web viewcongregation of carmelite sisters. institute of . our lady. of . mount carmel. directory....
TRANSCRIPT
Congregation of Carmelite SistersInstitute of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
DIRECTORY
Other norms which are established by competent authority of the institute are to be properly collected in other codes but these can be conveniently reviewed and adapted according to the needs of time and place. (CIC can. 587 §4)
The original text of this document is in Italian. This translation complies with the original text.
GENERAL CURIAROME 2013
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acronyms and abbreviations
Bibliography
Introduction1. THE CHARISM AND SPIRITUALITY OF THE INSTITUTE: ITS
NATURE, PURPOSE, IDENTITY, MISSION1.2 Foundations/Fundamentals and Spirituality of the Institute
SpiritualityMarian dimensionThe habit
1.3 Religious consecration through profession of the evangelical counsels
ChastityPovertyObedience
1.4 Prayer Life1.5 Fraternal Life in Community
Dialogue and Revision of Life1.6 Apostolic life
2. PLAN OF FORMATION OF THE INSTITUTE2.1 Fundamental inspirations2.2 Vocational discernment2.3 Aspirancy2.4 Postulancy2.5 Novitiate2.6 Formula for Profession2.7 Juniorate2.8 Ongoing and Permanent Formation2.9 Separation from the Institute
3. ORGANIZATION, GOVERNMENT AND OPERATION OF THE INSTITUTE3.1 Service of Fraternity3.2 The General Chapter3.3 Superior General3.4 General Council
2
3.5 Secretary General3.6 General Treasurer3.7 General Delegation 3.8 Local Community3.9 Administration of the goods of the Institute3.10 Value of the Constitutions
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONSCCC Catechism of the Catholic ChurchCEI Italian Episcopal ConferenceCIC Code of Canon LawCIVCSVA Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated and Apostolic
LifeCF Inter-Institute Collaboration for FormationGS Gaudium et spesINSC Institute of Our Lady of Mt. CarmelLG Lumen GentiumPC Perfectae CaritatisPI Powers of the InstitutesRdC Starting Afresh From ChristSAO The Service of Authority and ObedienceScritti Writings of Mother Teresa ScrilliVC Consecrated LifeVCC De Paolis V. – Mosca V. (ed.), Consecrated Life in the Church,
Venice 2011VFC Fraternal life in communitycan. Canonscfr. Confer / See
3
SOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Holy Bible. CEI. Milano 2011Gaudium et spes. Rome 1965Lumen Gentium. Rome 1965.Perfectae Caritatis. Rome 1965.Code of Canon Law. Rome 1983.Consecrated Life. Rome 1996.Catechism of the Catholic Church. Rome 2003.CEI, Pledge of Allegiance in hiring an Office to be exercised on behalf of the -Church., NCEI in 1990.CIVCSVA, Potissimum institutioni. Rome 1990.CIVCSVA, Fraternal Life in Community. Rome 1994.CIVCSVA, Inter-Institute Collaboration for Formation. Rome 1998. CIVCSVA, Starting Afresh from Christ. Rome 2002.CIVCSVA, The Service of Authority and Obedience. Rome 2008.VCC, V. De Paolis - Mosca, V. (ed.), The consecrated life in the Church. Venice 2011.A. Calabrese, Religious Institutes. Outlines of canon law. Rome 1986.Fridge G., Catechism of Consecrated Life. Rome 2007.V. Mosca - Marzano MS (ed.), The Writings of Mother Maria Teresa Scrilli. Rome 2006.Scarvaglieri G., The General Chapter, Celebration Preparation Implementation. Milan 2002.
4
INTRODUCTION
What is the proper law of a religious institute?
“The whole fundamental code (Constitutions) and other laws (directory, rules, statutes, formation manual, etc.) constitute the proper law that governs the life of the Institute […] This contains the patrimony of the institute and its fundamental norms and means to protect the nature and the identity of the institute (basic code) or other norms that regulate the fulfillment of the vocation and the mission of the institute in various situations in which the institute finds itself (other laws).” VCC, p. 229-230
“The supplemental code contains the norms that explain, implement and integrate the fundamental code.
Such norms are generally promulgated by general chapters and similar assemblies, and do not require confirmation and approval on the part of external ecclesiastical authority.
The same norms are by their nature less stable than those of the fundamental code since they are destined to provide for contingent needs caused by continual changes of time and place.” 1
“It is important to emphasize that these norms are therefore of binding value for the persons for whom they are given, as well as non- fundamental norms. They cannot derogate from the fundamental code.” (VCC, p. 228)
Every institute has the right to adopt its own laws according to the principles of autonomy and self-governance (cf. CIC can. 586); they are given in view of the charism that should be promoted and safeguarded. Autonomy must be just, right and suitable. It is recognized by the competent authorities and no one can deny it. It concerns all spiritual and apostolic life internally and externally but above all concerns the institute’s governance and everyone should respect it.
The norms contained in the Directory are in view of promoting the Institute’s charism which should be emphasized above all in harmony with the juridical and spiritual aspects of the Institute.
5
What is the patrimony or charism of an institute?
It is a dynamic, vital reality. It originates from the Holy Spirit by means of the Founder or Foundress but at the same time is enriched by the flow of history and the development of the Institute itself. It is always the same but adapts itself to the new realities of the times in which it finds itself.
The patrimony or charism of the Institute is formed by the intention and designs of its founders, sanctioned by the competent ecclesiastical authority and its sound traditions (CIC can. 578) relative to its nature, purpose, spirit, and character.
Its nature comes from everything that characterizes it from a juridical point of view. It includes separation from the world, fraternal life in common and profession of the evangelical counsels (poverty, chastity and obedience).
Its end is the purpose for which the Institute came into being and was approved and which it seeks to realize in the Church. For us the purpose is summed up in the expressions of our Foundress: the Will of God and the good of souls, realized above all through the education of youth and all those desired by Mother Maria Mosca. Our Institute is one of apostolic life with a greater commitment to the contemplative dimension of life.
The spirit of the Institute comes from the nature and purpose that the Institute traces through its own proper spirituality and which is the unifying point of its life. Its spirituality is like the soul which unifies and inspires everything.
Our spirituality is Carmelite and Scrillian.
Its character is formed by the entirety of all those other elements which characterize its physiognomy, the identity of the Institute in its individuality and which differentiates it from other institutes. It is what distinguishes one institute from another.
Finally, sound traditions are those not so much concerned with customs and habits but the nature, purpose, spirit and character of the Institute, sanctioned by the competent ecclesiastical authorities. They are those elements in continuity with the beginnings of the Institute, open to other perspectives and not in opposition to them. They mean fidelity to the
6
original charism, but with creativity and openness to new situations and times under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. (cf. VC 36-37).
CHAPTER ONETHE CHARISM AND SPIRITUALITY OF THE INSTITUTE:
NATURE, PURPOSE, IDENTITY, MISSION
“Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to building up the Church, for the good of all and the needs of the world.” (CCC 799)
“Religious consecration establishes a particular communion between religious and God and, in Him, among members of the same institute…The foundation of unity is the communion in Christ established by the one founding gift.” The reference to the institute’s founder and to the charism lived by him or her and then communicated, kept and developed throughout the life of the institute, thus appears as an essential element for the unity of the community. To live in community is to live the will of God together, according to the orientation of the charismatic gift that the founder has received from God and transmitted to his or her disciples and followers.” [VFC 45].
“It was the love of God and neighbor that impelled me to found an institute.” (Writings 68)
1.1 The foundations and spirituality of the Institute(Constitutions, art. 1-11)
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.” (1 Cor. 12:4-6)
“It redounds to the good of the Church that institutes have their own particular characteristics and work. Therefore, let their founders’ spirit and special aims they set before them as well as their sound traditions-all of which make up the patrimony of each Institute-be faithfully held in honor.” [PC 2b]
7
“The Institute has for its purpose the fostering the instruction, the moral and civil education of the female sex from the earliest age until the end of adolescence. The sisters will take vows; and in addition to the three customary ones, they will have another one of lending themselves to their neighbor’s utility by means of Christian moral and civic instruction which they will oblige themselves to provide to the female sex in the places where one of these religious houses is established.
Such a vow should be observed with the most rigorous exactitude. Instructing the feminine sex in Christian morality is the spirit and principal purpose of this Institute; and therefore, one of its principal duties to be accomplished.” (Writings, Rules and Constitutions, 1,7 p. 179, 182)
1. Consecrated life is a school of life: it is a life-long education for life. Such a task demands our own belief in it: to believe in what it is and what it does in such a way that our life may be a challenge and speak to the world that surrounds us. (cf. PC 109).
The educational dimension of the charism of our Institute is inserted in the mission itself of the Church which demands the communication of life throughout life (cf. VC 96).
2. As educators, we religious are vehicles of the culture of life through the work of mediating the culture of faith to various peoples (cf. 98). This reminds us of the educational value of consecrated life which is a school for the following of Christ.
3. We are called to allow ourselves be transformed by the grace of God and to conform ourselves to the Gospel (cf. VC 105): "learn from me..." (Mt. 11:29) because consecrated life is rooted in the example of Christ’s teachings.
4. The essential core of the Institute’s charism is "the Will of God and the good of souls" which is concretized in the various forms of the apostolate (schools, hospitals…).
5. We undertake to update ourselves continually with regard to matters of education keeping in view the cultural, social and
8
moral needs of the time whether it is to care for the elderly in nursing homes or aiding the sick in hospitals.
6. All of us as consecrated Religious are called to witness to “the educational passion of God,” and all of us have the task of “becoming disciples of the Lord Jesus, the Master who never ceases to educate a new and full humanity” and all of us have the duty to “proclaim Christ, true God and true Man” according to the divine command: “teach all nations” (Mt. 28:19).
7. Aware of the importance of Catholic schools in this secularized society, it is our duty to be attentive to the changing needs of the world in which we live, and to promote new methods of training and education (cf. RdC 27).
“In fact, we need to know and understand the world in which we live, its attitudes, its aspirations and its often dramatic character. […] In order to carry out this task, it is the Church’s duty to scrutinize the signs of the times and to interpret them in light of the Gospel” (GS 4).
8. In imitation of our Foundress, we are called to live the mission entrusted to us with a sense of responsibility and diligence such that “failing to do so would destroy the spirit of the Institute […] and it would be a lack of fidelity to God, and an injustice to men, even though they contributed nothing to it.” (Writings 21, p. 242).
9. The task of educating, says the Foundress, should be sustained by prayer in imitation “of their Divine Master and their Spouse Jesus” who “preached the Gospel of God” (Mk 1:14), healed the sick and then retired “to a deserted place to pray” (Mk 1:35). Contemplation and action; prayer to aid the mission.
Spirituality
“Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead said to Ahab: “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.” (1 Kg 17:1)
“Those who have been called to live the evangelical counsels through profession must frequently contemplate the face of the Crucified One. He is the source from whom we learn what love is and how God and humanity
9
should be loved, the source of all charisms, the summary of all vocations.” (RdC 27)
10. The spirituality of the Institute is both Carmelite and Scrillian. It is Carmelite because it is profoundly Christocentric and Marian. Consecration to Mary is the heart of our spirituality.It is Scrillian because it has as its center the suffering Christ. Mother Scrilli interiorized this mystery meditating on it from the time she was a child, contemplating the passion of Jesus guided by her spiritual directress, the Carmelite, St. Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi, which nourished in her a profound devotion to the Passion of Jesus.
11. To share the sufferings of Christ is the vocation of our Mother Foundress. Diligently meditating and contemplating on this led her to the path of imitation and of participation. "To suffer for love" is her desire.
12. As Carmelites, we are called to live and to develop always a more intense interior life nourished by the word of God, by the Eucharist, by Communion, by fraternal service and to contemplate Christ who through the gift of himself, his passion, death and resurrection, has redeemed us.
13. We join ourselves to the passion of Christ through our own sufferings. Suffering lived with love and for love, permits us to unite our life to the life of Jesus. "Whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:38)
14. The cross, a distinctive sign of our Institute, inherited from Mother Scrilli, reminds us every day that with our being and our actions, we should live the mystery of the love of Christ-- his death and resurrection, the source of redemption-- to cooperate in his redemptive work.
15. The motto of our Institute is: "The Will of God, the good of souls" which summarizes what the Mother Foundress taught us: "to lead souls to God", to care for souls and "to cooperate with God’s love". This is our task - to always be in tune with the will of God.
10
16. The emblem of our Institute is the Carmelite shield flanked by two olive branches and surmounted by a crown. On the shield appears a stylized mountain, which refers to Mt. Carmel, the location of the origins of the Order and it's summit which is Christ the Lord; and there are three six pointed stars of which one is at the center of the mountain and two placed symmetrically in the sky to the left and to the right of the mountain. The lower star represents the Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea; and the two upper stars represent the prophets Elijah and Elisha. These symbolize the Marian character of the Order and also its prophetic dimension. The two olive branches are symbols of peace and of renewal and underline the pedagogical nature of the virtue of humility that the Sisters of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel wish to live. Finally, the crown represents the Kingdom of God - God who is the supreme ruler of Carmel - and our task of announcing His Kingdom to all men and women of the world.
17. The initials of our Institute are I.N.S.C. we may use them after our signature but not on civil documents.
18. We promote the increase and presence of lay people among us with whom we share our Carmelite and Scrillian spirituality through encounters on spirituality possibly in collaboration with the Carmelite Fathers.
Marian Dimension
19. The Institute is Carmelite and Marian because Mary and Carmel belong to it, but it is Marian above all through the great love the Foundress nurtured toward her from the time she was a child and felt her as a “loving mother.” The maternity of Mary is the contemplated and loved aspect and the Heart of Mary is the source of the love from which she has drawn affection and strength in every circumstance of her life. The Foundress consecrated herself and the Institute to Mary from the very beginning.
20. With the original title - Teresian Oblate Sisters of the Glorious Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel, subtitled “The Little Poor Sisters of the Heart of Mary” – Mother Scrilli has taken Mary as the principal Patroness of the
11
Institute which today is recognized under the title “Congregation of Carmelite Sisters - Institute of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.”
