VII Inter-Faith Youth Gathering in Pontianak, West Borneo On April 9-12, 2026, the Wahid Foundation, in collaboration with Temasek Foundation, Hamoni in Action, SADAP, Gusdurian, and SAKA (Yayasan Suar Asa Katulistiwa) held a program to promote interreligious harmony and cooperation among people with different religious backgrounds in Pontianak, the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan.The theme of the gathering was Environmental Ethics and Religion. There were 15 speakers from the ...Continue Reading

 May  –  Mayo  –  Maggio 2026ENGLISH | ESPAÑOL | ITALIANODownload English: ocarm.org/en/prayer/lectiodivina Descargar Español: ocarm.org/es/prayer/lectiodivina Scarica Italiano: ocarm.org/it/prayer/lectiodivina ENGLISHLECTIO DIVINA - May 2026Lectio Divina May 2026 [Pdf]Lectio Divina May 2026 [ePub]Lectio Divina May 2026 [Mobi] If you wish to receive updates on current news from the Carmelite Order, subscribe to CITOC News at ocarm.org------ocarm.org------+& ...Continue Reading

 *General Commissariat of Portugal Holds Elective Chapter in Fatima, Portugal*The triennial chapter of the General Commissariat of Portugal as held April 21-23, 2026 in Hotel Casa São Nuno in Fatima. The theme of the chapter – echoing the theme of the General Chapter in 2025 – was: “You Must Do Some Work” (Rule 20). Our Contemplative Fraternity Discerns Its Mission in Portugal. Before the chapter, the preparatory commission did a lot of work synthesizing the reflections of the friars and the communitie ...Continue Reading

Elective Chapter Held in Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation in Granada, Spain At noon on April 15, 2026, the Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation in Granada (Spain) held its triennial elective chapter. After celebrating the Eucharist and singing a hymn to the Holy Spirit, the nuns began the elective chapter with the election of the prioress.The monastery is part of the “Mater et Decor Carmeli” Federation and is located in the Diocese of Granada. Originally an ascetery (/asceterium/), in 1508 it became an encl ...Continue Reading

Carmelite NGOApril 23 Marks International Book DayThis annual event organized by UNESCO (United Nations Educations, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) promotes reading and publishing. Books are like a window onto another world – with each new page, they introduce us to new people, new cultures and new ideas. World Book Day is celebrated in recognition of the power of books as a bridge between generations and across cultures.Read more ...To learn what Carmelite books are available, go to: Edizioni Carmelita ...Continue Reading

Celebrating at Home: The Good Shephard Calls His Own by Name, and They Recognize His VoiceFourth Sunday of EasterThe Fourth Sunday of Easter is often called “Good Shepherd Sunday” because no matter what reading cycle we are in, the Gospel always focusses on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.This year, the Gospel reading talks about Jesus as the ‘gate of the sheepfold’, that is, Jesus is the one through whom we truly enter into the fold of God.Any reflection about Jesus as the Good Shepherd also serves as a reminde ...Continue Reading

 *British Province Holds Chapter at Aylesford, England*The British Province held its 20th Provincial Chapter since its restoration in September 1969. The chapter was held April 13-17, 2026. The elections took place at an assembly in February. All those election were confirmed by the prior general, Desiderio García Martínez, O. Carm., on the first afternoon of the Chapter proper.The following leadership were confirmed:.     .      .  *La Provincia Británica cel ...Continue Reading

Portrait (cropped) by Antonio Maria Crespi (Public Domain)Bl. Baptist Spagnoli: The Christian VirgilApril 17th | MemorialBaptist Spagnoli was a literary genius. He devoted the fruitfulness of his extraordinary literary ability to the service of the Order and the Church. His Apologia pro Ordine Carmelitarum (Apology for the Order of Carmelites) stands as the principal testimony to his love for Carmel, while his total devotion to the Church is attested not only by his poems in honor of Popes Inno ...Continue Reading

CAUSA NOSTRAE LAETITIAEPROFESSIO SOLEMNIS*14-03-26  Randy Fernando Romero Morillo (Baet-Ven) La Victoria, Venezuela19-03-26  Kacper Galiński (Pol) Krakow, Poland19-03-26  Piotr Grudziński (Pol) Krakow, PolandORDINATIO DIACONALIS*21-03-26  Horacio Antonio Vargas Cáceres (Baet-Ven) La Concepción, VenezuelaORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS*07-03-26  Manuel Antonio Villarreal Franco (Baet-Ven) Mucunchies, Venezuela 25-03-26  Davi Maria Santos (Pern) Recife, Brasil11-04-26  Daniele ...Continue Reading

Celebrating at Home: Strangers Share a Journey, Hearts Begin to Burn and They Recognize HimThird Sunday of EasterLuke’s wonderful story of the two disciples on the way to Emmaus is another story of transformation through personal encounter with the risen Jesus.It is a heart-warming story and we can easily identify with the two disciples feeling crushed by the weight of their shattered dreams. They don’t believe the story of the women that Jesus is alive. They don’t recognise the stranger when he walks beside them. ...Continue Reading