Thursday, June 15, 2006

Paterno: Therese of the Holy Spirit

Folks,

This morning (June 11) your Auntie Beth, Leonid and I witnessed your Auntie Tessie and 15 others making their definitive promise as a Secular Discalced Carmelite (SDC) at Mt. Carmel Shrine in New Manila. The actual ceremony was done during Mass, after a rather lengthy homily by the celebrant imported from Bacolod and before the offertory.

Some (not your Auntie Tessie) of them were in tears and could hardly speak as one by one they kneeled down before the Carmelite superior and stated:
"I, ______, inspired by the Holy Spirit, in response to God's call, sincerely promise to the superiors of the Order of the Teresian Carmel and to you, my brothers and sisters, to tend to evangelical perfection in the spirit of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience and of the Beatitudes, according to the primitive Rule and the Constitution of the Secular Discalced Carmelites, for the rest of my life. I confidently entrust this my promise to the Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Carmel."

Auntie Tessie's name as an SDC is "Therese of the Holy Spirit."

After Mass, there was lunch with lechon. Auntie Tessie appears in very good health and spirits. An SDC does not live in a monastery or convent, but in her own house and with her family. Many of them are married. Before becoming a perpetually professed SDC, they have to undergo a rigorous formative program of at least six years. According to my observation, in spite of the promise of poverty, some of them dye their hair and sport pearl necklaces and other jewelry. Get in touch with your Auntie Tessie (c/o Trixine Ona) for further clarification or if you wish to follow in her footsteps. There are also male SDCs.

Best regards,

Uncle Nitong

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