Vocations

Christians believe that God calls all people to a life of holiness, that is, a life in relationship with God and with others. This ‘vocation’ or calling can take different forms.

Some people are called by God to join religious families, such as the Carmelite Family, as either religious (friars, nuns, sisters, hermits) or lay people. Those who choose to join the Carmelite Order join a small group of brothers who are involved in the work of preaching the Gospel and witnessing to the presence of God in the world. The Carmelites have always found that actions speak louder than words, and are an example of a life which is totally dedicated to God.

You can support this area with a small donation, which will then enable new life to flourish in the Carmelite Order and the church. It will also allow the Order to support our friars in their ongoing studies. Donate, here.

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Vocations

The Guardian has published a very interesting set of interviews with people who have followed various vocations. One of these interviews is with two of very own CA priests: Fr Wilfrid McGreal, O.Carm (Prior in Faversham) and Fr Leonard Tatt (Southwark Archdiocese). The article compares the veterans and those who are starting in their chosen vocation. Read, here.

Congratulations, Father Paul

Fr Paul con-celebrating his first Mass with Fr Tony Lester (Prior Provincial) and Archbishop Peter Smith (Southwark)

At the weekend, our brother Paul Jenkins was ordained priest by Archbishop Peter Smith at Aylesford Priory. Please keep him in your prayers. The photo below shows Fr Paul at his first concelebrated Mass at his ordination. 

THANK YOU to all the supporters of the National Shrine of Saint Jude who have made Paul's training possible. It is YOUR support, through your donations and prayers, which enable the Carmelites to minister in Britain and beyond. GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY. If you would like to help us further, please visit our online shop (http://tinyurl.com/perbzlo) where you can purchase gifts from the Shrine, or you can make a donation. THANK YOU.

Simple Profession of Brother James

Last month, the British Province came together to attend the Simple Profession of Brother James Hinchcliffe at Aylesford. James has recently completed a year in Salamanca, Spain. James has recently completed a year in Salamanca, Spain. 

It was a really joyful occasion, celebrated by Fr Antony Lester, O.Carm - the Prior Provincial, and was one of hope and thanksgiving. At the National Shrine of Saint Jude, we are keeping James in our prayers for his ministry to the church, and for the next few years of his training.

THANK YOU to all the supporters of the National Shrine of Saint Jude who have made James' training possible. It is YOUR support, through your donations and prayers, which enable the Carmelites to minister in Britain and beyond. GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY. If you would like to help us further, please visit our online shop where you can purchase gifts from the Shrine, or you can make a donation. THANK YOU.

Fifty years on..

Congratulations to Fr Wilfrid McGreal who celebrated 50 years of priestly ministry today. Fr Wilfrid is the current Prior at Faversham. He has written the following thoughts for our blog:

"Fifty years of priestly ministry is hard to take in, its a lifetime and a time of change personally, in the world at large and in the life of the church. I was ordained towards the end of Vatican II, and in fact as a student in Rome, the Vatican council was already shaping life. Pope John XXIII was opening the windows and giving the Holy Spirit freedom. The Council also had a significant impact on the Carmelite Order by helping us return to our origins and become a family of sisters and brothers."

"Fifty years on, some of the promise of Council seems to have been lost. However, Pope Francis with his humanity and his joy of the Gospel brings hope. The world at large is radically changed and with amazing news of communication enables the Gospel to touch more and more people. The great sadness is the resort to violence as we try to solve problems by force and intolerance. We need to turn swords into ploughs."

Fr Wilfrid McGreal

Brother Paul, vocations and how you can help

Yesterday, Paul Jenkins was ordained to the diaconate, and it was a really joyful occasion. Paul was ordained by Archbishop Peter Smith, and he spoke movingly about the importance of vocations to the church. The whole celebration was one of hope and thanksgiving, and it was wonderful to celebrate it on the Feast of St Joseph. I pray that Joseph will give courage and help to Paul in his ministry to the church.

As I said in the recent Carmelite News: “The Harvest is great, but the labourers are few. There is wonderful work to be done in spreading the Gospel and all of us are called to be heralds of good news. The Carmelites are called in a special way to be a school of prayer, helping people to relate in an intimate way with God. St Teresa spoke of prayer as having a conversation with God. Besides being praying communities, Carmelites are called to be prophetic;  proclaiming God’s message in and out of season. As Pope Francis has said, we speak to the people on the margins from the margins ourselves. We are called to be in solidarity with those who could be voiceless.”

“I am conscious that my time working for the Lord is limited, and I would like you to join my prayer to ask the Lord to call folk to continue God’s calling  to Carmel. No calling is easy, but we do not answer the call relying on our own resources but open to God’s grace, this is his gift of helping us risk doing something that’s new. I was moved to become a Carmelite because I saw great humanity in those who were living the Carmelite way. The more human we become, the more we are like Jesus Christ who has shown us what it is to be fully human, fully alive.”

THANK YOU to all the supporters of the Shrine of Saint Jude who have made Paul’s special day possible. It is YOUR support, through your donations and prayers, which enable the Carmelites to minister in Britain and beyond. GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS. If you would like to help us further, please visit our online shop where you can purchase gifts from the Shrine, or make a donation. THANK YOU.

Fr Wilfrid McGreal, O.Carm