Mary, Queen and Beauty of Carmel, pray for us. You are invited to join us for a Solemn Mass in honor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 17th. Archbishop Eusebius Beltran, Principal Celebrant

CARMEL CHRONICLE / OKLAHOMA                                                                             Summer 2005

Dear Friends, Family, and Fellow Carmelites,

Much has happened in the world and in the Church since our last newsletter.   The tsunami in Southeast Asia was felt by nations around the globe.   A world so often split apart by differences came together to help and, in the midst of so much loss and devastation, a small miracle when a four month old baby not only survived but was reunited with his parents thanks to modern DNA testing.

Then, in April we experienced the death of our Holy Father John Paul II.   Although he was becoming increasingly infirm, he chose to serve until the last.  We can almost hear God saying, Well done good and faithful servant.   It was a fitting tribute to his greatness that so many world leaders honored him by their presence at his funeral.   At the rite of peace even the television commentators were struck when known enemies exchanged this sign among themselves.   Now that Pope John Paul is in heaven, we are praying that his example will inspire many to give their lives in service to the Church as priests and religious.   We pray too for our new Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI as he takes over the shepherding of the Church.

In many parts of the world, the shortage of priestly vocations is becoming very serious.   New members are constantly being added to the Church butwho will feed the flock?   With this in mind, we ask you to please include in your novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel a special intention for priestly and religious vocations.   Ask God to ignite the hearts of our young people with the desire to give their lives in service of the Church. Please remember our Carmel and the Carmelite Order as well!

The Virgin Mary has a special place in Carmelite devotion.   Our Holy Mother St. Teresa tells us that Mary was not only the mother but the first disciple of Jesus and followed him to the foot of the Cross.   Mary is present with us through our entire spiritual journey and, knowing both the joys and sufferings of our human condition, understands and guides us as a mother does her children.

The last week of October, Srs. Monica, Donna, Maria and Agatha attended our Province = s Formation Seminar for the Nuns at Marylake in Arkansas.   The conferences were very good.   They greatly enjoyed being with our Carmelite brothers at their beautiful novitiate and meeting those in formation from both Covington Carmel and the Friars. While there, the participants visited our Sisters in Little Rock.   They received a warm welcome;    after Mass all enjoyed a delicious dinner and a wonderful evening.   On November 6 th our Provincial Fr. Ralph Reyes came with Fr. Steve Watson from the Generalate in Rome for Mass.  They joined us for breakfast and Fr. Steve shared with us what was happening in the Order throughout the world.

	On November 20th, for the novitiate feastday, our dining room was transformed into a Native American village complete with dream catchers and other Indian symbols.   After our meal, Terry, owner of the company that dredged our lake, brought a wagon and two of his draft horses to give the Sisters a hayride.   The horses were the size of Clydesdales and very gentle.   In the evening two lovely A maidens appeared and entertained us with Indian lore.   Srs. Maria and Agatha outdid themselves and even made the dresses and hair they wore. Their braids were fashioned from old stockings and yarn and could have passed for the real thing. The decorations were so attractive that we kept them for Thanksgiving Day.

On December 17 th Archbishop John R. Quinn phoned to tell us he was in town and wanted to stop by for a visit.   While he was here we prevailed on him to play at least one piano piece which he graciously did.   We told him had his visit been a week later he could have played a baby grand piano being given to us by a dear friend.

At Christmas Midnight Mass Fr. Franklin Wrigley was our celebrant and we had the special treat of Tony Bui singing the Little Drummer Boy with his brother Joseph playing the drum. Once again our chapel was adorned with beautiful poinsettias compliments of Br. Andrew at the Benedictine Abbey in Shawnee.   Archbishop Eusebius Beltran celebrated the 10:30 a.m. Mass and later joined us for dinner.   We had a wonderful visit. Fr. Wrigley was again our celebrant on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, bringing in the New Year.