21. Being Carmelites, for us Mary is mother and sister; mother because during his passion Jesus entrusted her to John the Apostle; sister because she shares with us the anxieties and the destiny of our humanity and she shows us that which is pleasing to the Lord: humility, charity, love for one’s neighbor, hospitality, patience, acceptance, obedience and joyful offering of self to the Lord.
22. Mary is our Mother and in a mother there beats a heart that loves, that welcomes (cf. Lk. 1:38), that protects (cf. Lk. 2:51), that sympathizes (cf. Lk. 2:35). To be in the heart of Mary means not ever being alone; it means finding God the Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit; it means to draw from the source all virtues and all graces.
23. Mary, whom we venerate under the title, “Our Lady of Mount Carmel,” is the Patroness of the Institute. We nourish for her a tender and filial devotion and celebrate her solemn feast day (July 16) on which all the sisters renew their vows in common.
Formula: I renew with all my heart the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience according to the spirit of the Constitutions of the Congregation of Carmelite Sisters - the Institute of Our Lady of Mount Carmel founded by Blessed Maria Teresa Scrilli. I ask that the grace of God the Father, the love of the Son, the communion of the Holy Spirit and the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, our principal Patroness, accompany me every day of my life in order to attain to perfect charity, cooperating faithfully with the mystery of redemption in the service of God and the Church.
24. We undertake to spread devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, encouraging the faithful to wear the Scapular, explaining its meaning and the duty to imitate the virtues of Mary.
25. When possible, we share with the laity in the parishes and in our communities, the novena in preparation for the solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.
12
THE HABIT
26. Our habit, “sign of consecration, of poverty and membership in a particular religious family” (VC 25), consists of a brown dress and scapular, black veil and white cloak, which we wear on solemnities and for special occasions (professions, processions…)
27. As Carmelites, the scapular symbolizes the special bond that unites us with Mary, Mother of Our Lord and expresses our trust in her maternal protection and our desire to imitate her life of self-giving to Christ and others.
28. The bare cross, source of redemption and model of Christian life that we wear on the scapular reminds us that our spiritual life consists essentially in the imitation of Christ, in following the path which He trod which is the way of the Cross.”
29. The bare cross signifies sacrificing oneself with Christ for the sake of humanity. It is to die to our egoism, our pride, our self-will, to die to all that impedes us from saying with St. Paul: “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20), and “I am filling up in my flesh what is still lacking in the sufferings of Christ, on behalf of His body which is the Church” (Col 1:24).
30. The white cloak is the symbol of virginity and the purity of Mary, and signifies the task of keeping the mind pure and the heart chaste.
31. We wear the habit with decorum and devotion, both in the house and outside, except for just reasons, after having received permission from the Superior General and the consent of her Council to use other forms adapted to time and place.
32. The Superior General with the consent of her Council, for just reasons, may permit the habit to be of a different color while keeping the same form. During summer time or in particular places of the apostolate, and in mission lands, one may wear the habit in white while keeping the same form.
13
33. As symbol of permanent consecration to Christ, at Perpetual Profession we take the silver ring on which is engraved the name of Mary, sign of our filial devotion to her.
1.2 RELIGIOUS CONSECRATION THROUGH PROFESSION OF THE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS
(Constitutions, art. 12-32)
“I appeal to you, therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”(Rm. 12:1-2)
“By the profession of the evangelical counsels, the characteristic features of Jesus - the chaste, poor and obedience one - are made constantly “visible” in the midst of the world and in the eyes of the faithful. The faithful are directed towards the mystery of the kingdom of God already at work in history, even as they await its full realization in heaven. (VC 1)
“Regarding such a [consecrated] life, consider and admire its good qualities; since it is similar to that of Jesus, your Divine Master and Spouse. Moreover, love it and respect it; for if you fail to have such a respect, esteem and love for it, and for love of souls themselves and of Religion, you should manifest it before taking the Holy Habit; otherwise, failing to do so would place you in certain danger.” (Writings 183).
CHASTITY
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Mt. 5:8)“Our perfection depends on purity of intention, custody of the heart, and good works.” (Writings, p. 165)
“Purity, purity of intention, seeking to please God in all things, and the good of our neighbor,(this also for God) and self-denial; for all of this is linked to the fulfillment of duties in our state in life; everything that makes for a saint; and then, what more could we desire? (Writings, 62)
34. Chastity “for the sake of the kingdom” (Mt. 19:12) which we profess renders the heart free (cf. 1 Cor. 7:32-35) capable of loving God and
14
serving God in one’s neighbor, “is cultivated and grows through eternal life.”(VFC 44).
35. We undertake “to love in the manner of one who, in every human relationship, wishes to be a clear sign of the love of God, not invading and not possessing, but loving and desiring the good of the other with God’s own benevolence.” (VFC 37)
36. To keep our hearts free, we avoid all illicit pleasure and occasions that could lead to violating the vow (immodest shows, impure literature, all semblance of vanity) (cf. 53; CIC can. 666).
37. Therefore, we use with discretion the social means of communication such as television, radio, DVDs, the internet, cell phones, etc., whether it regards time or programs, so that one’s spirit of recollection may not be troubled and the duties of our state may not be hampered nor the time destined for rest be habitually reduced.
38. In order to strengthen freedom of heart, we undertake small mortifications, keep a delicate sense of modesty, practice true fraternal love and avoid unhealthy and exclusive personal affections. We make frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament and venerate the Blessed Mother without neglecting “the natural means which promote health of mind and body.” (PC 12; cf. CVC 54).
39. Violating the vow of chastity causes a diminishment in our fidelity to God, a loss in freedom of heart, and we sin against God’s law and the vow itself (cf. CVC 59).
POVERTY
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Mt. 5:3)
The Institute “should hold on to its own hard work and Divine providence” and the sisters “should never be idle.” (cf. Writings, p. 184).
40. Through the vow of poverty, we profess that for us God is the only true good and by which, loosed from all ties to earthly goods, we can tend toward Him “sober and industrious.” (CIC can. 600).
15
41. We consider earthly goods as gifts of God and instruments for doing good, avoiding all greed or excessive preoccupation. (cf. CVC 65).
42. From the very beginning, the sharing of goods - even spiritual ones - has been the basis for fraternal communion. Personal poverty that entails a simple and austere lifestyle, frees us not only from worries inherent with personal goods, but enriches the community which can thus give itself more efficaciously to the service of God and to the poor (cf. VFC 44).
43. To keep ourselves free, we undertake some mortifications and abstinence in food; we make use of everything with moderation and we voluntarily give whatever we can to the poor; we try not to be overly delicate, demanding or needy, being content with what Providence offers us and of not being envious of what others have or overly attached to what we have.
44. For the observance of the vow of poverty, it is not sufficient simply to depend on superiors for the use of goods, but the vow also entails that each one of us personally practices “an internal and external poverty, amassing treasure in heaven” (PC 13).
45. We recall what Mother Scrilli recommended to the Sisters, “whatever (the sisters) receive from outside, should be given to the superior, so that it may serve the needs of the community in the best way she sees fit.” (Writings, p. 228)
“The entire house should inspire poverty, though the house should be kept clean and spotless. So also, whatever clothes are worn are to be kept neat and clean, since a poverty that is filthy and burdensome is distasteful to every one […]. You should not, however, desire to have anything other than that which has been given you; rather you should strive to maintain and keep it exactly and diligently.” (Writings, p. 233).
Obedience
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (Mt. 5:5)
Through the vow of poverty, we offer God our free will in imitation of Jesus Christ who came to do the Will of the Father (cf. Jn. 4:34; 5:30).
16
“He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (Phil 2:8)
“Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered….” (Heb. 5:8).
“What does doing God’s Will consist in? In order to correspond to the end for which God has created us, it is necessary to do God’s holy Will. God’s holy Will consists of obedience to our spiritual and temporal superiors. It is necessary to submit our heart to the direction of the Holy Spirit and to the movements of grace to which our pride and haughtiness are opposed.” Writings, p. 168).
46. Our obedience, which is not based on human but divine motives, is exercised toward all legitimate authority according to common and proper law. According to the spirit of the Foundress, it should be:a. Prompt and happy with the joy that renders us “obedient by Him who was obedient”, voluntary, spontaneous, without timidity or fear, without inferiority complexes;b. Active, that is living the command with “a personal and confidant participation” (RdC. 14), enlightened to accomplish what was commanded.c. Responsible and diligent, that is with commitment, desirous of collaborating with superiors;d. Submissive – even after having dialogued with the respective person, in a spirit of service and reciprocal love, the final decision rests with Superiors.
47. We are not obliged to obey when that which is commanded us is contrary to God’s laws in heroic or moral acts, and in grave choices regarding one’s physical health (cf. CVC 83).
48. Each one, Superior and sister, is responsible for her own spiritual health and that of her sisters in religion, but the Superior, beyond being a model of exemplary life, “should be diligent about everything and in everything, attentive and faithful especially in the things that concern the worship of God, the spirit of religion, observance of the rule and the good of [those] whom God Himself has entrusted to her by obedience in order to thus attain God’s greater glory.” (Writings, Rule, p. 251)
17
49. In response to the invitation and to the availability requested by Superiors, we voluntarily offer our commitment to be transferred from one house to another, from a current position to another thinking above all of the common good of the Institute.
1.3 Prayer Life(Constitutions, art 33-49)
“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.” (Ps. 42, 2).
“[…] The water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14).
“The spiritual life must therefore, have first place in the program of families of consecrated life, in such a way that every Institute and community will be a school of true evangelical spirituality.” […] Consecrated life needs a renewed striving for holiness which in the simplicity of everyday life, aims at the radical nature of the Sermon on the Mount and demanding love, lived in a personal relationship with the Lord, in the life of communion and in the service to every man and woman.” (RdC 20)
“Religious communities which are most apostolically and evangelically alive - whether contemplative or active - are the ones which have a rich experience of prayer.” (VFC 20)
“I do not know how persons consecrated to God in the religious state live in this world without prayer. Their life is one of death. We work in search of God - the living font and nourishment of love.” (Writings, p. 32)
“I love you in everything, whether in work or in peace: because I do not seek nor have I ever sought your consolations, but you the God of consolations.” (Writings, p. 62)
“Poor, most poor, are those who do not care for themselves. Striving to attain perfection, as is their obligation, they will often fall by the wayside. Only with great effort, will they achieve their end. Spiritually, these are those who do not make every effort to help themselves, unless impelled and asked to do so by others. (Writings, p. 260)
18
50. Our spiritual life is a real experience of God. This is a life guided by the Holy Spirit, mediated by Christ: “no one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6). This spiritual life develops in our souls. It is “a setting out into the deep”. It is “to adore the Lord in the heart”, (cf. 1 Pt 3:15). It is to find the Trinity within us: “If anyone loves me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (Jn. 14:23).
51. We place the spiritual life in first place in order to achieve our sanctification and the efficacy of our apostolate. We nourish our spiritual life with the Word of God (meditated and assimilated), with personal and communal prayer, with the Sacraments, with spiritual direction and devotion to our “dear Mother” Mary.
52. Our prayer springs from our relationship with God - from God living within us and through us. Our prayer, both personal and communal, is one of adoration, praise, thanksgiving, humble and hidden petition for pardon and intercession.
53. As Carmelites and daughters of Mother Scrilli, we live in the presence of God seeking to be one with Him. We keep recollected throughout the day by means of silence both interiorly and exteriorly and by expressions of adoration - more effective than any words because we can perceive God only in “the whispering sound of silence” (1 Kgs. 19:12). For this purpose, with a sense of responsibility, we seek to set aside a period of time to observe silence through the day. Furthermore, we maintain a strict silence from the time of the recitation of Compline until communal Morning Prayer of the following day.
54. According to the spirituality passed on to us from Mother Scrilli, we live and witness to the suffering Christ, welcoming his cross from which we obtain the desire and the strength to continue to persevere along the path of perfection and to cooperate by means of our cross with the mystery of redemption.
55. Following the example of Mother Scrilli, we live our life so that our apostolic activity and contemplation are lived in harmony.
Docile to the action of the Holy Spirit in us and through us, our daily activity becomes a means of encounter with God. It becomes a “leaving God for God; that is, to leave God in the contemplation of Mary in order
19
to find him again in our own duties according to the tasks of Martha.” (Writings 37)
56. We take personal and communal care to practice “lectio divina”. Sharing and deepening this sacred reading at least once a month becomes the life and means of fraternal communion.
We take turns adequately preparing and leading the prayer sessions.
57. We organize our activities in such a way as to leave more time for prayer - for “desert” times. These times include dedicating ourselves to reading spiritual and Carmelite texts and for studying and reflecting on the word of God, the documents of the Church and the Institute.
58. Visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament are privileged times of our day, during which the world itself is present in our life of adoration and offering.
59. The prayer and practices of devotion, which each community is to perform, are the following:
a. The Angelus, in the morning, at midday and at Vespers;b. The “De Profundis” during visits to the Blessed Sacrament, if
possible, and in the evening for the souls of departed sisters, parents and benefactors;
c. The daily recitation in common of Lauds, Vespers and Compline;d. An hour of meditation which each community arranges in a way
most suitable according to their activities;e. The daily recitation of the rosary by which we venerate Mary,
exemplar and tutor of all consecrated life. (CIC can. 663, par. 4) At the conclusion of the Rosary, which is our tradition, we recite - sing the “Flos Carmeli.” Where it is not possible to pray the Rosary in common, the community recites the Rosary together at least once a week;
f. The daily recitation of the prayer of our Foundress: “I love You my God, in Your gifts, I love You in my insignificance, for also in thisI realize Your infinite knowledge,I love You in the manifold, varied and extraordinary eventswith which you have accompanied my life.
