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.