Philippine Carmelite family's first meeting in 2017

Activity

The core group of the Philippine Carmelite family gathered for the first time in 2017 at the Sr. Candida Community of the Carmelite Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus in Sta. Ignaciana St., New Manila, Quezon City.

Discussed were the upcoming activities that includes the medical mission this coming February, the monastery visitation on April, the youth gathering on May, and the Carmelite Family Day on July.

A meeting was scheduled for the committee that would head the medical mission this February on January 21, Saturday, at the House of Prayer of the Discalced Carmelites-Secular. The committee is headed by Sr. Gigi, OCDS.

The committee for the monastery visitation will also meet on the same day and venue to finalize the details of the visitation that would include the activities and the program, transportation, food, and venue. The group will be visiting the cloistered Carmelite sisters of Carmel of the Most Holy Trinity in Benguet.

For the Carmelite Family Day, it was decided that this year's celebration would be anchored on the theme: Carmelite Family @25: United and Strengthened in Love, Prayer, and Service, in keeping with this year's theme of the Philippine Church, which is the Year of the Parish as Communion of Communities. A souvenir program that would introduce the different charisms of the different congregations would be published. 

After lunch, Sr. Marilou Campomanes, CMSTCJ shared some insights regarding their congregation.

She shared that the name of the community honors one of the first CMSTCJ nuns in the country, who, on arrival in Manila died of an ailment. She also revealed that it was Fr. Fideles Limcaoco, a former OCarm priest who got incardinated to the Diocese of Novaliches, was instrumental in their coming to the country. Fr. Limcaoco was also the first Filipino OCarm and it was because of his prodding that the OCarm family, starting with the cloistered nuns in Dumaguete, came to the Philippines.

The meeting was presided by Br. Leo, OCarm and attended by representatives from Order of Carmelites, Order of Discalced Carmelites, Carmelite Sisters of Our Lady (CarmOL), Carmelite Sisters of the Holy Trinity, Teresian Carmelite Missionaries (CMT), Carmelite Missionary Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (CMSTCJ), Donum Dei Family, CMSTCJ Youth, Order of Carmelites Discalced-Secular, Third Order Carmelites, and Notre Dame de Vie.

Other members of the family are the Carmelite Sisters (OCarm), Institute of Our Lady of Mt.Carmel, Carmelite Missionaries (CM), CM Youth, Carmel Youth,  Carmelite Sisters of Charity - Vedruna, and Confraternity of the Brown Scapular (San Isidro Labrador Parish - Bagong Silangan, QC).

The next meeting is scheduled on February 18 right after the medical mission at the novitiate house of the Carmelite Sisters of the Holy Trinity in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City. It will be presided by Br. Emman, OCD.

The Carmelite Family in the Philippines was first formed on July 25, 1992 with Fr. Paul Medina, OCarm as the first chair.