20
I love you for everything,be it anguish or peace,because I do not search fornor have ever searched for your consolations, but You, God of consolations. For this I never gloried nor gratified myself of what you made me try with Your Divine lovebestowed simply in gracious reward,nor did I anguishor trouble myselfif abandoned in barren poverty.”(Writings 62) or some other prayer of the Foundress;
g. Every Saturday, when there is no obligatory memorial in the Liturgy, we recite Lauds of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday;
h. Every community honors the Blessed Virgin Mary with the novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the novena for the feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel. On the solemnity of the Feast of our Lady of Mt. Carmel, the midday prayers are to be recited. Special attention, with prayers and devotions, should be given to the Blessed Mother during the month of May;
i. On Fridays, during Lent and if possible, at other times during the liturgical year , we pray the Way of the Cross in common, associating ourselves with the Passion of Christ - meditating “his suffering. It is so beneficial for us to meditate on his pains” (Writings, p.48);
j. To nourish our spiritual life even more, we make a monthly day of retreat in a manner that each community deems most practical and effective;
k. In order to renew the interior life and deepen greater fervor in serving the Lord, we set aside at least seven days for a retreat;
l. We observe abstinence every Wednesday and Friday of the year except when they are Holy Days of Obligation. The Superior may dispense from this abstinence for just reasons;
m. In addition to the fast and abstinence prescribed by the Church, we also observe abstinence for the vigil of the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (July 15);
n. On Fridays of Advent and Lent, we practice mortification established communally;
o. Daily we make an examination of conscience and we frequently approach the sacrament of confession. (cf. CIC can. 664);
21
p. On March 25, the vocational day proper to the Institute, we turn to the Lord with special prayers, sacrifices and various initiatives to obtain vocations for the Institute;
q. Once a month, each community offers to the Lord, all the prayers of that day for vocations according to the calendar of the Institute;
r. Every day we recite a prayer so that the Lord may send the Institute authentic and holy vocations;
s. In preparation for the liturgical celebration of our blessed Mother Foundress, we make at least a triduum of prayers. On November 13, we celebrate her liturgical feastday with solemnity;
t. In union with the Family of Carmel, we celebrate liturgically all the feasts and memorials proper to the calendar of the Carmelite Order.
Dates to remember:May 15 – birth of the Mother Foundress (1825)July 02 - first approval of the Constitutions (1933)Aug 22 – heavenly birth of M. Mosca (1934)Oct 8 – beatification of the Mother Foundress (2006)Oct 15 – foundation of the Institute (1854)Nov 13 – liturgical feast of Bl. M. T. ScrilliNov 14 - heavenly birth of our Foundress (1889), All Carmelite SaintsNov. 15 –All Carmelite Souls
60. We offer prayers for the following: a. On the death of a Sister, all the community prays the Office for the
Dead and has a Mass offered for her; the community in which she lived has three Masses offered for her soul;
b. On the first anniversary of the death of a Sister, the community where she lived will have the holy Mass offered for her;
c. Every month each community will have a Mass of the Dead offered for all the Sisters who have died; every first Monday of the month during the Liturgy of the Hours, we add a prayer intention for the deceased Sisters;
d. On the death of our parents, brothers and sisters, the community where we live will offer a Mass for their intention;
e. Every year a Mass of the Dead will be offered for the parents of each sister in community;
f. In every community, we offer prayers for deceased benefactors with a yearly celebration of the Holy Mass;
g. On the death of the Holy Father, all communities will have the Holy Mass offered for him; and on the death of the diocesan
22
bishop where a community resides, the Holy Mass will be offered for him.
We remember our customs and practices according to what has been handed on to us through written and oral tradition.
Even today: Before leaving the house and when returning, we make a brief visit to
the Blessed Sacrament. Every Holy Thursday, before the Lord’s Supper, we carry out in
common “the act of contrition.” After breakfast, we conclude with a prayer saying, “Go before us, O
Lord, we beseech You, in all our actions with your gracious inspiration and further us with Your continual help, that every prayer and work of ours may begin from You and by You be duly ended. Divine Providence, provide for us. St. Joseph, pray for us. May God give us peace. Amen.”
We may add to the Litany of Loreto the invocations: Mother and Ornament of Carmel; Virgin and Flower of Carmel; Patroness of Carmelites; Hope of all Carmelites.
Every Wednesday and Saturday, we can end the Litany with the following prayer: Let us pray. Pray for us, Mother Ornament of Carmel. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. O God, Who has wonderfully adorned our Order with the name of the glorious Virgin Mary, Your Mother, graciously grant that we may merit to be protected in this life by her help whose memory we devoutly venerate and to enjoy everlasting pleasures in the life to come: Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Traditional Prayers: Upon rising in the morning: “I greet you, Jesus and Mary; Please
bless me! I believe, my God that I am in Your Divine Presence. I adore You; I praise You and I bless You with the Most Holy Mary, the Angels and Saints who are in heaven. I thank You for the gifts which You have given me, especially for having given me my holy vocation. And since You have let me come to this day, let me spend it by fulfilling in everything Your Most Holy Will only to please You and to give You glory. Amen.”
Upon getting dressed: “Lord, clothe me with all those virtues which are necessary for me to sanctify my soul.”
23
To obtain the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and help for any person: “Look on them, O Mary, with your eyes of mercy; and help them, O Queen, with your maternal love.”
During daily work: “Everything for You, my God, Immense Good, whatever I say or do, suffer or think. With every breath of mine, my Lord, I intend to give You my soul and consecrate my heart.”
“Bless me, O Daughter of the Eternal Father and do not permit me ever to offend my God in thought.” (Hail Mary.) “Bless me, O Mother of the Eternal Son and never permit me to offend my God in word.” (Hail Mary.)
Bless me, O Spouse of the Holy Spirit and never permit me to offend my God in deed or omission; but make me love Him always with all my heart that I may make Him loved more by others.” (Hail Mary.)
“O Mary, who entered into the world without sin, obtain for me from God the grace to leave it without fault.”
Every month, specific prayers and works of reparation and atonement are offered.
1.4 Fraternal Life in the Community(Constitutions, art. 50-65)
“I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you, therefore, to lead a life worthy of the vocation to which you were called. With all humility and gentleness, and with patience, support each another in love. Take every care to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as one hope is the goal of your calling by God”. (Eph. 4:1-4).
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).
“In community life, then, it should in some way be evident that, more than an instrument for carrying out a specific mission, fraternal communion is a God-enlightened space in which to experience the hidden presence of the risen Lord.” (VC 42).
“Religious community is a visible manifestation of the communion which is the foundation of the church and, at the same time, a prophecy of that unity towards which she tends as a final goal.” VFC 10).
24
“Regarding the spirit of charity, one not only takes into account that which offends against charity itself, […] but in dealing with one another, there should be that cordiality and deference which does not allow for any shadow of hurt or wounding to be seen. And if it should happen, you should not go to sleep without first having made up with one another, asking forgiveness. And God will bless your acts by giving you great peace of soul, and help you to not fall again.
[…] Let there be attentiveness one to the other, not lacking in civility and good manners toward anyone. We are to give good example, not only in virtue, but also in civility.
[…] I never tire of recommending love and respect for one another. In regard to this, you would do well to study holy humility, humility is a trait of the educated. (Writings, Regulations 1, 2, 7, p. 246-247).
61. Called by Christ and sustained by His love, we live fraternally and witness communally to the love of God for one’s neighbor.
62. The purpose of our life in community is to foster fraternal life (cf. VFC 3) and to more faithfully safeguard our vocation and our identity (cf. CIC can. 587 par. 1) according to the charism and the proper law of our Institute.
63. For this purpose, we live fraternal life in our legitimately established houses - we live a life in common, we participate in communitarian acts, and we collaborate in communal services (cf. CIC can. 608; 665 par 1) all lived according to the proper lifestyle of our Institute.
64. Since we adhere firmly to the life of sanctity and the mission of the Church (cf. LG 44; VC 3), we place our personal and communitarian gifts at its service, with an apostolic dimension which proposes for itself the union of all people among themselves and with God (cf. CVC 187).
65. We realize such a union favors a family atmosphere based on personal responsibility, on sharing information and on having a complete and unified vision of life in community and of the Institute.
25
66. The Institute has a plan following a common path deepened and lived in every community that gathers periodically to plan for, monitor and communicate the life of the community.
67. To promote unity, communion and a greater knowledge among ourselves, we create an “environment” to meet communally, with annual meetings on formation and spirituality so as to constantly revitalize our spiritual life and to monitor the Plan of the Institute.
68. The Superior General meets yearly with the Superiors of the communities that depend on her. The Delegates in the Delegations also meet yearly with the local Superiors. These meetings are to verify the spiritual and apostolic path of the Institute.
69. We have at least a half hour of daily recreation in which all are expected to participate. Recreation is an expression of fraternal life and joy in the community. We do not seek to avoid this gathering, but commit ourselves to share in it with a spirit of fraternity and cordiality.
70. The elderly and sick sisters are a most precious part of the Institute to which we extend all our acknowledgment and affection. Therefore, we entrust them to the diligent care of a suitable and prudent community.
71. Those sisters who give themselves to this service of charity toward the elderly and infirm sisters, bring them physical relief and comfort of spirit with words of faith and hope in the suffering and glorified Christ with a special love. Above all, they create around them a serene and welcoming atmosphere in which the sisters feel they are vital members of the Institute.
72. With appropriate catechesis, the elderly and sick sisters are prepared to receive the Sacrament of the Sick communally and actively. In the case of serious illness, the community makes sure that the Sacraments are administered opportunely.
73. A Superior who has been made aware of an elderly sister’s state of health, makes sure that she receives all the care necessary.
26
74. In agreement with the local Superior, we can visit our family during a period when work is less intense and our absence does not inconvenience the community:
a. Once a year, for ten days, plus the time needed for travel, whether resident of the same country or on the same continent;
b. Every three years for forty days, including time for travel, if one is resident of another continent.
75. Superiors may permit visits to family when charity requires it. Superiors and sisters, animated by a sense of responsibility, act with mutual trust and understanding.
76. Visits that we receive from parents are regulated in such a way as not to impede our work, thus harmonizing both filial and fraternal love with our total consecration to Christ.
Dialogue and Revision of Life
“Confess your sins, therefore, to one another and pray for one another to be healed” (James 5:16).
77. With love, fraternity, friendship and communication, we gather and dialogue at the monthly Revision of Life meetings with serenity and cordiality.
78. To help create community, dialogue requires mutual respect, listening to and welcoming the other. The Revision of Life gathering enables us to dialogue, to overcome our selfishness, to open ourselves to others, to seek the truth together, to respect each other, to collaborate and to share the difficulties, defeats and victories of our life.
79. When we are united in the name of the Lord, we open ourselves to freedom and spontaneity which enables us to construct, to help and to strengthen others to grow in the service of God and neighbor.
80. The Revision of Life is not an exchange of ideas, a discussion of facts that are external to us, a session for planning community activities, but planning our own conversion, the desire to leave behind our own selfishness to attain, with the help of the sisters, a personal and communally committed decision.
27
81. We prepare carefully for the Revision of Life by setting the theme clearly, committing ourselves to transparency, recognizing our limitations, asking pardon, sharing the positive and the negative, not judging but listening with the heart, not blocking the spontaneity of the sisters and finally being conscious that God can speak to us through them.
82. We conclude the Revision of Life by asking our sisters for prayers for our weaknesses. This act of humility can have extraordinary efficacy (value) to mend our troubles and give us perseverance in our struggles. “When I am weak, it is then that I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).
83. We commit ourselves to live according to what St. Paul teaches us: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28), so we create in the Institute and in our communities, a truly fraternal life. Therefore, we avoid anything that may be an obstacle or cause discrimination.
1.5 Apostolic Life(Constitutions, art. 66-81)
“He answered: “I have been most zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts, but the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.” (1 Kgs. 19:10)
“Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly father.” (Mt. 5:16)
“So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, “we are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’ ” (Lk. 17:10)
“In the image of Jesus, the beloved son “whom the father consecrated and sent into the world” (John 10:36), those whom God calls to follow Him, are also consecrated and sent to the world to imitate His example and to continue His mission.” (VC 72)
28
“Throughout the centuries, works of charity have always provided the end for the concrete living out of the gospel. In the practice of charity, consecrated persons have emphasized the prophetic nature of the charism and the richness of the spirituality in the church and in the world.” (RdC 36)
“We do not accept this task for personal interests but only for the glory of God.” (Writings, p. 256)
“The apostolate which the sisters of this order should undertake is the Christian and civil education of children, being aware always that our contemplative life, strengthens the spirit in the practice of self-denial.” (Writings, Rules, p. 229)
“You should ask Jesus, Your Spouse, to guide you and help you along the way of charity. You should imitate Him, the Divine Master, who despoiled himself of everything. We are not on this earth except to fulfill the will of our heavenly Father and to work to lead souls to Him.” ( Writings, Constitutions, 6 Quarto voto, p. 223)
84. “Possessed by the love of Christ” (Phil. 3:12) and strengthened by fraternal love, we live our mission witnessing with our life and actions the love of Christ on behalf of our neighbor according to the charism of the Institute.
85. To faithfully accomplish this service, to which each one of us commits herself in virtue of our consecration, we make every effort “to have a profound experience of God”. We try to “be aware of the challenges of [our] time […] through a discernment made with the help of the Spirit.” (Cf. VC 73).
86. We bear “in our hearts and prayer the many needs of the whole world […] trusting in God as if everything depended on Him and at the same time, striving generously as if everything depended on us.” (VC 73).
87. The actualization of the Foundress’ charism – hospitality, and care and instruction of youth - and the continuation of the works of charity wished by Mother Mosca, do not prevent us from directing our attention, with a sense of responsibility, toward new forms of “poverty” existing in our society.
29
88. Consistent with the activities proper to the Institute, we also collaborate with pastors, especially in the catechesis and pastoral care of youth.
89. If the Superior General and her Council and the Delegates in the Delegations consider it opportune, it is possible for a sister to undertake fulltime work in a parish. She should equally reserve time for both community prayer and community life.
90. The Superior General, with her Council, finds alternative work for sisters, who are still in good health, but because of age are no longer able to fulfill the demands of work in schools or in hospitals. This new duty is a way of helping the sisters feel useful, alive and needed.
91. The vocational apostolate requires passion, commitment, constancy, preparation and tact. The Superior General and the Delegates in the Delegations, select those Sisters who are most suitable for this work. They prepare by attending specific courses.
