ASSOCIATION OF MONASTERIES OF DISCALCED CARMELITE NUNS IN THE PHILIPPINES

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ASSOCIATION OF MONASTERIES OF DISCALCED CARMELITE NUNS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Established by the Holy See, 14 June 1983

 

HISTORY

 

The roots of the Association can be traced to the Congress of Prioresses and Delegates from the then eight monasteries of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in the Philippines, convened by Fr. Marie-Eugene of Jesus OCD, Vicar General of the Order, on 27 December 1954.  Among the resolutions was the establishment of a federation of the Nuns in the Philippines, as recommended by the Venerable Pius XII in the Apostolic Constitutions Sponsa Christi.

 

Despite unanimous vote, no further steps were taken until 1964, when Mother Mary of Christ (of Jolo Carmel) wrote the Holy See to request for the authorization to form the federation.  Bishop Julio Xavier Labayen OCD, Bishop-Prelate of Infanta, was subsequently appointed by the Holy See as religious assistant to the nuns in forming the federation.  On 10 May 1967, the Holy See approved the statutes of two federations: The Discalced Carmelite Federation of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (North Federation)(composed by Manila, Angeles, Laoag, and Lipa Carmels, and the Federation of the Discalced Carmelites of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Philippines (South Federation)(composed of Bacolod, Jaro, Jolo, Ozamiz, and Zamboanga Carmels).  The Carmels of Naga, Lucena, Cebu and Davao did not join either federation.

 

In April 1972, the Prioresses-members of the two federations met in Angeles Carmel, and discussed the merger of the two federations.  The unification, however, was delayed by the decision of the Quezon City (Manila), Lipa and Angeles Carmels to withdraw from the North Federation on October 1973.  The sole member left in the North Federation, Laoag Carmel, decided to join the South Federation, which was subsequently approved by the Holy See on 24 February 1975.

 

Meanwhile, a “broad union” of all Carmels, both federated and non-federated, was being proposed by Mother Teresa of Lucena Carmel, with the assistance of Fr. John Mary Chin OCD.  Father Finian Monahan OCD, Superior General of the Order, during his visit to the Philippines in 1977, supported the proposal, and designated Fr. Chin as Coordinator, with Quezon City (Manila) Carmel as the National Secretariat and Sr. Mary Edith as secretary.

 

After a period of discernment by Fr. Chin, a steering committee to draft the Statutes of the proposed association, met in 1982, and was subsequently approved during the General Assembly of Prioresses and Delegates held in Bago City from 11-13 January 1983.  The Holy See formally approved these statutes on 14 June 1983, thus formally giving life to the Association of Monasteries of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in the Philippines, and consequently, dissolving the South Federation.

 

The Association, with the support of the various Carmels, supported the sending of missionaries all over the world, such as the foundations in Tamale, Ghana (1998) and Cape Town, South Africa (2002); and the request for volunteers to bolster the Carmels in Vilvoorde, Belgium (2003); Galway, Ireland (2004) and Kaneohe, Hawaii,  United States of America (2018).  The Association has also received in its fold Carmel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Kuching, East Sarawak, Malaysia on 16 May 2019.

 

The Association also worked for the approval of the statutes for the extern sisters in the Philippines, which was approved by the Holy See on 15 October 2002 and have been recommended for use by other monasteries of the Order.

 

LIST OF PRESIDENTS

 

Discalced Carmelite Federation of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

(North Federation), 1967-1973

 

1967-1973   Mother Mary Clare, Quezon City Carmel (Manila) (French Foundress)

 

Federation of the Discalced Carmelites of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Philippines

(South Federation), 1967-1983

 

1967-1971   Mother Mary of Christ, Jaro Carmel (French Foundress- one of the original French Nuns from Vietnam)

1971-1977   Mother Therese Margaret, Zamboanga Carmel  

1977-1982   Mother Mary Joseph, Bacolod Carmel

1982-1983   Mother Mary Joseph, Laoag Carmel

 

Association of Monasteries of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in the Philippines

1983-2021

 

1983-1986   Mother Mary Joseph, Laoag Carmel

1986-1995   Mother Mary Aimee, Cebu Carmel

1995-1998   Mother Mary Madeleine, Marawi Carmel (already suppressed)

1998-2010   Mother May Catherine, Bacolod Carmel

2010-            Mother May Catherine, Bacolod Carmel

 

NOTE: the union of monasteries is now under a new name: Philippine Federation of Discalced Carmelite Nuns

 

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The Foundress of San Pablo Carmel was the late Mother Mary Clare of the Blessed Sacrament, OCD (Marie Blanche Germette born in Paris, France and Home with God on January 9, 1989).  She used to be the President of the North Association and the Prioress of Manila Carmel.

Edited Wednesday at 04:23 PM by graciandelamadrededios

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MOTHER MARY OF CHRIST

NOTRE MÈRE

FOUNDRESS OF JOLO CARMEL, SUB-PRIORESS OF JARO CARMEL, THE FIRST CARMEL IN THE PHILIPPINES WHEN MOTHER THERESA OF JESUS, FOUNDRESS OF JARO, MANILA AND LIPA CARMELS, WAS THE PRIORESS.

SHE WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH FEDERATION.

Jeanne Marguerite Marie Legrand

January 1, 1891 – August 20, 1979

Born in Paris, France. She entered the Carmel of Gravigny on Sept. 1, 1911 and made her profession on April 12, 1913. On Sept. 7, 1923 she left France with Sr. Germaine for the Carmel of Hue and for the Philippines with the group. Her outstanding virtues were: her love for the Gospel and ready obedience to the teachings of the Church, her love for truth and humility with Our Lady as her model, her love for community life, the priests, the poor and the Filipino people, her deep sense of gratitude, her passion for unity and her enjoyable sense of humour. She held the offices of Sub-prioress, Prioress and Novice Mistress. She was elected first President of the Southern Federation of Carmels in the Philippines. She initiated and participated in the founding of Carmels in the southern part of the Philippines. She spent 56 years of her life as a contemplative missionary in the Philippines, a woman with a “cathedral heart.”