Thursday 27 September 2012

Preparing for Solemn Vows 3




Br. Ged and friends in Lourdes

My name is Brother Gerard Walsh; I am a Carmelite friar in first vows, living in our community in York, England.  I am currently working in chaplaincy, dividing my time between the University of York and the York Hospital.  Earlier this year I applied and was accepted for Solemn Profession of vows, which will take place at The Friars, Aylesford in October.  Here I will publically profess the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to God, within the Order of Carmelites, for life.  Over the next weeks I will blog how my preparation is progressing both practically and spiritually.  This is my third blog entry . . . enjoy.


Best wishes to all our visitors to the ‘Carmelite Street’ blog, it was great reading about Brothers Severin and Kurt’s first vows and it certainly made me reflect on my own forthcoming final vows, which take place in less than one month’s time.

 
Since my last entry I have been busy with the on-going practical arrangements and it is good to see things falling into to place.  I recently attended my friend’s wedding and saw the organisation that went into that terrific day; I was glad that my own special day would be a smaller affair.  Happily the practical side of my own celebration is progressing nicely and this enables me to focus more on the spiritual side.

 
Last time I blogged I was just about to commence the second part of my preparation retreat.  As I said, this was taking place at the Carmelite Monastery of Thicket Priory, located just outside York.  What I didn’t tell you was that Thicket is very special to me; it was where I began my Carmelite journey back in 2003.  As someone discerning a religious vocation, I was invited by our vocations director to attend a vocations retreat there.  I remember the occasion most vividly and especially the walk up the long drive, that lead to the then monastery, a large Victorian manor house.  Incidentally, in 2009 the nuns relocated to a smaller and more user friendly, purpose-built monastery, located in some of the land of their previous home.

 
On reflection, it only seemed fitting, that I concluded the preparation for my final vows in the same place I began this important journey of initial formation.  The time I spent at Thicket was wonderful, unfortunately the weather wasn’t very kind and this restricted me to the comfortable flat that the nuns provide for relatives and friends.  I built my day around the prayer of the Church, which was celebrated with the nuns in choir.  Each day, one of the local priests would come and celebrate mass for us all.  In between the liturgy of the hours, I was left to my own direction.  The flat was self-catering, so I would cook for myself and spend the remainder of the time in prayer and reflection and spiritual reading.  The main feature of this retreat was that it was spent in silence and solitude; this enabled me to direct my thoughts towards what God was really asking of me.

 
Silence seems to be a rare commodity in this world, our lives seem to be ruled by TV’s, PC’s and anything that has a fruit sign!  It was important for me to be able to literally ‘retreat’ from all these distractions and, in the words of the great Carmelite Saint, Teresa of Jesus, to take time to be alone with Him, who we know loves us.

 
Best wishes, love and prayers to all our readers, I pray especially for the students who are either embarking on or returning to their university education at this time.

 
God bless, Br. Ged, O.Carm.
 
Thanks Ged. 
 
As Ged prepares for his Solemn Profession of Vows, maybe you could spend some time thinking about your own attitudes to commitment. Does commitment frighten me? is the prospect of making lifelong vows either in religious life or marriage a daunting prospect? Do I include God in this decision?
 
Remember that the place where God wants you to be, is where your deepest gladness meets the worlds deep hunger.
 


Wednesday 26 September 2012

What will you being doing next summer?


Brother, what do you seek?


Brother what do you seek?
This question was asked of two young men in the last two weeks. Severin Tyburski and Kurt Mizzi had completed their year long novitiate at Aylesford Priory and returned to their home provinces for their Simple (first) Profession of vows.

The rite of profession is simple yet one of the most beautiful liturgies in the Church. Its significance comes from the fact that nothing is being done to the person being professed, but that they are giving themselves to the service of the Church. It is a rite that is full of hope and trust in the God who calls us and holds our futures.

Br. Severin professes vows
Br Severin takes a lights a candle as a sign of his profession.
The light came from the Easter Candle which is also used in the Rite of Baptism.

Br. Kurt professes vows.

Br. Kurt Mizzi, O.Carm., professed vows in Malta on the 14th September during the Mass of the Feast of the Exhalation of the Holy Cross. Fr. Brendan represented the Aylesford Community for that celebration.
 
Br. Severin Tyburski, O.Carm., professed vows un Germany during Solemn Vespers on the evening of 16th September. Fr. Damian was their to participate in the celebrations
 
After placing their hands into those of the Prior Provincial, the newly professed friar is clothed in the white cloak of the Order. The cloak is the garment of the prophet and a symbol for Carmelites of their call to be zealous for the Lord as was our Holy Father, the prophet Elijah.
 