92. In communities directly dependent upon the Superior General and in every Delegation, there is a sister appointed who is responsible for gathering information related to youth formation. She has contact with the various local youth ministers and coordinates the activities of the pastoral youth ministry.
93. For the communities directly dependent on the Superior General, the Superior General appoints the sister suitable for the task of coordinator of youth ministry.
94. The vocation ministry team is composed of the sister in charge of vocation ministry for the delegation and each community’s vocation coordinator. They meet periodically to plan and evaluate the progress of the vocational efforts.
95. Conscious that vocations are selected and cultivated in parishes and in the institutions which we operate, we participate in youth groups and if possible, in summer camps organized by parishes.
96. During the year, we organize formation encounters and retreats directed to young women discerning their vocation.
30
97. We welcome young women to our communities, sharing with them experiences of prayer and fraternity.
98. The young women who desire to experience community life in our Institute, are directed to a community that the Superior General and the Delegate of the Delegation think suitable.
99. We commit ourselves to the pastoral care of families – the source of vocations - the first and indispensable teaching community where faith is modeled and nourished.
100. Before sending Sisters on apostolate to various places outside their own country of origin, we take care that they acquire some knowledge of the culture and language of the place.
CHAPTER TWOFORMATION PLAN OF THE INSTITUTE
“As they were proceeding on their journey, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” (Lk. 9:57-58)
“While it is true that the renewal of the consecrated life depends primarily on formation, it is equally certain that this training is, in turn, linked to the ability to establish a method characterized by spiritual and pedagogical wisdom, which will gradually lead those wishing to consecrate themselves to put on the mind of Christ the Lord. Formation is a dynamic process by means of which individuals are converted to the word of God in the depths of their being and at the same time, learn how to discover the signs of God in earthly realities. (VC 68)
“The primary purpose of formation is to enable candidates to religious life and the young professed to discover, assimilate and deepen, what constitutes religious identity.” (PI 6)
“Formation is a primary factor for the renewal of the institutes and for a more vital assimilation of the charismatic identity in view of the continuing evolution of our time.” (CF 3)
31
“You should ask Jesus, Your Spouse, to guide and help you along the path of charity that He, the Divine Master, taught.” (Writings, Rule and Constitutions [7], p. 183)
2.1 Inspirational Principles(Constitutions, art 82-87)
“He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began.” (2 Tim 1:9)
“The primary objective of the formation process is to prepare people for the total consecration of themselves to God in the following of Christ, at the service of the church’s mission. […] Formation should, therefore, have a profound effect on individuals, so that their every attitude and action, at important moments as well as in the ordinary events of life, will show that they belong completely and totally to God.” (VC 65)
“My dear daughters! Take a good look at yourselves and consider well how the materials were connected together to construct a factory, so that the factory does not need to be put together and supported again every day; for if that were the case, such a thing would be impractical.” (Writings, Letters p. 260)
101. Conscious that the present and the future of our Institute, as well as, our mission depends on the formation that we receive or give. We take every care so that this formation may be profoundly human and evangelically demanding, capable of a “journey of continual conversion” (VC 109).
102. We carry out the formation process in everyday life: in the situations we live within our community, in the personal defeats and successes, in the joys and sufferings and in ordinary and extraordinary circumstances, trying to imitate Mary who “kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Lk. 2:19).
103. “God the Father, through the unceasing gift of Christ and the Spirit, is the educator par excellence of those who consecrate themselves to Him. But in this work He makes use of human instruments, placing
32
more mature brothers and sisters at the side of those whom He calls […] Those in charge of formation must therefore be very familiar with the path of seeking God, so as to be able to accompany others on this journey.” (VC 66)
104. The Institute, conscious of the importance of the role of the Formation Director, places suitable persons in this service. “Those who are responsible for formation need to have: the human qualities of insight and responsiveness; a certain experiential knowledge of God and of prayer; wisdom resulting from attentiveness and prolonged listening to the Word of God; love of the liturgy and understanding of its role in spiritual and ecclesial formation; necessary cultural competence; significant time and good will to attend to the candidates individuality, and not just as a group.” (cf. PI 31).
105. Mother Scrilli requires that “the Mistress of Novices be a person of great prudence, a great lover of the Rule and the Institute, who strives to infuse the same love in the novices. […] She makes sure that whoever has this office, give careful thought to it and not be remiss in anything, because it is her duty to reform and to cultivate souls in whom the Lord dwells.” (Writing, Rules [22], pp. 200-201).
106. The formation community constitutes the place in which the candidate grows and matures in the spirit of the Institute, developing her personal identity and supporting her response to her vocation. (cf. CF10b).
107. The Institute has a Formation Plan which is valid for all houses engaged in this task.
108. The Institute promotes a unified path of formation and continuity in the various stages of formation found in the Formation Plan. The directors of formation and the local superiors adjust the plan according to the phase of formation. The overall formation develops under the direction of the Superior General and her Delegates.
109. Each Delegation can adapt and develop the Formation Plan in their statutes according to local needs, seeking to enculturate the charism of the Institute according to the times and places where it is located.
33
110. The Institute is called to review its Formation Program in an innovative manner, in order to be an evangelical and prophetic sign of contradiction for the community of believers and for the world (cf. VC).
111. The Institute’s formation should breathe forth its proper charism in communion with the church so as to express it in a living way in actual circumstances, with creativity that spreads love for Christ and one’s neighbor.
2.2 Vocational Discernment(Constitutions, art. 88-89)
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I consecrated you” (Jer. 1:5).
“Religious communities have the right to make themselves known in order to foster vocations and seek candidates. In doing this, however, they should observe the norms laid down by the Holy See and the local Ordinary.
Religious should remember there is no better way than their own example to commend their institutes and gain candidates for the religious life. (PC 24).
“The Superior will be required to evaluate the candidate with great care to see if she has a vocation. If the candidate is not found suitable, she cannot in any way be accepted into the Institute.” (Writings, Rules [7] p. 183).
112. The call to religious life is a gift from God. The call is made visible in the witness of the religious person. Association with a consecrated religious, experiencing their way of life or participating in their activities, can foster a vocational choice.
113. The principal objective of Vocational Ministry is to help young people discover the gifts which they possess and to respond to these gifts by choosing a particular corresponding lifestyle. The Vocation Director’s function, therefore, is to accompany these young people on the road of spiritual maturation and to help them in their discernment process.
114. The vocational choice is an important aspect in the life of a young woman and requires a serious and unbiased accompaniment on the
34
part of the spiritual educators and guides. Conscious of this, at the moment in which a candidate asks to be guided, we take every care that this happens with full consciousness, freedom and peace.
115. The Vocation Director organizes times for regular meetings with candidates, individually and as a group, for reflection and discernment.
116. The task of the Vocation Director is:a. To motivate communities to promote vocations.b. To promote and coordinate vocational initiatives, including those in
initial formation.c. To discern the necessary vocational attributes in potential
candidates called to religious life.d. To accompany potential candidates on the path of vocational
growth.e. To maintain contact with diocesan and national organizations for
vocational promotion. 117. As a basis for discernment, we act in such a way that the potential
candidate:a. May acquire an authentic spiritual life that is the fruit of prayer and
sincere listening to God.b. May accept her own history and understand her emotions.c. May accept herself and her life as a gift from God.
118. The potential candidate begins a time of orientation characterized by meetings and times of sharing with the Vocation Director. This period concludes with a longer experience within a community of the Institute chosen by the Superior General. In Delegations, it will be the Delegate who chooses the most suitable community.
119. Every community should reflect the spirit of the Institute. Our spirit should be recognizable and attractive to the potential candidate so they will have a positive and realistic experience of the community.
120. The local community becomes the place where the potential candidate
can come to a decision about her vocation to religious life, recognizing in herself the attitudes and values of the charism of the Institute.
35
121. For this purpose, the Superior General and the Delegate of the Delegation, select a community that dedicates itself to this ministry of vocational hospitality. Its task is to organize, under the direction of the Vocation Director, initiatives, meetings and experiential moments that aid the candidate in vocational discernment.
122. The proposed vocational experiences should reflect the life and apostolates offered by the Institute.
2.3 The Aspirancy(Constitutions, art. 90-92)
“Where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.” (Jn. 1:38-39)
“All the religious tradition of the Church attests to the decisive character of the role of educators for the success of formation. Their task is to discern the authenticity of the call to religious life in the early stages of formation.” (PI 30).
123. Aspirancy is a period of time in which the aspirant becomes more aware of her call to consecrated life and has an experience of community life that permits her to verify her capacity to live with others.
124. To be admitted to the aspirancy, the candidate must demonstrate that she possesses a certain human maturity, has a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus in her life and has a strong ecclesial and social sensibility - signs of a Carmelite vocation. It is important that those who evaluate the candidate’s admission come to know her, her family, her background and her parish.
125. Before admitting an aspirant to our Institute, the Superior General as well as the Delegate, prudently gather information regarding the conduct, character and attitudes of the aspirant. This information should include details regarding her physical and mental health to
36
make sure that there are no serious hereditary defects which would become problematic in her pursuit of religious life.
126. The candidate who begins the formation path, entrusts herself to the guidance of those responsible for her and to the community that receives her.
127. The sister responsible for the aspirant helps the candidate to recognize the signs of her calling to consecrated life and; if she observes signs of an inauthentic vocation, it is her duty to direct the aspirant toward a different life choice.
128. The sister responsible for the aspirant helps her to understand the dynamics of community living. In this phase, the community has the function of helping the aspirant experience the values that characterize our fraternity. The community should be flexible and not rigid, welcoming and not intrusive. There should be a distinction between the life of the community and that of the aspirants. The good example of the sisters is fundamentally important.
129. The aspirancy can be a minimum of three months to a maximum of
one year. After this time, if the aspirant wishes to continue in her formation, she freely request in writing to be admitted to the postulancy. (In the Delegations, one must keep in mind the different local customs.)
130. Before beginning the postulancy, the aspirant must present the following documentation: birth certificate, baptismal certificate, confirmation certificate, proof of single status, a letter of recommendation from the pastor or some other known church official, medical certificate showing she is physically and mentally healthy, certificate of studies accomplished and any other certificate that the Superior General or the Delegate thinks necessary.
2.4 The Postulancy(Constitutions, art. 93-95).
37
“While they were walking along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew, who were casting their nets into the sea, since they were fishermen. And He said to them: “Follow me, I will make you fishers of men.” (Mt. 4:18-19)
“Most of the difficulties encountered today in the formation of novices come from the fact that they, at the time of their admission to the novitiate, did not possess the minimum necessary maturity. Certainly, it is not necessary that the candidate is in a position to immediately assume all the obligations of the religious, but must be considered capable of doing so progressively. The possibility of making such judgment justifies providing the time and the means to reach it.” (PI 42)
“Prior to accepting a candidate, she should spend a trial period of a year in community. Upon completion of this year, she should be sent home to her family for a few days so that she can freely discern whether or not to return to the community. During this time, the community can also determine the suitability of the candidate for religious life.” (Writings, Rules [8], p. 184).
132. The Candidate, who after a first discernment chooses to embrace our way of life, begins the postulancy. On entering our religious family, she chooses to live in the service of charity that comes from our specific charism and spirituality.
133. The postulant, accompanied in personal and communal prayer, is helped to define her choice of vocation through an authentic discernment and to deepen an appreciation for the Church. She is introduced to the history of the Institute. Illuminated by the word of God, which is an encounter with the person of Christ who has called her, she is helped to understand the “radical leap” that is asked of her by the following of Christ upon entrance into the novitiate. There in the novitiate, she becomes personally responsible to cooperate with the spreading of the Kingdom of Christ.
134. The postulancy is a period of reflection of the Christian life lived so far and a transition to the novitiate which initiates the first experience of consecrated life. It is a time for making a concrete choice.
135. The postulancy begins with an explicit request to enter the Institute.
38
The candidate accepts the demands of a formation program that will enable her to mature in her discernment.
136. During the Rite of Admittance to the postulancy, which is simple and the same for all formation houses, the candidate receives a small cross that she wears on her dress.
137. The formation program involves: a. The candidate’s serious journey of faith begins with a deepening of her knowledge of catechesis that permits her to face a secularized culture, to clarify and consolidate her convictions and to strengthen her own vocation according to God’s plan.b. A progressive transition from a worldly to a consecrated life. In the formation offered her, particular attention is paid to emotional maturity. Entering into consecrated life presupposes that the person has already achieved a certain level of integration of oneself and their energies and has begun the process of a total self-giving to the Lord.
138. The postulancy is a period of trial and discernment. Its purpose is to verify if the candidate has the necessary requirements to live the consecrated life.
139. Postulancy lasts from a minimum of six months to a maximum of two years. If possible, the postulancy should be lived in a community different from the novitiate. The postulant is under the guidance of a sister designated as the Postulant Directress. The postulant is periodically updated regarding the observations that the Directress and the community have made regarding her path to maturity.
140. During this period, the postulant learns to fluently speak the language of the country in which she will make her novitiate. She can complete studies already undertaken, can contribute to the parish pastoral plan and experience the works of the Institute.
141. The maximum age for entering the Institute and beginning the formation path is 35 years of age. It is the decision of the Superior General with the consent of her Council and the Delegate of the Delegations to evaluate exceptional cases.
39
142. Before being admitted to the postulancy, the candidate will sign a written statement to the effect that she is aware that she has no right to compensation for work done while in the Institute, if for any reason she should leave or be dismissed. This statement will include her life as a postulant, novice and professed religious, because during that time her work does not have the character of a contract of labor.
143. The postulant is not bound to participate in all community activities or practices of devotion, but is introduced to these practices gradually; she is not to be entrusted with activities that involve direct responsibilities.
144. Before beginning the novitiate, the postulant returns home to her family and only returns to the Institute after having received a written response to the request to continue the path of formation.
145. In the meantime, the Directress of Postulants makes a written report which is sent to the Superior General and the Delegate of the Delegations.
