be replaced by whoever assumes the role of Provincial Council president next year) and Paul Shubert of our Mobile, AL study group has two more years in his term. The next OCDS National Council meeting will take place immediately before the Seattle Congress.

Provincial Council:
Pascal Alfano, Gerald Alford, Elizabeth Korves, Nancy Thompson, and Amelia Wilken

R.I.P.

Mary Ann Goynes

“Our sister in Carmel, Mary Ann Goynes passed away on 24-Feb-07 while her OCDS community of the Holy Spirit and St Joseph was on retreat at Deer Trail [in North Houston]. Sometime before the year 2000, she was diagnosed with Alzheimers and was moved to San Antonio to be close to her daughter.” [Becky McGinnis, president] Born 22-Sep-17, she was a pilot in World War II and worked in the Pentagon. She was an active member of the Civil Air Patrol in Houston, and member of St Christopher’s parish where our community meets. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, their four boys, one daughter and seven grandchildren. Mary Ann entered our order in 1974, and was professed on 06-Jun-76. May she rest in peace.

Thomas F. Healy

OCDS Community of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and St. Raphael Kalinowski in Sioux City Iowa reports the death of Deacon Healy, of Yankton, SD who died Friday March 9, 2007, at Avera Sacred Heart Hosptial in South Dakota. Thomas was professed a Discalced Carmelite Secular Order member on 20-Jul-89, and took his definitive promise in 1992.

Thomas and his wife, Lynda, studied for the Deaconate in the Sioux Falls Diocese. Tom was ordained on Janurary 26, 1991. He was an active member of the OCDS Community in Sioux City, Iowa until his illness made it impossible for him to travel. He and his wife, Lynda, were devoted to the Blessed Mother.

His wife Lynda also of the OCDS Community, five children, twelve grandchildren and three great grandchildren survive Tom. All those in Community will miss him.

congress & associations

REMEMBER!

The California-Arizona Province of St.
Joseph and their Congress
AT THE HILTON BELLEVUE
June 15-June 18, 2007
"The Rule of St Albert: Fount of Living Water"
http://congress.ocds.info

Other associations

From: Fr. Aloysius Deeney, OCD

The Secular Order is an Association of Christian faithful as defined in the Constitutions recently approved by the Holy See (No. 37). One of the major differences between Secular Orders and other associations is that the legislation is approved by the Congregation for the Institutes of the Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and not the Council on the Laity. The reason for this is because it is an association that depends juridically on an Institute of the Consecrated Life, namely, the friars. The members of the secular order are lay members of the Church, with the exception of those members who care clerics (e.g., diocesan priests).

Central Office update

Members of Community Councils: Please remember to send to the Central Office changes in your telephone or email numbers. Thank you.

--Pat Darby, prov. sec'ty

jmjtj33@aol.com

Expulsions, part 2

ON THE PROCESS OF EXPULSION

FROM THE OCDS - PART II

by: Fr. Aloysius Deeney, OCD

Now that I have your attention!

I wrote the initial article on expulsions in the manner in which I did specifically to get the attention of a number of persons, the majority of whom are members of Councils, who have read too much into the competence of the Council to dismiss members. There were a number of people who had written to the General House because they were threatened with expulsion. Sometimes the threat was for no more than disagreeing with a council decision! These incidences have been in the English speaking world. 80 percent have been in the United States. There are some provinces that have put some stipulations in the Statutes about dismissal, but we all need to pause, rethink and understand better the purpose of this clause in the Constitutions so that we might faithfully serve our members and the Church.

First point: Is dismissal always and everywhere the same as expulsion? The answer to this question depends on the answer to another question. That other question is: Is it possible to be a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites without being a member of a community? The answer to that question is complicated. We had for a number of years the institution of "isolated members" who were members of the Secular Order but not members of a community. These members were directly under the jurisdiction of the Provincial, nearly always under the care of the Provincial Delegate. They were few in number, mostly justified by geographical difficulty. However, there were other circumstances for which a person might have been given the status of isolate membership. These circumstances were personal.

The Constitutions do not recognize anyone as an isolate member, rather all members, even those who cannot attend meetings because of geographical difficulties, must be attached to some community. There is no such thing as a free-floating unattached member of the Secular Order. Every member of the Order is accountable to some other member of the Order. That is true of the friars, of the nuns and of the seculars. Provincial statutes determine the ways in which members who cannot attend meetings are to be integrated into the Order. So, if a person is not a member of a community it is up to the Provincial statutes to establish how that person is a member of the Order, but no one is a member on his/her own. If a person is dismissed from a community, the person is expelled from the Order unless the Provincial/Provincial statutes provide another way. A person who does not participate in a community must contact the Provincial to regulate his/her status in the Order.