 
 

 

We Carmelites like to party! So after each of the professions the families, friends and friars gathered to share the joy of our brothers.
 
Please keep Kurt and Sevi in your prayers. Pray also that more young people will follow them into the land of Carmel. If your heart is leading you to explore a call to religious life in Carmel, please contact Fr. Damian at vocation@carmelite.org
 
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!


Monday 10 September 2012

Preparing for Solemn Vows 2

Br. Ged in Lourdes.

My name is Brother Gerard Walsh; I am a Carmelite friar in first vows, living in our community in York, England.  I am currently working in chaplaincy, dividing my time between the University of York and the York Hospital.  Earlier this year I applied and was accepted for Solemn Profession of vows, which will take place at The Friars, Aylesford in October.  Here I will publically profess the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to God, within the Order of Carmelites, for life.  Over the next weeks I will blog how my preparation is progressing both practically and spiritually.  This is the second blog entry, please enjoy.
 
Since my last blog entry, I have been busy, practically, preparing for my Solemn Profession, especially with regard to invites and organising accommodation arrangements for those travelling to Aylesford from far off, especially from my native Wirral!  I am still waiting on a few RSVP’s and those arrangements can be finalised.  Also on a practical level I am now turning my attention to the order of service and prayer card design, I will also need to finalise the music for the ceremony.
 
Turning to the spiritual dimension of my preparation, I have just returned from a week’s pilgrimage to Lourdes with the Carmelite Province, under the umbrella of the Catholic Association.  This really was a grace filled week, although the busy schedule of caring for the Assisted Pilgrims who came to Lourdes with our group, didn’t leave a lot of time for reflection, the time available tended be used very wisely.  One thing this Marian shrine does lend itself to is prayer and reflection, whether spending time at Our Lady’s grotto, (the site were Mary appeared to St. Bernadette) or in one of the many chapels.  Even amongst the hustle and bustle of the crowds of pilgrims, there is always a quiet space to be found.  I would recommend Lourdes to all our readers, if they ever have the opportunity to visit this wonderful place and especially as a helper, to do so.  Personally, I began going to Lourdes when I was 16 years old and I have been back many times in the last 20 years.
 
Turning back to the extended period of retreat before professing my final vows,   I will soon begin a time of retreat based at the Carmelite Monastery of nuns at Thicket Priory, located outside the city of York.  The format of this retreat will be different from the time I spent at Mount St. Bernard’s.  This time I will be very much left to my own devices as to the direction of the retreat.  As with the previous retreat, I will build my day around the Prayer of the Church and the horarium/timetable that the nuns follow.  The rest of the day will be spent in silent prayer, reflection and spiritual reading.  Thicket Priory is set in the most beautiful grounds, so there will be the opportunity for walking and just generally being outside, the English weather permitting.


In my next blog entry I will let you know how I have gotten on.  I would as you, our dear readers, to hold me in your prayer during these last weeks of preparation, and please be assured of my prayers too.  Best wishes to all those beginning/returning to colleges and universities at this time and to also those who have finished education and are looking for work.


God bless, Br. Ged, O.Carm. 
 

September - Summer ends?


 August came to a windswept and wet end and was followed by a warm and sun filled September. Apologies for the gap in blogging, Fr. Damian, the blog editor, was away from his desk and leading an ight day retreat for the Institute of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (The Leaven). The Institute is part of the Carmelite family and began at Aylesford in the 1949.
 
 
Secular Institutes are the newest form of consecrated life in the Church. Unlike
religious, members of Secular Institutes live entirely in the world. Like all other
lay people they share the responsibility to live gospel values and attitudes in
family and social relationships and the work place whether it be the office,
factory, shop, hospital, school etc. Like religious they are called to live their commitment through the vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience.
 
Although in the early 1900's there were groups living a secular institute lifestyle
it was not until 1947 when Pope Pius X11 issued the Apostolic Constitution
Provida Mater Ecclesia that some groups were canonically raised to be secular
institutes of pontifical right.

The retreat was an exploration of the call to discipleship. What is a disciple? What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? How can we sustain our vocation to be disciples? What examples do we have of discipleship? How do we incarnate our discipleship in a way that responds to the needs of the Church and the people around us?  

The retreat was prayerful and silent. Hopefully those who were on the retreat left the Cold Ash Retreat Centre, renewed and refreahed.