2.5. The Novitiate(Constitutions, art. 96-109)
“O Lord, you have enticed me, and I was enticed; you have overpowered me, and you have prevailed.” (Jer. 20:7)
“Novices need to practice prolonged prayer, solitude and silence. Therefore, the time factor plays a determining role. They may feel a greater need to get away from the world than to go into the world […] For this reason, the place and time of novitiate should be organized in such a way that novices can find there an atmosphere conducive to a life deeply rooted in Christ. […] As a result, it is strongly recommended that the time of novitiate not be spent inserted within another community.” (PI 50).
“One should take pains to see to it that those who are accepted as sisters truly live the spirit of the Institute; […] superiors should pay special attention to the qualities the postulants possess. Besides having a good spirit and a vocation, they must be both morally and physically sound, so that, they should be healthy, have a joyful demeanor, have a good intellect and be well-educated - all things necessary to satisfy the obligations of the Institute.
40
The religious community is to pay careful attention to all this when accepting them and before giving them the holy habit. (Writings, Rules [8] p. 183).
146. The novitiate is a time of initiation into the life of the Institute. It is a privileged time of formation, characterized by a deep focus on the interior life, a meaningful study of the spirituality of the Institute and an intense search for God and God’s will through a total dedication to Christ.
147. The novitiate begins life in the Institute. Its purpose is to verify whether the novice is capable of undertaking the duties and responsibilities of religious life. During this special phase, the novice cultivates her union with God and learns to understand His manifestations of love for her in everyday life.
148. During the novitiate, the novice enters into an experience of Godthrough silence and through an intense life of personal and communal prayer. She discovers that the true meaning of her love for God is the gift of herself to Him. Through a daily confrontation with the Word, she begins a process of conscious conversion - renouncing her selfishness, reflecting on her relationship with others and opening herself to an authentic fraternal life, illuminated and strengthened by a spiritual familiarity with Mary.
149. The novitiate is a time of powerful transformation and new orientation of one’s life. In order to pass to this new life, the novice commits herself to fulfill the necessary objectives, they include a phase of change, springing from detachment from the world, a phase of identity crisis and a phase of a restructuring of the person around new values (cf. VCC, p. 465).
150. The doctrinal and spiritual formation of the novice is founded on the study and meditation of Sacred Scripture, the documents of the Church, the writings of the Foundress and the Constitutions. This study develops in the novice an awareness of belonging to the Institute and helps her to understand the demands of our apostolicmission in relationship to the mission of the church. Through this study, the novice gains knowledge of her own human and spiritual
41
needs and deepens her understanding of the charism of the Foundress and of the life of our religious family.
151. The novice is responsible for her own formation. Gradually, the novice develops a contemplative dimension, growing in her personal relationship with God through prayer and reflection on the Word of God.
152. The novitiate is preceded by a retreat of seven days and begins with a simple Rite of Reception of the Habit. The habit is uniform, simple and adapted to the dress of the place and approved by the Superior General with the consent of her Council.
153. The Rite of Reception into religious life is established in the Ritual of the Institute.
154. During the period of novitiate, certain studies are permitted that are useful for a more efficient spiritual and cultural formation of the novices, leading to a loving knowledge of God and to the development of a profound life of faith. Excluded are those studies in order to obtain a degree (cf. CIC can. 652 par. 5). The novices are expected to learn a second language besides the Italian language already foreseen by the Constitutions.
155. Since the reading of spiritual books, of the lives of the Saints, Carmelite writings etc., is a useful instrument for the formation of the novice, the Directress of Novices schedules a time during the day for spiritual reading.
156. The novitiate requires independence. Therefore, it should be located in
a suitable environment, in a community formed for that purpose and in a house different from that of the Juniorate.
157. “Persons in formation should be able to find in the heart of the community a spiritual atmosphere, a certain austerity of life and an apostolic outlook capable of attracting them to follow Christ in conformity with the radicalism of their consecration” (PI 27). For this reason, within the novitiate house, there should be an assurance of
42
regular observance and an authentic community life for the adequate formation of the novices.
158. The Directress of Novices periodically informs the novitiate community of the progress of each novice and listens to suggestions from the community. The community is co-responsible for the formation process by their example and witness and by providing an atmosphere conducive to the success of the novitiate.
159. The novitiate may possibly take place in the country of origin of the novice. (cf. PI 47)
160. The formation of novices is the direct responsibility of the Superior General and of the Delegate of the Delegations. They are to visit the novitiate often to take account of the progress of each novice (cf. CIC can. 650 par. 2).
161. Three months prior to the end of the novitiate, the novice who wishes to continue her path of formation and of her self-donation to God in the Institute, makes a request in writing to the Superior General to be allowed to take the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.
162. In response to the candidate’s request, after having heard the opinion of the Superior and of the community, the Novice Directress writes a report to be presented to the Superior General and her Council.
163. In the Delegations, the request of the novice and the report of the Directress are given to the Delegate and her Council. The Delegate may express her judgment in writing before these documents are forwarded to the Superior General.
164. “If a doubt exists concerning the suitability of a novice, the major superior can extend the time of probation according to the norm of proper law, but not beyond six months.” (CIC can. 653 par. 2).
165. The novices enjoy all of the privileges and spiritual graces granted to the Institute. If they die during the novitiate, they have the right to the same prayers for the dead prescribed for the professed.
43
166. A novice who is in danger of death, may for her spiritual consolation, be admitted to profession by the Superior General, by the Superior of the novitiate house or by a delegated sister - even if the time of novitiate is not yet over, without any vote and with the customary formula for profession. This profession has no value with respect to other juridical effects. Therefore, if the novice should get well, she must complete her novitiate.
167. If a novice brings with her financial assets, before temporary profession, these assets are to be invested in a safe, legal and fruitful manner by the Superior General with the consent of her Council.
168. These assets may not be used for any motive during the life of the sister. These assets are to be returned in full if she leaves the Institute or is dismissed.
169. The assets become the property of the Institute after the death of the sister if they are not given to others in her will.
2.6 The Formula of Profession(Constitutions, art. 109)
“Then I said, “here I am; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, O my God. (Ps. 40:7-8)
“By religious profession, members assume the observance of the three evangelical counsels by public vows, are consecrated to God through the ministry of the Church and are incorporated into the Institute with the rights and duties defined by law.” (CIC can. 654).
“The liturgical celebration distinguishes carefully between perpetual profession and temporary profession which should be celebrated “without any particular solemnity.” (PI 56).
“O Spouse! O Spouse! I do not have any words with which to thank you enough for having chosen me to be yours.” (Writings, p. 84).
170. Religious profession is a free response of love to the call of the Holy Spirit, in which by public vows we pledge to conform our lives to that of the chaste, poor and obedient Christ.
44
171. With the profession of religious vows, we become members of the Institute, obliging ourselves to observe the Constitutions and all the duties and rights deriving from them.
172. For just reasons, the Superior General may permit the first profession to be anticipated, but not for more than 15 days.
173. The Rite of Temporary Profession proper to our Institute is performed within the Eucharistic celebration.
174. At the end of the temporary profession ceremony, the document of profession signed by the professed sister and the one who received her profession, is preserved in the archives of the Institute.
2.7 The Juniorate(Constitutions, art. 110-119)
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Rm. 12:1).
“Those who have been given the priceless gift of following the Lord Jesus more closely, consider it obvious that He can and must be loved with an undivided heart, that one can devote to Him one’s whole life and not merely certain actions or vocational moments or activities.”(VC 104).
“The Institute has a grave responsibility to see to the organization and duration of this phase of formation and provide the favorable conditions for the real growth of self-gift to the Lord of the young religious. Above all, it will provide a vigorous formation community and the presence of competent educators. In fact, at this level of formation, contrary to what has been said about the novitiate, it is better to have a larger community, well provided with the means of formation and good guidance, than a small community without real formators.”(PI 60).
“Those then who feel such a spirit, that is to say, a strong vocation and respect and love for the Institute and its rules, do not stop thanking God nor praying without asking for the grace of holy perseverance.” (Writings, Rules [7], p. 183).
45
175. As the final step of basic formation, the Juniorate, which begins with first vows and ends with perpetual profession, is the time in which the candidate actively tests her personal vocation in accord with the project of the Institute and she prepares herself professionally by obtaining any necessary educational degrees.
176. All the Junior sisters attend basic courses in theology.
177. Since “the life of this Institute is contemplative and active, the contemplative aspect should not be other than a help to the active” (Mother Foundress), the Junior sister assimilates this dimension of our life by means of:a. Constant listening to the Word of God;b. Living God’s presence in everyday life and entering into a personal
relationship with Him that does not close in on oneself, but produces a process of reflection and openness to others so as to “lead souls to God”.
178. During this period, the Junior sister receives adequate preparation corresponding to her capacities, in order to fully assume the mission of the Institute.
179. In continuity with their development under the Directress of Novices, the sister responsible for the formation of the Junior sisters, will help them to “understand the importance of community life according to the vocation proper to the Institute, to accept the reality of such a life, to assume the conditions of making progress, to respect others with their differences and to feel oneself responsible in the heart of the same community.” (PI 60)
180. By its nature, religious life is missionary. The Junior sister is helped to discover and to live the life of mission, as Jesus lived: completely dedicated to announcing the Kingdom of God.
181. Every Junior sister makes her own personal plan to cultivate and develop her spiritual life with the help and collaboration of the Directress of Juniors.
46
182. With regard to observance of the rules, the Junior sisters depend in everything, as do the other sisters of the community, on the Superior. The Superior, if she thinks it suitable, can delegate some of her faculties to the Directress of the Junior sisters.
183. The Superior and the Directress of the Junior sisters, conscious of the important task entrusted to them, feel committed to nourishing relationships of intelligent collaboration and understanding, to witnessing to fraternal charity and to observing the Rules of community life, above all, keeping the good of the young professed sisters as their main focus.
184. During the Juniorate, the Junior sisters strive to advance in their own human and spiritual growth. With openness to the action of the Holy Spirit and an intimate union with the Virgin Mary of Carmel, the Junior sisters undertake to live that charity which makes them faithful and generous collaborators in the saving work of Christ.
185. Since the Institute is of Italian origin and its official documents are produced in Italian, those who enter should strive to learn the Italian language. The Junior sisters should also learn English or the language of the place where they will carry out their mission.
186. The first two years of the Juniorate, if possible, take place in the house of formation under the direction of the Directress of the Junior sisters. The subsequent three years may be lived in other houses of the Institute under the guidance of the Superior or a sister given this responsibility, without losing contact with the Directress of the Junior sisters. The Junior sisters continue their formation regardless of the studies or the apostolate in which they are involved.
187. Temporary vows are valid for one year. Three months prior to the anniversary of temporary vows, the Junior sister makes a written request for a renewal of vows to the Superior General or to the Delegate. It is most important that the vows be renewed before the anniversary date. It is the responsibility of the Superior General or the Delegate that the Junior sister should not be without vows.
47
188. Six months prior to Perpetual Profession, the Junior sister must request in writing to the Superior General, permission for Perpetual Profession.
189. Before the expiration of temporary vows, the Directress will present a written report regarding the progress of the Junior sister. This report together with the request of the Junior sister is to be forwarded to the Delegate of the Delegations and to the Superior General.
190. For the Junior sisters not living in the formation house, it will be the responsibility of the Superior to write the report for the renewal of vows or the report for perpetual profession.
191. The Superior General, the Delegate, the Directress of the Junior sisters and the Junior sister herself, make a serious discernment before assigning the Junior sister to an apostolate.
192. Perpetual Profession is preceded by a period of immediate preparation of one month. During this period, the Junior sister is free from serious duties in order to dedicate herself more intensely to prayer, recollection and a deeper understanding of all that concerns her definitive consecration.
193. Perpetual Profession is preceded by a retreat of six days. This retreat prepares the Junior sister for the Eucharistic celebration in which she will pronounce her definitive “yes” to the Lord forever.
194. At the end of the ceremony of Perpetual Profession, the document of profession signed by the professed sister and by the sister who received her profession, is preserved in the archives of the Institute.
195. Before arriving in Italy, if possible, sisters should obtain a document of equivalency of their educational degrees from the Italian Embassy of their native country.
2.8 Ongoing and Permanent Formation (Constitutions, art. 120-122)
48
“Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)
If consecrated life is, "a progressive identification with the attitude of Christ, it seems clear that such a path will last a lifetime and involve the whole person, heart, mind and strength (cf. Mt 22: 37), and fashion it into the likeness of the Son who gives Himself to the Father for humanity " (RdC 15).
"The source of our imperfections is to ignore our religious obligation to work towards perfection. We think that the means to arrive at perfection costs too much, so we are persuaded to do less and convince ourselves that we are not really obliged to work towards perfection." (Writings, Day 2: Meditations 3, p. 170).
"…the materials of a building cannot stand if there is not a substance
that holds them together - for us, this binding process must be done by love and not by force." (Writings, Letters [27], p. 282).
196. After perpetual profession, each religious sister assumes the responsibility for her own formation. The religious sister, for the rest of her life, continues her formation according to the spirit of our charism. This means a diligent study of the spirit of the Institute (cf. VC).
197. Religious life does not permit laxity in spiritual matters. A religious is to live in a continual state of growth, toward the fullness of their vocation. “Ongoing formation is principally motivated by the call of God, Who calls each one of His own, at all times and in new circumstances.” (PI 67).
198. Ongoing formation is a sociological fact which pervades every sector of human life and touches every branch of professional activity. It is our duty to be in continual formation in order to be in step with what society and the Church demands and proposes and in order to carry out with professionalism the task which has been entrusted to us.
199. The foundational components of continual formation are: a deepening of spirituality for a stronger faith and for a greater understanding of our religious profession, a deepening of knowledge through biblical and theological study of Church documents, a deepening of
49
understanding of the charism of the Institute through a greater knowledge of Mother Scrilli and of Mother Mosca and a better appreciation of the history of the Institute, especially its spirit and mission.
200. Every year the Institute, in Italy and in the Delegations, convokes a gathering of the sisters for an internal formation meeting. This gathering formulates a common yearly plan for all the communities, evaluates the past year’s plan, organizes courses of spiritual exercises and encourages the communities to be faithful to the practice of the monthly Revision of Life meetings.
201. There are particular times in which a religious sister becomes aware of the need to suspend her daily activities in order to rejuvenate her spirit and unite herself more intimately with God. Such periods should not be an obstacle to one’s apostolic task and should be realized in common agreement with the Superior General and the local Superior.