Second point: According to the Constitutions, who may dismiss? The answer is the Council, of course. The reason I mention this is that I one time heard a friar say to a member who disagreed with the formation program that was being implemented "If you do not go along with this I can dismiss you from the Order!" I had to tell him that it was not true. The friars or a friar cannot dismiss a member. Even if one might be able to say that the spiritual assistant or a friar exerted [13-14] influence on the council, it is the council that dismisses. The Provincial must be consulted in the process as the Constitutions stipulate, but it is the council that dismisses.

Third point: Are the cases mentioned in canons 308 and 316 of the Code of Canon Law the only cases which justify expulsion? The answer to that question is "no". BUT, we all must be certain of what might or might not constitute reasons for expulsion. To lay the foundations for this understanding I would like to cite the law of the Church with regards to members of religious congregations and dismissal. Although it specifically applies to the members of religious congregations, its principles apply to members of the Secular Orders of religious families. Quite a bit of canon law language follows, so I ask you to read it slowly and to reread it a few times to understand it. I will put in bold certain words or ideas.

"Canon 696, §1. A member can also be dismissed for other causes provided that they are grave, external, imputable, and juridically proven such as: habitual neglect of the obligations of consecrated life; repeated violations of the sacred bonds; stubborn disobedience to the legitimate prescripts of superiors in a grave matter; grave scandal arising from the culpable behavior of the member; stubborn upholding or diffusion of doctrines condemned by the magisterium of the Church; public adherence to ideologies infected by materialism or atheism; the illegitimate absence mentioned in canon 665, §2, lasting six months; other causes of similar gravity which the proper law of the institute may determine.

§2. For the dismissal of a member in temporary vows, even causes of lesser gravity established in proper law are sufficient.

Can. 697 In the cases mentioned in can. 696, if the major superior, after having heard the council, has decided that a process of dismissal must be begun:

1/ the major superior is to collect or complete the proofs;

2/ the major superior is to warn the member in writing or before two witnesses with an explicit threat of subsequent dismissal unless the member reforms, with the cause for dismissal clearly indicated and full opportunity for self-defense given to the member; if the warning occurs in vain, however, the superior is to proceed to another warning after an intervening space of at least fifteen days;

3/ if this warning also occurs in vain and the major superior with the council decides that incorrigibility is sufficiently evident and that the defenses of the member are insufficient, after fifteen days have elapsed from the last warning without effect, the major superior is to transmit to the supreme moderator all the acts, signed personally and by a notary, along with the signed responses of the member.

Can. 698 In all the cases mentioned in canons 695 and 696, the right of the member to communicate with and to offer defenses directly to the supreme moderator always remains intact."

So, the grounds for the dismissal of a member must be grave, external, imputable, and juridically proven. You cannot dismiss a member for a suspicion, for a personality conflict, for not voting for [14-15] the president. If the grounds are grave you must be able to prove it! Even if you believe with all your heart and soul that it is true you must be able to prove it, not just accuse it!

When you are threatening a person with dismissal, you must present the reasons in writing and give the opportunity for defense. The opportunity given must be reasonable. And you cannot just say "the Council would like to meet with you" and have them find out at the "talk" that they are being expelled. Notice the phrase in canon 697, article 2 "unless the member reforms." That is an important phrase which expresses the whole purpose of having a process of expulsion. The purpose of this process is to get people to stay in the Order. If they will not stay, then they have to go, but we are using this process to get reform.

It is also important to realize that, as is indicated in Canon 698, any person who suffers dismissal has the right to appeal directly to the Provincial and then to the General. The word of the Council is not the final word.

Certainly there are other cases, which might only be handled by dismissal. And certainly there are persons who must be dismissed from the Secular Order: persons who are so disruptive to meetings as to cause the other members to stay away; persons who cause grave emotional or spiritual harm to other members, etc. My caution is that anyone who exercises authority must be faithful to all the prescriptions of the law when using the law. Remember that the law is salutary and then use it well. And remember that the last resort is dismissal, which means that the last resort must be preceded by other resorts!

--Aloysius Deeney OCD, genrl. delg.

Help our Friars with Vocations!

At the last Provincial Chapter, our friars decided to focus on vocations during this triennium. Our OCDS communities can help in this endeavor by distributing OCD vocations brochures at our respective parishes (be sure to consult your pastor for permission to place the brochures in an appropriate place). Members Paula Martin, Tricia Cromwell, Mary Armstrong and Mary Howard staff a vocation booth at Christ the King church in Little Rock in above photo. We had materials promoting vocations to our cloistered nuns, our friars, and our OCDS. To help cover the costs of printing and mailing brochures for the friars, we ask that you contribute $50 when requesting brochures. Send your requests (including how many brochures you’d like) and contribution to:

Fr. Luis Joaquin Castañeda, O.C.D.
PO Box 1196
Oklahoma City OK 73101-1196
e-mails: vocations@carmelitesok.org