The 11 th of February our “regulars” from Hartshorne, OK, Sr. Therese’s wonderful nephews and friends, came and worked on our grounds.   It is amazing how much they accomplished in their two days here.   To top it all off, they prepared a scrumptious meal of fried fish, hush puppies and French fries for us.   We are all very grateful to them. Within the monastery we had our own beautification project. In the sunroom above the novitiate, the skylights were leaking and had to be removed.  The room was repainted, a new carpet laid, and ceiling fans installed.   Several new pieces of furniture and decorative touches have made our sunroom a very inviting place to pray, read, or hold class.

On February 19 th, Fr. Rex Arnold, one of our newly ordained priests, brought his seminary classmate, Fr. Patrick J. Madden, to celebrate Mass with us and visit afterwards.   Fr. Madden was in Oklahoma to give a Lenten Mission at St. John’s Church in Edmond where Fr. Rex is stationed.  A native of Ireland, he is an associate pastor in Larose, LA and became a priest after the death of his wife, Mary.  His is a fascinating story.

We began our community retreat with Fr. Bonaventure Sauer, OCD on February 20 th.   Father’s excellent Conferences, especially on the Vatican II document The Church in the Modern World, gave us much to think about as we keep moving into this new millennium.

Early in March, Michael Reardon and Patrick Lane were in our area and presented the Gospel of Matthew for us.   This was the only one of their Gospel performances we hadn’t yet experienced and, since we had no time to publicize it, only a small group was present.   Recently Michael was hospitalized with a 90% blockage to his heart which required angioplasty and a stent.  He is doing well, but please keep him in your prayers.

For our Holy Week and Easter services this year we depended solely on our retired priests.   Each service was simple but beautiful.   As usual our chapel was made glorious with the Easter lilies provided by Brother Andrew, OSB…of course, Sr. Ann Marie, our sacristan, helped!   With St. Joseph’s feast just before Palm Sunday and the Annunciation immediately after Easter week, it seemed that everything ran together this year.

Our Sr. Maria took her citizenship test on May 13 th and passed with flying colors; she will take her oath of citizenship on June 24 th. The second week of May the Friars of our Province began their Provincial Chapter here in Oklahoma City.   On Sunday, the 22 nd, Fr. John Michael brought the Provincial Council of the Secular Order for a visit; they impressed us with their vibrancy and enthusiasm.   On the evening of the 24 th the Chapter Fathers came and we shared a wonderful evening together.   Father Gregory Ross was elected the new Provincial and we were able to congratulate him and the new Council.   On Thursday, the Friars invited the prioresses from the province to join them at the Chapter, to discuss how the Friars and the Nuns can collaborate.   Five communities responded to the invitation and we were happy to host our Sisters for the brief time they were here.   It is always so good to be with our Sisters even when it is only for a short time.  On Saturday we had a very special treat when Fr. Raphael came and played the piano for us.   It is amazing to see his fingers fly over the keys!

A few days later, Srs. Monica and Donna attended the General Assembly for the Queen of Carmel Association in Allentown, PA.   This is the meeting for elections and planning the activities of the next three years.   Mother Maria from Alhambra Carmel was reelected as Coordinator.   Our Father General Luis Arostegui Gamboa was present, gave invaluable input, and dialogued with the Nuns.   Dr. Jane Marie Thibault who is both a clinical gerontologist and a spiritual director, also spoke with us sharing her insights about the later years of life.   A very special highlight of the meeting was a visit to our Carmelite Nuns at Sugarloaf, who hosted this Assembly.   After being greeted by Mother Marija, the Prioress, and a lovely welcoming dance by the young Sisters, they attended Mass in the Byzantine rite in their jewel of a Chapel.   The singing of the Sisters was beautiful.   This was followed by a delicious dinner of tasty Indian dishes and a tour of their monastery.  Nothing was lacking in their loving hospitality!

Our internet provider went out of business the end of May and so we have moved our website to the following domain:   www.okcarmel.org.   It has been updated as well.

A happy summertime to all!

With Love and prayers,

 

O Mary, Beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven Virgin Mother of the Son of God. assist us in our present necessities~ (here mention intentions) O Star of the Sea come to our aid and show yourself A Mother to us. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth we humbly ask you from the bottom of our hearts to help us, for nothing can withstand your powerful intercession. O show us that you are our Mother.