202. These periods of renewal may coincide with certain times of religious life:a. After many years of perpetual profession, there may be a risk of falling into a life of “routine” and of a loss of enthusiasm;b. After many years of perpetual profession and when maturity is lacking, there is a danger of developing individualism;c. In moments of crisis which can overcome a person because of personal factors (sickness, spiritual dryness, crisis of faith, etc);d. In times of progressive withdrawal from the apostolate, when the religious needs to immerse and refocus herself in the Paschal experience of Christ (cf. PI 70).
203. The Superior General, with the opinion of the Council and the Delegate of the Delegations, may entrust the responsibility of Permanent Formation to a sister.
2.9 Separation from the Institute (Constitutions, art. 123-126)
50
“Jesus said, “no one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)
“Do not quench the Spirit” (2 Thess. 5:19).
“With the consent of the Council, the supreme Moderator can for a grave reason grant an indult of exclaustration to a perpetual professed member […] for grave reasons, and equity and charity are to be observed.” (CIC can. 686 par. 1 and 3).
204. The religious sister always lives in a house of the Institute that the Superior General assigns her. Her habitual residence must be in a house of the Institute and never in the houses of lay people.
205. To leave one’s own religious house, even for a short time, requires the permission of the proper Superior.
206. An absence occurs when a religious sister leaves her proper religious house without permission for a continuous 24 hour period.
207. The Superior General with the consent of her Council, may grant a religious sister a prolonged period of absence, not to exceed one year. The Superior General does not need the consent of her Council to deny this permission. Permission must be granted in writing as proof.
208. For absences of less than a year, the prudent judgment of the Superior General is sufficient to evaluate whether permission is to be granted or not.
209. Permission to be outside of the Institute ceases: when the reason for the permission ceases to exist or because the period of time has expired or the religious sister chooses to leave.
210. The Superior General with the consent of her Council, may grant permission for absences lasting more than a year for reasons of illness, study or the apostolate. The religious sister who has obtained permission from the Superior General for an extended leave of absence from the Institute or from her own religious house, is not separated from the Institute; she remains an effective member with all the rights and obligations arising from her religious profession.
51
211. As a condition to obtain permission for a leave of absence, the religious sister must put in writing that she renounces all duties and offices of which she was in charge, unless the leave of absence is of benefit to the Institute.
212. If a religious sister is absent for reasons of interest to the Institute or because of sickness or for study or for the apostolate in the name of the Institute, she has the right to be economically maintained. If the religious sister leaves for personal reasons, she must provide for herself. Before leaving the Institute, the religious sister should sign, as a condition for the concession, an agreement not to ask for anything from the Institute during the time that she will be away. The Superiors, in any case, shall act with charity and justice.
213. Exclaustration, permission to remain outside of a religious house for a determined period of time, may be either voluntary or imposed. A period of time not to exceed three years may be granted by the Superior General with the consent of her Council; after three years, it becomes the jurisdiction of the Holy See.
214. An imposed exclaustration is under the jurisdiction of the Holy See. Fairness and charity, whether it be for the person, the community or the Institute, should be shown.
215. “Release or dismissal from the Institute can be either voluntary or forced. The result is the loss of the religious state and all the rights and duties attached to it and a return to the secular state and the complete separation from the Institute.” 2
216. For the voluntary or forced departure of a religious sister in temporary vows, the ability to grant the indult belongs to the Superior General with the consent of her Council.
217. A professed religious sister in temporary vows, whose vows have expired, can freely leave the Institute. For just and reasonable causes, the Superior General with the consent of her Council, may refuse to renew the religious sister’s vows or deny her perpetual profession.
52
218. The Junior sister, during the period of her vows, in order to leave the religious state must request a dispensation which is granted by the Superior General with the consent of her Council. Equally, the Superior General with the consent of her Council may dismiss the Junior sister if she judges it necessary. If the Junior sister is legitimately dismissed, she is no longer bound by religious vows.
219. The Superior General with the consent of her Council, may exclude from renewal of vows or from perpetual profession, a religious sister who according to prior medical judgment or other experts, because of physical or mental infirmity, even if contracted after profession, is not deemed suitable for religious life, unless the sickness was contracted because of negligence on the part of the Institute (CIC can. 689).
220. Serious external motives, including incorrigibility, are required to dismiss a religious sister from perpetual vows. If after unsuccessful attempts, including transferring the religious sister to another house of the Institute is ineffective and there remains no hope of improvement,the religious sister is to be dismissed.
221. A religious sister, who is guilty of one of the crimes listed in can. 695
par. 1 of the Code of Canon law, is considered legitimately dismissed unless the Superior General thinks the dismissal is unnecessary. The Superior General may decide that the correction of the religious sister is needed; and the reestablishment of justice and reparation for the scandal is required.
222. In the event of a grave external scandal or of a very serious imminent harm to the Institute (cf. CIC can. 703), a religious sister can be immediately returned to the lay state by the Superior General with the consent of her Council.
The person expelled from the religious house, though having removed the habit, still remains a religious sister in every way. Hers is a forced estrangement. While she is outside the religious house awaiting developments in her case, she must still obey the orders that come from the Superior General.
223. In these cases, the Superior General after gathering the facts and proof of the religious sister’s guilt, notifies the religious sister of the accusations and evidence against her, giving her the possibility to
53
defend herself. All the documents signed by the Superior General and by the notary (Secretary General) together with the verbal and written responses of the religious sister are sent to the Holy See (cf. CIC can. 695 par. 2).
224. Dispensation from perpetual vows is reserved to the Holy See. The religious sister who is legitimately dismissed is dispensed from her religious vows.
225. The religious sister who leaves the Institute during or at the end of temporary vows or by indult, may not expect recompense for any service she gave during her time in the Institute.
However, the Institute should observe fairness and evangelical charity toward the religious sister who leaves the Institute (cf. CIC can. 702 par. 1 and 2) – providing her with sufficient funds for the immediate future so she may return home in a safe and convenient way. This funding is not to exceed 3 months.
226. If a religious sister leaves the Institute, any funds the religious sister brought with her are restored to her.
227. Anyone, who at the end of novitiate or after profession leaves the Institute legitimately and then requests to return, may be readmitted by the Superior General with the consent of her Council, without the burden of repeating the novitiate but she must spend a period of probation established by the Superior General with the consent of her Council before taking temporary vows (cf. CIC can. 690 par. 1)
228. “A member in perpetual vows cannot transfer from one religious Institute to another except by a grant of the Superior General of each Institute and with the consent of the respective councils.“ (CIC can. 684 par. 1).
229. A religious sister coming from another Institute, before making Perpetual Profession in our Institute, must complete a trial period lasting not less than three years. The Superior General with the consent of her Council may prolong the time, if she deems it necessary.
54
230. This trial period which is not a Novitiate nor a Juniorate, serves to verify whether she is suitable for our style of life, either on the part of the Institute or the religious sister.
231. At the end of this trial period, the religious sister may make Perpetual Profession. If she does not wish to take vows or she is not admitted, she must return to the Institute from which she came.
CHAPTER THREETHE ORGANIZATION, GOVERNMENT AND LIFE OF THE
INSTITUTE
“The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.” (Acts 4:32)
“You have not only a glorious history to remember and to recount, but also a great history still to be accomplished! Look to the future, where the spirit is sending you in order to do even greater things.” (VC 110).
“Fraternity is not only a fruit of human effort but also and above all a gift of God. It is a gift that comes from obedience to the Word of God, and also, in religious life, to the authority who reminds us of that Word and relates it to specific situations, in accordance with the spirit of the Institute.” (VFC 48).
[…] I never tire of recommending love and respect for one another. In regard to this, you would do well to study holy humility, humility is a trait of the educated. Blessed are those who take the last place since they will possess peace.” (Writings, Regulations 1, 2, 7, p. 246-247).
3.1 Service to the Fraternity (Constitutions, art. 127-134)
“But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:43-45)
55
“So I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst [overseeing] not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock” (1 Pt 5:1-3).
“Authority has as its main task building up the unity of the brothers and sisters into a fraternal community in which God is sought and loved above all. A Superior, therefore, must be above all a spiritual person convinced of the primacy of the spiritual, both with respect to personal life and for the development of fraternal life; in other words, he or she must be aware that the more the love of God increases in each heart, the more unity that will be between hearts.
Thus the Superior's main task will be the spiritual, community and apostolic animation of his or her community.” (VFC 50a).
“The government of the community should depend on the Superior Pro- tempore; and therefore, religious should not report to, nor have to depend on the confessor except in matters of conscience. And it should never be the case that the confessor and the spiritual director himself should be interested in matters of government, even as regards temporal matters, nor should a religious or the superior request it in any case.” (Writings, Rules 5, p 182).
232. All of us, as members of the Institute, are conscious of our responsibility to build together the Kingdom of God, (“the Work of God”), desired by Mother Scrilli and for which she suffered much.
233. All of us together, Superiors and sisters, choose to better our spiritual and fraternal life more and more, to be an evangelical and incisive prophetic leaven in the reality in which we carry out our apostolate, always conscious that we have something more to learn and improve upon.
234. Service to the fraternity is entrusted principally to the Superiors who exercise spiritual and moral authority (cf. SAO 13 a); therefore, they have the task to guide the communities with wise and authoritative discernment, to help them seek and carry out the Will of God.
56
235. Each one of us, inspired by the one objective to spend one’s life for Christ, feels the obligation to place ourselves at the service of the fraternity, for shared authority, for responsible participation and for communal growth.
236. In distributing jobs, the Superior General tries to avoid, if possible, assigning more jobs to just one person, who in turn, cannot accept more tasks.
237. In transferring a religious sister from one community to another, the Superior General with the advice of her Council, acts in such a way that assignments may not be brief, less than three years, nor long-term, longer than six years, to avoid that they are either temporary or permanent. For just reasons, she may decide otherwise.
3.2 The General Chapter(Constitutions, art 135-176)
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of His Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.” (1 Jn. 1:7)
“The General Chapter, which holds supreme authority in the Institute according to the norm of the Constitutions, is to be composed in such a way that, representing the entire Institute, it becomes a true sign of its unity and charity. It is for the General Chapter principally, to protect the patrimony of the Institute.” (CIC can. 631 par. 1)
“It is the Spirit who guides communities of the consecrated life in carrying out the mission of service to the Church and to all humanity, in accordance with their original inspiration. In this perspective, special importance attaches to Chapters (or similar meetings), whether particular or general, at which institutes are called to elect Superiors according to the norms set out in their Constitutions; and to discern, in the light of the Spirit, the best ways to preserve and adapt the charism and the spiritual patrimony to changing historical and cultural situations.” (VC 42).
238. The General Chapter is a communal and ecclesial event of discernment. It is a strategic occasion for the vitality of the Institute, for the process of renewal, for the proposal and development of
57
choices and for facilitating concrete application of decisions taken by the Chapter members.
239. It is up to the General Chapter to achieve an objective verification of the life of the Institute that includes:a. An examination of the current situation;b. To protect the fidelity of the charism of the Foundress, approved by the church, in relation to nature, for the purpose and the spirit of the Institute and to keep the sound traditions that are its patrimony;c. According to this fidelity, it is to promote an adequate renewal according to the needs of the time and of the places where we operate;d. To revise and if necessary, to update our apostolic activities;e. To formulate a common plan for the communities’ common journey within a six-year timeframe;f. To update the formation plan common to all houses of formation in the Institute;g. To promote the permanent spiritual and cultural formation of the religious sisters;h. To study the most suitable means to increase religious observance and discipline;i. To deal with the affairs of greatest importance and to promulgate and approve norms that all the sisters must observe;j. To take into consideration the state of the houses and their activities and to give suitable directives for their development or restructuring;k. To modify the Constitutions and the Directory with the approval of the Apostolic See, with two thirds of the votes of the Chapter members present;l. To examine the finances of the Institute in light of the General Treasure’s report;
m. To establish the amount of money that the Superior General may dispose of without the consent of her Council;n. To determine the sum of money that the local Superiors may spend in dealing with the property of the Institute. Any sum beyond this amount, must have the approval of the Superior General as an extraordinary expense;o. To establish the sum of money that the Superior General may permit local superiors to use for extraordinary expenses without the consent of her Council;p. To examine all proposals received and determine their merits.
58
240. The General Chapter has sufficient competence to give impetus to the functioning of the life of the Institute, projecting it toward the future after attentively looking at its global reality and after reading all the information received in its regard.
241. The General Chapter cannot promulgate laws because it does not have legislative power. But can promulgate norms, even though they are not ecclesiastical laws, that bind persons of the Institute in a physical and juridical manner.
242. Representatives of ecclesiastical institutions may be present for some phases of the Chapter. They can also serve as facilitators and experts who can contribute to the quality of the work of the Chapter.
243. In forming the General Chapter’s commission, the Superior General and her Council, strive to form a qualified team, made up of persons capable of working with one another.
244. The General Chapter Commission’s tasks:a. To prepare the questionnaire to be sent to all the religious sisters of the Institute to give them the opportunity of choosing the proposals to be discussed in community meetings and at the Chapter. b. To gather and sort proposals according to subject matter, to examine all responses received and to formulate the working document to be used for discussion and reflection. c. To send to all the communities and to the sisters who will take part in the General Chapter, the document created from the proposals. This document must be sent at least one month prior to the celebration of the Chapter so it can be studied. d. To help the General Council count the ballots for delegates to the General Chapter. In the Delegations, the counting is done by the Delegate with her Council and two other sisters nominated by the Council. The results are sent to the General Council.e. To receive and, if necessary, to update the Chapter rules;f. To prepare and organize the work groups and their obligations.
245. The following are members by right of the General Chapter: those
indicated in the Constitutions art. 143; by election, 30% of local Superiors to whom must correspond a similar number of religious
59
sisters. There must be an equal amount of religious sisters voting as there are those who are members by right.
