- 303 Haggar College Center
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
(574) 284-4579 - Director of Media Relations
Gwen O'Brien
gobrien@saintmarys.edu
Saint Mary’s to Host 25th Annual Carmelite Seminar
Saint Mary’s College to Host 25th Annual Carmelite Seminar
Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579
May 12, 2010 (Notre Dame, Ind.)— Saint Mary’s College will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its annual Summer Seminar on Carmelite Spirituality June 16-20, 2010. The 2010 event will be a conference entitled “Carmel’s Quest for the Living God.” The celebration will take place on the campus of the college under the sponsorship of its Center for Spirituality. Laity, religious sisters and clergy of all faiths have attended this annual event since June of 1985 and are welcome at the 2010 conference. This year as well as in the past participants have come from countries as far away as England, Japan and the Philippines to explore how Carmelite Spirituality may enrich the lives of Christians.
The conference will open with a lecture on Wednesday evening, June 16th, by Father Camilo Maccise, former superior general of the Carmelites. Father Fernando Millán Romeral, prior general of the Carmelites, will lecture late Saturday evening, June 19th. Mrs. Dolores Leckey, a fellow at Woodstock Jesuit Center for Theology, will lecture on Thursday evening, June 17th. Ms Leckey will lecture on how the laity can learn to live a fuller Christian life by exploring the wisdom of Carmelite Spirituality.
On Friday evening, June 18th, participants will be guests of the University of Notre Dame’s Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism. This “Evening of Sacred Music,” will feature the University of Notre Dame Folk choir under the direction of Mr. Steven Warner. This event of sacred music will occur at Washington Hall, on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.
During the mornings of June 17, 18 and 19, members of the North American Carmelite Forum will present workshops on the spirituality of Carmelites like Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Saint Therese of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity, Carmelite Devotions and other topics. The Carmelite Forum have been teaching in this annual event since the summer of 1985. This group consists of Vilma Seelaus, Constance FitzGerald, Mary Frohlich, Kieran Kavanaugh, Kevin Culligan, John Welch, Patrick McMahon, Daniel Chowning, Steven Payne and Keith J. Egan, all of whom lecture and teach Carmelite spirituality throughout the world. Workshops and lectures in the past have been made into CD’s and into several books. The keynote lectures of the 2010 conference will be available in CD form by the Clarion, a Carmelite publication.
A banquet on Saturday evening, June 19th, will be part of the conference’ anniversary celebrations. The conference will conclude with the celebration of the Eucharist on the morning of June 20th.
The Carmelite Order originated on Mount Carmel in the middle ages and has two main branches, the Discalced Carmelites and the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance. Laity have been affiliated with the Carmelite Order since the middle ages. The special emphasis of Carmelite spirituality is on prayer and contemplation. Carmelite books will be on special sale at discounted prices during the conference. Three Carmelite saints have been declared doctors of the Church: Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Therese of Lisieux. The title doctor of the church means that these Carmelite saints have passed on teachings of special value globally.
This conference is part of the yearlong 25th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Center for Spirituality at Saint Mary’s College. Contact the Center for Spirituality at (574) 284-4636 or by email for more information.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the nation's top 100 liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's 2010 annual survey. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
