Une Grande Fete! Apostolic Carmel Sesquicentennial Celebration in France
Une Grande Fete! {A Great Celebration} Apostolic Carmel Sesquicentennial Celebration in France
Mangaluru: The Apostolic Carmel (AC) Congregation was founded by Venerable Mother Veronica of the Passion, an English lady, an Anglican converted to Catholicism, at Bayonne, France on 16th July, 1868. The foundation house in Bayonne had to be closed down in 1873 but the sapling planted at St. Ann’s Convent, Mangalore in 1870 grew as the Mother House and the Apostolic Carmel bloomed as an indigenous congregation. When the foundation was closed, the AC Community in Trivandrum who had to be under the jurisdiction of the Carmelite Fathers became a separate congregation, the Congregation of the Carmelite Religious (CCR). Hence, Mother Veronica is hailed as the foundress of two religious congregations. After the grand joint Sesquicentennial celebrations by the two congregations in Bangalore in May 2018 it was but fitting we had another joint celebration at the place of our Foundation in France.
After closing down the Little Carmel in Bayonne, Mother Veronica returned to the Cloistered Carmel in Pau, France, about 35kms from Lourdes. She was called to her eternal reward in 1906 and was buried in the common Catholic cemetery at Pau as was the practice then. The Foundation house in Bayonne at the vicinity of Bayonne Cloistered Carmel, about 95 kms from Pau, does not exist anymore. Hence, the place where our foundress had her last sojourn on earth and a small AC community lives at this hallowed ground in Pau was the right venue for the Sesquicentennial Celebration.
Along with the Superiors General of both the Congregations thirty AC Sisters from India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Kuwait, Bahrain, Italy and France and fourteen CCR Sisters from India and Rome gathered for the celebration at Pau on 13th July. The celebrations included a visit on 15th July, to the Cloistered Carmel at Bayonne, the location of the AC foundation. We touched and kissed the sacred soil and breathed in the spiritual presence of our foundress. The Cloistered sisters welcomed us, treated us high tea and had warm interactions with us, thus three Carmelite groups met, sharing the joy of the occasion. The day ended with Solemn Vespers of our Lady of Mount Carmel intoned by the Clustered Carmelites in French with the rest of us joining them in silent adoration.
The Sesquicentennial celebration on 16th July 2018 began with Morning Prayer at Pau Chapel where our Foundress Mother Veronica lived and the Cloister to which she had led the Little Arab, St. Mary of Jesus Crucified, to be a Cloistered religious. The actual Eucharistic celebration was held at St. Therese Church, Pau, the parish church, along with a hundred and more enthusiastic parishioners who even led the choir. Most Rev. Dr. Marc Aillet, Bishop of Bayonne was the main celebrant along with nineteen priests from the neighbouring parishes, the Betharram Superior General, Provincial Superior and Fathers. The entrance procession included the carrying of lamps and the Indian traditional umbrellas while the choir welcomed the Lord and His people to the Eucharistic Altar.
The Eucharistic celebration in French interspersed with some prayers in English and the Aarathi by the sisters at the grand Amen, added solemnity to the occasion. Sr. Vinaya, the Superior of the AC Community in Pau enlightened the audience with a commentary on the significance of the occasion and the vote of thanks by Sr. Susheela, AC Superior General. An Aperetif (light refreshments) followed by a grand banquet with Indian cuisines was the climax of the celebration. We pray that our beloved foundress, Venerable Mother Veronica of the Passion may be raised to the honours of the altars