246. Election of delegates to the General Chapter, whether Superiors or sisters, takes place in the following manner:a. Delegates are elected according to an allotment system in order to gather a representative sampling of the Order’s membership. The criteria is according to: age groups, different kinds of apostolic work, various jobs and different geographical areas;b. Delegates are elected from among religious sisters in perpetual vows, except for those who are Chapter members by right, from all the professed sisters even those in temporary vows, by an absolute majority of valid votes in the first balloting and a relative majority in the second ballot. The election of delegates begins immediately after receiving the Chapter letter indicating the date for elections. c. By means of the same system, religious sisters residing in Delegations elect their delegates from among the religious sisters in perpetual vows residing in the Delegation.d. In case a delegate is legitimately prevented from attending the Chapter, after having advised the Superior General, the delegate is replaced by the religious sister, who receives the greatest number of votes in a second ballot, after those who had been elected.e. Each religious sister chooses delegates from the one list of eligible members of the Delegation, according to the manner established in this Directory;f. Where no Delegations exist, the list will be prepared according to the indications given by the Superior General with the consent of her Council.g. On an established day and in the presence of the community, the ballots of community members are placed in sealed envelopes and collected by the Superiors. All ballots are placed in one envelope and sealed. The envelope containing the ballots is immediately mailed to the Superior General.
247. The religious sisters, who by reason of health “are incapable of human acts” that are free and conscious, are incapable of casting a vote (cf. CIC can. 171 par. 1).
248. After receiving all ballots, the Superior General examines them with her Council and the Preparatory Commission. They announce the
60
results to all the communities so everyone is aware of the results. If necessary, they proceed to another round of voting.
249. The following norms are to be observed in the elections:a. In case of a tie vote, the older religious sister by First Profession is elected; if both were professed on the same day, then the older by age is elected. b. If in the house where the elections take place, one of the Chapter Delegates is sick and unable to be present in the chapter hall, the two sisters who are ballot counters, go to collect her secretly, written vote and place it in a sealed container.
250. General Chapter members make a three day retreat in common before the beginning of the General Chapter.
251. The work of the General Chapter is carried out according to the rules approved at the beginning of the Chapter itself.
252. Every General Chapter member:a. Conscientiously studies the document created from the proposals so as to be able to intelligently present, discuss and vote upon them;b. Responsibly exercises her freedom of thought and speech in the presentations, discussions and voting;c. Strives to foster the growth and the vitality of the Institute by fraternal dialogue and by respecting the freedom of each member;
d. Maintains the necessary decorum concerning the discussions and voting that takes place in the Chapter;e. Proposes, individually or in a group, important topics to be discussed;f. Cultivates a profound spirit of faith and docility, of prayer and penance, of humility and charity, of union and peace in order to obtain God’s grace and enlightenment.3
253. Jobs and duties during the General Chapter:a. The Chapter Council is formed by the Superior General, who has the task of presiding over it, and by two moderators elected by the assembly. It is their task to:--Guide the work
61
--Resolve problems and overcome difficulties that may be encountered in the course of the Chapter;--Coordinate the discussions and organize the work of the assembly committees;--Periodically review the work calendar and adjust the order of the schedule.b. The Chapter Secretary has the task:--To prepare the minutes of the Chapter;--To read the transcripts of the oral presentations and inform the assembly of the schedule of the day; --To communicate all pertinent information for the smooth running of the sessions.--To communicate the order of activities to the members in full session as established by the council and the president of the assembly;--To prepare and arrange the texts that are still being studied and to file those already voted upon;--To prepare the verbal transcripts of the sessions and the Acts of the Chapter;--To faithfully transcribe the minutes of each session and read the minutes at the beginning of each day.c. The assembly moderators, by turn, direct the work of the sessions of the Chapter.d. The Ballot Counters have the task of:--Distributing the ballots or other materials used for voting;--Making sure that each Chapter member gives her vote in secret;--Collecting, counting and examining the votes and tallying the results to determine whether the ballots correspond to the number of Chapter members.
--Opening the votes, publicly stating the results and signing the voting documents. It is a simple yet delicate task. For that reason, the Ballot Counters are bound in conscience to secrecy regarding information received by reason of their role (cf. CIC can. 173). For the elections, they gather, count and read the ballots containing the names of the candidates in the presence of the one presiding over the session. e. The other Chapter committees are:--The Liturgical Celebrations committee,--The Fraternal Entertainment committee,
62
--The Small Group Secretaries committee who together with the Chapter Secretary prepare all the necessary materials and documents.
254. The invited expert presenter or facilitator is not a Chapter member; they participate in some of the Chapter’s sessions and celebrations with specific tasks that are entrusted to them by the General Council and confirmed by the Chapter members.
255. The Chapter members are organized into committees - a minimum of eight persons and a maximum of ten. The committees have the task of understanding, discussing and commenting on the information, texts and proposals received.
256. The report on the general state of the Institute, presented by the Superior General, is distributed to the Chapter members so they can examine it and ask for clarifications. The Delegates also present the Chapter members with a complete report on the state of the Delegations.
257. The report by the General Treasurer is discussed and approved by the entire assembly.
258. The election of the Superior General and her Council is a very important and serious matter because it affects the functioning of the life of the Institute, the future and its capacity to attract others to the Institute and the image it projects to those who come in contact with the Institute. Therefore, before the election, Chapter members pray to be guided by the Holy Spirit, avoiding favoritism and distancing themselves from every form of self-seeking and from other motives that may bring personal advantages directly or indirectly, immediately or in the future.
259. After the election, the outgoing Superior General hands over the Seal of the Institute to the newly elected Superior General.
260. The newly elected Superior General takes the following oath of office:
PROFESSION OF FAITH(FORMULA TO BE USED IN CASES IN WHICH A PROFESSION OF FAITH IS PRESCRIBED):
63
I N.N. firmly believe and profess with firm faith the truths, individually and wholly, contained in the [Nicene] Creed, that is: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through Him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
With firm faith, I also believe everything contained in the word of God, whether written or handed down in Tradition, which the Church, either by a solemn judgment or by the ordinary and universal Magisterium, sets before to be believed as divinely revealed.
I also firmly accept and hold each and everything definitively by the Church regarding teachings on faith and morals.
Moreover, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops enunciate when they exercise their authentic Magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim these teachings by a definitive act.
OATH OF FIDELITYON ASSUMING AN OFFICE
TO BE EXERCISED IN THE NAME OF THE CHURCH4
(Formula to be used by all the faithful mentioned in can. 833 nos. 5-8)
64
I, NN, in assuming the office of Superior General of the Institute of Our Lady of Mount Carmel promise that in my words and in my actions I shall always preserve communion with the Catholic Church.
With great care and fidelity I shall carry out the duties incumbent on me toward the Church, both universal and particular, in which, according to the provisions of the law, I have been called to exercise my service.
In fulfilling the charge entrusted to me in the name of the Church, I shall hold fast to the deposit of faith in its entirety; I shall faithfully hand it on and explain it, and I shall avoid any teachings contrary to it.
I shall follow and foster the common discipline of the entire Church and I shall maintain the observance of all ecclesiastical laws, especially those contained in the Code of Canon Law.
With Christian obedience I shall follow what the Bishops, as authentic doctors and teachers of the faith, declare, or what they, as those who govern the Church, establish. I shall also faithfully assist the diocesan Bishops, so that the apostolic activity, exercised in the name and by mandate of the Church, may be carried out in communion with the Church.
So help me God, and God’s Holy Gospels on which I place my hand.
I shall foster the common discipline of the entire Church and I shall insist on the observance of all ecclesiastical laws, especially those contained in the Code of Canon Law.
With Christian obedience I shall follow what the Bishops, as authentic doctors and teachers of the faith, declare, or what they, as those who govern the Church, established. I shall also – with due regard for the character and purpose of my Institute – faithfully assist the diocesan Bishops, so that the apostolic activity, exercised in the name and by mandate of the Church, maybe carried out in communion with the Church.
261. After the Superior General has taken the oath of office, all the Chapter members go in procession to the chapel where the “Te Deum” is sung. After the hymn, all the Sisters make an act of obedience to her.
65
3.3 Superior General(Constitutions, art. 177-189)
“Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find favor with God.” (Sir 3:18)
“But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mt. 20:26-28)
“Superiors in the conferral of offices and members in elections are to observe the norms of universal and proper law, are to abstain from any abuse or partiality, and are to appoint or elect those whom they know in the Lord to be truly worthy and suitable, having nothing before their eyes but God and the good of the Institute. Moreover, in elections, they are to avoid any procurement of votes, either directly or indirectly, whether for themselves or for others.” (CIC can. 626).
“You should elect, motivated by no other intention except, for the good of the community” (Writings, Rules 5, p. 182).
262. The Superior General called to the greatest responsibility of the Institute, by the trust of the sisters, is the first one responsible for our religious family and exercises her authority in the name of God and in the spirit of service; she protects the internal unity, promotes communion among the sisters and maintains the vital charism of the Institute.
263. The Superior General fulfills her role as one who motivates, forms and guides in the spirit of Mother Scrilli and Mother Mosca and governs the Institute with the help of the Vicar and General Council.
264. The Superior General is elected for a six-year term and may be re-elected for another six-year term. Permission from the Holy See is
66
necessary for a third six-year term. At least two thirds of the votes of the Chapter members present are needed for her approval.
265. After her term of office is over, the Superior General is transferred to another community other than the Generalate.
266. The ex-Superior General may choose her residence only at the end of her term of office. She is then subject to ordinary obedience for her good, the good of the Institute and of the Church.
3.4 The General Council (Constitutions, art. 190-202)
“Refrain not from speaking at the proper time and hide not away your wisdom; For it is through speech that wisdom becomes known and knowledge through the tongue’s rejoinder. … Winnow not in every wind, and start not off in every direction.” (Sir 4:23-24; 5:11).
“According to the norm of the constitutions, Superiors are to have their own council, whose assistance they must use in carrying out their function.
In addition to the cases prescribed in universal law, proper law is to determine the cases which require consent or counsel to act validly; such consent or counsel must be obtained according to the norm of Canon 127” (CIC can. 627 par. 1 and 2).
267. The General Council is composed of four Councilors. The General Council is not a governing body, but one of collaboration, consultation and participation. The Councilors have no authority to make decisions. They serve only to advise the Superior General.
The Councilors are not a juridical body and the Councilors are not properly
speaking superiors.
268. In the exercise of her office, the Superior General makes use of the contribution of her Council that the Institute has placed at her side, so she may obtain the Council’s consent or opinion before making decisions.
269. It is in the best interest of the Institute to entrust this service of General Councilors to well-balanced sisters who are reserved, prudent and
67
spiritually mature, who love and respect the Institute and its charism and who know how to collaborate harmoniously among themselves and with the Superior General.
270. Sisters who have at least five years of Perpetual Profession may be elected to the office of General Councilor.
271. Specific duties are assigned to the Councilors according to their aptitudes and preparation. For this reason, sisters are elected who are capable of promoting the path of the Institute according to the various aspects formulated in the Chapter plan. They may only assume duties compatible with those entrusted to them by the Chapter.
272. The Councilors are informed of matters for which their council is requested. Their opinions are given sincerely and objectively. They are to maintain secrecy regarding whatever matters come to their attention.
273. The Vicar General is the Superior General’s first assistant in the task of promoting the life and charism of the Institute. The Vicar General substitutes for the Superior General when the Superior General is absent and carries out the duties the Superior General has entrusted to her.
274. With the exception of the Vicar General, who must reside in the Generalate, the other Councilors may live in other communities.
275. If it is necessary for the Superior General to take the Vicar General with her on her travels abroad, the Superior General delegates one of the Councilors as her representative during their absence. The Superior General informs the communities of the designated sister.
276. The Superior General must ask the consent of her Council according to articles 182 and 183 of the Constitutions. The following are additional situations that require the consent of the General Council.They are:a. Forming a new Delegation;b. Naming the Delegates, Superiors and Treasurers of the Delegations;c. Naming local Superiors or removing Superiors because of grave reasons; naming the Novice Directress and Junior Directress;
68
d. Admitting Postulants to the Novitiate, Novices to Temporary Profession and those in Temporary Vows to Perpetual Profession. Within Delegations, these admissions are made by the Delegate and her Council with prior permission of the Superior General and her Council.e. Admitting those who must provide for the needs of their parents.f. Admitting those who were Postulants or Novices in other Institutes;g. Admitting widows;h. Excluding sisters from Renewal of Vows or from Perpetual Profession;i. Granting a return to the lay state of those religious sisters in Temporary Vows who freely request it.j. Dismissing a religious sister in Temporary Vows from the Institute;k. Dismissing a religious sister in Perpetual Vows, observing the norms of Canon Law (can. 699 par. 1);l. Appointing a General Councilor, a Secretary General and a General Treasurer in cases either of a renunciation of the office or dismissal from the office for grave reasons or because the sister becomes incapacitated in fulfilling the job or because of death.m. Accepting a religious sister coming from another Institute.n. Readmitting a Novice or Professed sister to the Institute who had left legitimately;o. Erecting houses with the previous written consent of the Ordinary of the place and the suppressing of houses.p. Transferring the Generalate and Novitiate from one location to another;q. Designating the date and place where the General Chapter is to be celebrated;r. Approving the reports the General Treasurer presents to the Chapter;s. Acquiring permanent goods, discarding goods or contracting mortgages which have a value greater than the sum established by CIVCSVA or the selling of precious objects.t. Acquiring permission of the Holy See in required matters; u. Responding to matters of greater importance ordered by the General Chapter or the Superior General with the consent of her Council;v. Preparing the voting list of potential Chapter Delegates for the communities that do not form a Delegation;w. Approving the habit of the Novices;
69
x. Dispensing from the use of the habit;y. Permitting a change in the color of the habit, while still maintaining the same form.z. Granting a religious sister a leave of absence for no longer than one year;aa. Granting a leave of absence for longer than one year for just reasons;bb. Granting Exclaustration for a term not exceeding three years;cc. Returning a religious sister to the lay state in the case of grave scandal;dd. Observing the expiration dates in the transfers of religious sisters;ee. Preparing the outline of Statutes for the Delegations. ff. Responding to other cases of Common Law, the Constitutions or the Directory that require the consent of the General Council.
