| |
|
| |
|
CARMELITE
FRIARS
Our
Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is in the care of the Carmelites. The first Carmelite Priory in Wentworthville
was established in 1956 when the Carmelites arrived in the
parish. Later, in 1961, Prior and Parish Priest Fr.
Paul Knüppel O.Carm built the current priory building
adjacent to the church. The priory building serves not only
as the community house for Wentworthville's Carmelites, but
also as the parish offices.
The
Carmelites were established in the 12th Century, with no known
founder. Rather, the order began as a group of lay hermits
who lived on Mount Carmel, on the Israeli coast. Drawn by
the spirit of the prophet Elijah, they placed themselves in
the care of Mary. They were given a rule by St Albert, Patriarch
of Jerusalem and became the "Brothers of the Blessed
Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel", coming together to eat
and pray and minister to passing pilgrims. In 1247, Pope Innocent
IV changed the Carmelites' hermit way of living into a community
life. From that time, the "Whitefriars" grew in
number, opening houses in Europe and moving further into a
ministry of preaching and spiritual direction.
|
The first
Carmelites in Australia were two lay convicts, John Butler and
James Dempsey, who arrived in 1802, transported for their part
in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The first official Carmelite
foundation in Australia was made at Gawler, South Australia,
in 1881 by the Irish Carmelites. They
took over Sandridge Parish (now Middle Park - Port Melbourne
Parish) in Melbourne in 1882, and established a novitiate in
Albert Park in 1928. Since then, they have ministered to parishes
in Brisbane, Perth and New Zealand, as well as Wentworthville.
Members of the Carmelite
community may work in parish ministry, as well as other areas
such as hospital and naval chaplaincy, and retreat facilitation
and education. Some serve in roles within the order worldwide.
The members of the Carmelite community in Wentworthville are:
Fr John Powell O.Carm (Prior)
Fr Anthony Scerri O.Carm
Fr Bernard Shah O.Carm
Fr Michael Brundell O.Carm
Fr Denis Andrew O.Carm
Fr Paul Sireh O.Carm.
LEARN
MORE ABOUT THE ORDER OF CARMEL
Carmelite
Province of Our Lady Help of Christians, Australia and Timor-Leste
The Carmelites
Website
The
O.Carm Mutimedia Area has videos, digital presentations,
music and images to help people learn more about the Carmelite
Order:
|
|
|
|
