Letter from Santa Fe Carmel-Argentia to Mother Therese, Councillor of SJA regarding Video-Conference with Father Karol Kraj, O.C.D.

[graciandelamadrededios]

One of the directives left to us by our Father General Saverio at the Meeting of Nuns from Latin America and the Caribbean in Londrina (Brazil), was that – together with The Way of Perfection – we would deepen our study of the Constitutions. And it was precisely in Londrina that we met Father Karol (General Secretary of the OCD Nuns), a canonist who did his doctoral theses on the Constitutions of 1991, centering it upon Canon 578 which refers to watchful care for the patrimony of our charism.

No sooner had we returned to our Communities and shared all that took place during those days in Londrina, when there arose in our Community the desire to invite Father Karol to our Monastery so that he would give us a formation course about “the criteria of interpretation of the law” in our Constitutions. We also wished to offer to the other 9 non-associated Carmels of Argentina (which participated in the Meeting in Londrina represented by their respective Prioresses) the possibility of participating in this course by means of a video-conference. The advantage would be that the Communities as a whole could participate passively and actively from the different parts of the Country.

This idea of making use of a video-conference was really the inspiration of a priest of our Diocese, Msgr. Lucio Adrian Ruiz, a very good friend of our Community since the time he was an altar-boy in our Chapel, and who now resides in the Vatican as the Director of the Office of the Internet of the Holy See. Knowing and deeply valuing our contemplative life and enclosure, he encouraged us to have recourse to the use of the video-conference as a propitious way to have formation courses in communion with other monasteries.

It was thus that we set forth this proposal to the rest of the non-associated Carmels, which was received with great enthusiasm. All that was required was that the Communities have a Broadband, a microphone and a little camera. This was within the reach of all. Msgr. Lucio also offered us the service which the Guadalupe Center gives for the consultation and organization of the video-conference. Father Karol agreed to our invitation with great availability; and after some individual tests of the different Communities with the Guadalupe Center (http://www.centroguadalupe.org) and then simultaneously among all the Communities, we already found ourselves in a condition to begin. Father Karol came on May 26th to our Monastery and he remained until June 5th. The video-conference lasted 9 days and took place in the afternoon for 3 hours (with a small break). We all commended ourselves to the Lord, to the Virgin and to all the Saints because we did not know what would result from all this which was new for us! Each day one Carmel was the moderator to call on those who “raised their hand” from the different parts of the country (the Carmel of Bariloche was the most distant from us, almost 2500 kilometers) so as to pose questions or to raise concerns.

Father Karol established a clear and solid basis in the way to interpret our Constitutions, following the Magisterium of the Church together with Canon Law in everything. It seemed to us like a dream to listen to such profound teachings and to know that the rest of the nonassociated Carmels were participating intensely and simultaneously. All of us were present from the postulants and novices of the different Communities, to the elders of 90 years of more that one Community! In the brief break of 20 minutes, we took advantage to greet one another 4 from the different Communities, among the Sisters who already knew one another. Father Karol greatly enjoyed seeing and listening to the greetings among the Sisters, he did not miss anything!

Really it was a very intense experience of communion and formation. We remain happy to see such beneficial results for our Communities. Even a Community more tried by few numbers and age was able to follow integrally the video-conference. All participated in a full and shared dialogue.

In the middle of the video-conference, Msgr. Lucio, in response to our invitation, connected from Rome with our video-conference on Thursday, when Rome was celebrating the Solemnity of the Ascension which was World Day of Social Communications. From there, addressing himself to Father Karol and to all our Communities, he offered his unconditional services to the Order for whatever we need. Thus, as is already known, the Nuns in the U.S.A. may also have recourse to him and to the Guadalupe Center for whatever they need, since there does not exist, as is known, another service like this at the ecclesial level.

With the greatest pleasure we acceded to the request of Mother Therese to share with you this new experience of communion and formation, recalling what Father Karol told us: “from this moment, something sure is going to change…” We take this opportunity to send all our fraternal affection from Argentina.

Your Carmelite Sisters of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz (Argentina)

 

published in July 2011