277. In the above mentioned cases, the votes of the General Councilors will be taken in secret; and in case of a tie vote, the decision will be cast by the vote of the Superior General.
278. Cases in which the Superior General must seek the opinion of her Council:
a. Admitting candidates to the Aspirancy;b. Admitting Aspirants to the Postulancy;c. Prolonging the time of the Postulancy;d. Naming the Directress of Postulants;e. Anticipating or postponing Perpetual Profession;f. Transferring sisters from one house to another;g. Relieving a religious sister, for a just reason, from her apostolic
duty and transferring her to another community;h. Naming a Visitor General who is not part of the General Council;i. Naming the Secretary General;j. Naming the General Treasurer;k. Naming the Councilors in the Delegations;l. Naming the local Councilors;m. Naming the local Treasurer;n. Uniting the office of the local Superior and local Treasurer;o. Entrusting a sister with the responsibility of Permanent Formation.
70
3.5. The Secretary General(Constitutions, art. 203-205)
“Skilled artisans are esteemed for their deftness; but the ruler of his people is the skilled sage”. (Sir. 9:17)
279. The Secretary General has the task of:a. Regularly attending the General Council and recording the
minutes, deliberations and official documents of the Institute;b. Preparing and forwarding the agreements and contracts needed for
the opening of new houses;c. Receiving, sending, and copying official letters of the Institute and
keeping them on file.d. Maintaining active communications within the Institute;e. Preparing the paperwork for residency permits;f. Knowing English in addition to Italian, if possible.
280. The Secretary General is responsible for the general archives, the chronicles of the Institute, registries and general statistics.
281. To foster a historical knowledge and a deepening of the spirit of the Institute, the Secretary General conserves the patrimony of the Institute through her documentation.
282. The Secretary General is the custodian of the archives of the Institute. She makes available the historical data of the Institute. Only the Superior General has access to the sisters’ personal data.
283. The Secretary General should be free from other duties that could hamper the fulfillment of her task.
3.6The General Treasurer(Constitutions, art. 206-210)
“Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim when it is in your power to do it for him. Say not to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give,” when you can give at once.” (Proverbs 3:27-28)
71
“In each institute and likewise in each province which is governed by a major superior, there is to be a finance officer, distinct from the major superior and constituted according to the norm of proper law, who is to manage the administration of goods under the direction of the respective superior. Insofar as possible, a finance officer distinct from the local superior is to be designated even in local communities” (CIC an. 636 par. 1).
“The treasurer must keep records of everything that comes to the house, whether it be alms or payment for work. You are also to keep a record of everything you spend” (Writings, Constitutions 18, p. 198).
“Take special care not to undertake any expenses or plans […] without having first reported to and obtained the permission and approval of the Mother [Superior]” (Writings, Constitutions, Regulation 7, 249).
284. The Superior General and her Council will carefully select the General Treasurer. The General Treasurer should be aware that she is the administrator of the Institutes’ property and not its owner.
285. The General Treasurer should be a prudent and diligent worker. She should be experienced in accounting and economics.
286. The General Treasurer seeks the advice of lay consultants to assist in administrating the finances of the Institute. She should use the funds of the Institute for their intended purposes and in the best way possible.
287. The General Treasurer should have a strong sense of the charism and mission of the Institute. She should be discrete and have the capacity to keep pace with the trends of religious life.
288. The General Treasurer should have at least two assisting councilors. (cf. CIC can. 1280).
289. The General Treasurer may enlarge the number of members of the Council of the Treasurer with treasurers from the Delegations and with lay experts.
290. The task of the General Treasurer and her Council is to:
72
a. Prepare information concerning economics, administration and finance for the Superior General and her Council so they may make educated and fiscally sound decisions.b. Prepare the budget and other financial documents to present to the Superior General and her Council.
291. The General Treasurer collaborates with the Superior General and her Council, the two councilor treasurers and other financial, professional collaborators from outside the Institute.
292. The General Treasurer promotes an internal and external transparency and responsibility in the use and management of funds among the members of the Institute. The General Treasurer carefully maintains all records concerning payments received and all financial transactions.
293. Every six months, the General Treasurer requests financial reports from the Delegations and the local Superiors or Treasurers.
294. Property Titles, Securities, monies and/or other financial valuables are kept in the Generalate or are deposited in banks.
295. The Superior General has other sisters prepare to periodically assume the task of administration.
3.7 The General Delegation(Constitutions, art. 211-218)
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” (1 Cor. 1:10).
“Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God’s chosen ones and the recognition of religious truth, in the hope of eternal life that God, who does not lie, promised before time began, who indeed at the proper time revealed his word in the proclamation with which
73
I was entrusted by the command of God our Savior, to Titus, my true child in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. For this reason I left you in Crete so that you might set right what remains to be done and appoint presbyters in every town, as I directed you, on condition that a man be blameless, married only once, with believing children who are not accused of licentiousness or rebellious.” (Titus 1:1-6).
“These […] houses have the Rule, customs and everything else in common.” (Writings, Regulations 2, p. 248).
296. The Delegation is a unity of all the local communities that share the same fraternal life and apostolic mission according to the charism of the Institute. The communities of the Delegation are conscious of being part of one religious family in harmony with the Superior General and all the sisters of the Institute.
297. The Institute has spread its apostolic activity beyond the confines of Italy to foreign countries not easily or frequently visited by the Superior General. For this reason, Delegations have been created, entrusting the spiritual, communal and apostolic care of the sisters to a Delegate who enjoys their trust and that of the Superior General.
298. Every Delegation has its own Delegate representing the supreme authority of the Institute. The Delegate depends directly on the Superior General and is bound to obey all her directives.
299. Every Delegation develops its own Statutes, keeping in mind, the
guidelines provided by the Superior General with the consent of her Council.
300. The Superior General entrusts the position of the Delegate to a Perpetually Professed sister who is over thirty-five years of age. She must be discrete and emotionally, psychologically and spiritually mature. She must love the Institute and be faithful to its foundational charism.
301. The Superior General may increase the number of Delegation Councilors to three members.
74
302. The Delegation uses the Formation Plan of the Institute for the formation of candidates to religious life, adapting the plan according to location and customs.
303. During the Juniorate, the Delegate sends the Juniors sisters to Italy for a year so that they may acquire a global knowledge of the Institute and perfect their knowledge of Italian. The Superior General and her Council have the opportunity to gain a greater knowledge of these Junior sisters. This acquaintance with the Junior sisters helps them to make the decision to admit them to Perpetual Profession.
304. The Delegate of the Delegation selects a religious sister to be the Vocation Director and take the responsibility for promoting vocations.
3.8 The Local Community(Constitutions, art. 219-231).
“For as in one body we have many parts and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another.” (Rm. 12:4-5).
“A religious community must live in a legitimately established house under the authority of a superior designated according to the norm of law. Each house is to have at least an oratory in which the Eucharist is to be celebrated and reserved so that it is truly the center of the community.” (CIC can. 608).
“Superiors, in union with the persons entrusted to them, are called to build a fraternal community in Christ in which God is sought and loved above all things, in order to fulfill God’s redemptive plan. Therefore, persons in authority are at the service of the community as was the Lord Jesus who washed the feet of his disciples, in order that the community in its turn be at the service of the reign of God.” (SAO 17).
For this purpose, with loving solicitude and motherly love, plead, request, exhort, warn and correct […]. Spare no effort less the spirit and fervor of the community deteriorate under your care which is seriously charged in conscience and is responsible before God and the Mother [General]” (Writings, Regulations 15, p 250).
75
305. Our communities are expressions and incarnations of the form of evangelical life according to the charism proper to our Institute. United by a common vocation, our Congregation consists of our communities that express our lifestyle. We continue to be a sign and witness of our communion through sharing the same mission and charism.
306. Every community, formed by sisters who are equal, although different one from another, assumes the responsibility to live the mission of the Institute. The community is to be a place of hearing and sharing the Word, for Liturgical celebration, for the teaching of prayer, and for accompaniment through spiritual direction. (cfr.RdC 8).
307. The Superior, who is responsible for the community, is a “sign of unity and a guide in the unanimous search for the personal and communal fulfillment of God’s Will” (SAO 1).
308. The Superior General with the consent of her Council, after having consulted the Delegate of the Delegations, appoints sisters who are charitable and adequately prepared to be responsible for the local communities. Furthermore, the local Superiors are to ensure that there are sisters prepared to undertake specific tasks within the community.
309. To assume the position of local Superior, the religious sister should be at least thirty years old and have completed three years of Perpetual Profession.
310. The local Superior should be free of duties that would impede her from
dedicating herself to the service of the sisters. The local Superior should devote her time to building up a truly fraternal community.
311. The local Superior is obligated by reason of her office to have scheduled and constructive community meetings conducted with fraternal dialogue.
312. Once the term of the local Superior expires, she is to be transferred to another community, if possible.
313. In the Statutes of the communities under the jurisdiction of the Superior General and in the Delegations, there is to be established a
76
personal monthly allowance for the sisters in Perpetual Vows, according to local customs and usage. For sisters in Temporary Vows, the community decides on the amount of their allowance.
3.9Administration of the Goods of the Institute(Constitutions, art. 232-236).
“As for you, do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not worry anymore. All the nations of the world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek His kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides.” (Lk. 12:29-31)
“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.” (Heb. 13:16)
“At the time and in the manner established by proper law, finance officers and other administrators are to render an account of their administration to the competent authority.” (CIC can. 636 par. 2)
“Divine Providence has never failed to provide for the need of His servants in this place. I have good reason for this hope, although in the beginning, it was only faith that I had.” (Writings, p. 113).
314. The Superior General, aided by her Council, is the first administrator of the temporal goods of the Institute. Before God, the Church and the Institute, she must account for these goods. The Superior General is also responsible for the work of the General Treasurer and those Treasurers of the Delegation and local communities.
315. The Superior General, aided by her Council and the General Treasurer, must know the current financial reality of the Delegations in order to establish priorities in carrying out activities and monetary investments.
316. The General Treasurer administers the goods within the Institute, the Delegation Treasurer administers the goods within the Delegation and the Local Treasurer administers the goods within the community.
77
317. The roles of Treasurer and Superior should be assigned to different sisters, but in small communities, the Superior may also act as Treasurer.
318. All Treasurers carry out their proper task under the direction of their respective Superiors.
319. Duties of Superiors and Treasurers:
They are to:a. Safeguard and oversee the goods entrusted to them by the Institute;b. Ensure that the property and goods of the Institute are insured in a civilly valid manner;c. Observe canonical and civil requirements to prevent any scandals for the Institute and the Church;d. Keep well-ordered and accurate accounts of income and disbursements;e. Prepare a six-month administrative report for the General Treasurer; f. Prepare an administrative report at the end of each year.g. Accurately observe all civil laws related to labor and society.h. Pay employees honestly and justly.
Recommendations of Mother Scrilli to the Temporary Superior:
The Superior will notify (the Superior General) faithfully and promptly of all the spiritual and temporal needs of her community.The Superior will take care not to make any expenditures and provisions except for necessary things, without first having requested the permission and approval of the Mother [General]. There should be uniformity in regards to daily food, so that it should never be said that the sisters are better off in one house than in another. Alms or donations of any kind, should be distributed to the sisters of the house and be shared with the others houses in proportion to the number of sisters, or better, according to the decision of the Mother Superior. The Superior should have a book of income and expenses for the house and should be exact in registering those things even in the smallest matters, in order to have a good and regular administration, as is the customary practice in every well-ordered family. This administrative book should be sent to Mother General every six months and even more frequently, if requested.
78
(Writings, p. 249). 3.10 The Value of the Constitutions(Constitutions, art. 237-239)
“And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” (Jn. 14:13)
“All must observe faithfully the mind and designs of the founders regarding the nature, purpose, spirit, and character of an Institute, which have been sanctioned by competent ecclesiastical authority, and its sound traditions, all of which constitute the patrimony of the same Institute” (CIC can. 578).
“Par.1 To protect more faithfully the proper vocation and identity of each Institute, the fundamental code or constitutions of every Institute must contain, besides those things which are to be observed as stated in Canon 578, fundamental norms regarding governance of the Institute, the discipline of members, incorporation and formation of members and the proper object of the sacred bonds.
Par. 2 A code of this type is approved by competent authority of the Church and can be changed only with the consent of the Church.
Par. 4 Other norms established by competent authority of an Institute are to be collected suitably in other codes and, moreover, can be reviewed appropriately and adapted according to the needs of places and times.” (CIC, can. 587 par. 1, 2, 4)
“From the beginning, the Institute has been governed according to the approved Rule and Constitutions” (Writings, Rule and Constitutions, Introduction, p. 179).
320. The Constitutions, the fundamental law of the Institute, contain the spirit of the Foundress, the patrimony or charism of the Institute, the unique and particular vocation, identity and purpose of the Institute within the autonomy granted by the Church.
321. The Constitutions, with the exception of the prescriptions that refer to divine or ecclesiastical laws or the vows, do not obligate one under penalty of sin, but that does not mean that one is exempt from moral culpability if one violates them through formal disdain or habitual neglect, which leads to the relaxation of religious life.
79
322. The Superior General with the consent of her Council, may dispense all the norms contained in the present Directory, except those of Common Law.
323. We place our trust in Christ, the faithful Witness, and accept the means
and helps that the Constitutions offer us in order to live our consecration in a wholesome way, with an ever-deepening spiritual renewal.
324. With the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, may God the
Father, grant us the grace to grow interiorly strong and to live the Constitutions, since observance of the Constitutions is the best means to enable the Institute to prosper.
325. May Mary, Mother of Carmel, our sister and mirror of all the virtues of her Son Jesus; render us ever more humble and faithful to the Gospel.
1 A. Calabrese, Religious Institutes. Outlines of canon law. Rome 1986, p. 62-63.2 A. Calabrese, The Religious Institutes Outlines of canon law . Rome 1986, p. 339.3 Scarvaglieri G., The General Chapter, Celebration Preparation Implementation . Milan 2002, p. 49-50.4 IEC, Oath of Fidelity Upon Assuming An Office To Be Exercised On Behalf of the Church. , in NCEI 1990, pp.. 181-182.
80