Lay Carmelite Gathering in New Orleans Major Success ore than 430 Lay good liturgies combined with New Orleans fun Mgathered a the New Orleans Airport and fellowship for what was the best attended Hilton in Kenner LA from August 3-6 for convocation the Lay Carmelites have held. their biennial convocation. The Convocation was a clear demonstration Local Lay Carmelites did a tremendous job that the Lay Carmelite movement is steadily in hosting the crowd, providing them with a evolving from devotional sodalities into a real Dixie Welcome. Fr. James Coco, a priest movement that is soundly rooted in the most of the New Orleans Archdiocese and an authentic tradition of Carmelite Spirtuality. amateur musician who sometimes jams with The Convocation provided an opportunity Pete Fountain, brought his five piece band and for the Lay Carmelites to thank Fr. Tom treated the convocation to a Saturday evening Zewlewski, O.Carm. and Joan Melusi, of Dixieland jazz. T.O.Carm. of the Elias Province for their Joseph Wallroth, O. Carm., (Above-left)lands By the third song a “second line” had broken years of service to the Inter-provincial Lay under the protection of Army Sgt MacDonald to out in the ballroom with Frs. Al Sieracki, Carmelite Commission. Tom and Joan are celebrate Mass in Bosnia. (Below) Joe spends Robert E. Lee, David Simpson, and Brocard moving on to other areas of service in the some time with Muslim children in one of the Carmelite family. many orphanages now dotting the country of Connors joining Louisiana natives Carmelite Bosnia. Sisters Christine Griggs and Libby Dahlstrom and several hundred Lay Carmelites dancing through the maze of tables. Only the provincial USAF Carmelite Finds Varied Congregation delegate, Father Patrick McMahon maintained Joe Wallroth, O. Carm., serves those who serve the nation his stony reserve, looking on in disbelief as a At his previous posting, Robins Air Force Base good time was had by all. in Georgia, there were three groups of chaplains. On Saturday morning, David Simpson joined Wallroth headed the base chapel where there newly elected New York Provincial Michael were four other chaplains and four chaplains Driscoll in a two part presentation “Carmel and service support personnel to assist him. Besides the Prayer of the Church.” They presented a being responsible for regular and balanced program of prayer that includes both Protestant services, the chapel also made space the contemplative and liturgical dimensions. available for Islamic prayer and the needs of Barbara Breaud, a Dixie Carmelite sister who Jewish service personnel. had spoken at the provincial retreat in June, With responsibilities for employees of other spoke Saturday afternoon on “Carmel and the service divisions, the church serves about 15,000 Mission of the Church.” Richard Copsey, of the 17,000 people on the base. former provincial of the British Province, The bulk of the chaplains ministry is one-on- addressed the Convocation on Sunday one counseling. For active duty chaplains, change Morning on “Carmel and the Mother of the Carmelite meets people in the marketplace. of assignments and deployments make it hard to Church.” Copsey’s talk not only outlined the AIt is hard to find two Carmelites who are the build relationships. “I’ve moved eight times in 15 heritage of Marian devotion in Carmel, but same. The same might be said about the years,” Wallroth said. “A lot of times, chaplains provided a valuable introduction to the new marketplaces where Carmelites minister. One have a need for stable relationships themselves.” catechesis on the Brown Scapular that is being Carmelite with a particularly unusual marketplace Chaplains also deploy with the troops. Before developed. is Joseph Wallroth, O. Carm. military downsizing, chaplains probably only had This convocation differed from previous Shortly after midnight on Christmas morning, to go overseas once in their career. Now they can ones in several respects, most notable of which Joe, a lieutenant colonel and chaplain in the expect multiple deployments, regardless of rank was setting aside Friday evening as an evening United States Air Force, is out “on the line” or seniority. Joe spent time in Bosnia last year. of prayer and reflection. After Auxiliary greeting airman. These men and women were The Carmelite connection was there too. Joe Bishop Dominic Carmon, SVD welcomed the working at their stations on Christmas morning, wrote, “The ambassador I worked with had assembled Lay Carmelites at Evening Prayer, without family, prepared to do their part to defend stayed with Nevin (Hayes, O. Carm.) in Peru. they had the opportunity to break into smaller the nation. The chaplain brings a little bit of Another guy, a colonel, is very close to Terry Cyr groups for a variety of prayer experiences Christmas on what can be a very lonely day for (O. Carm.). There was another guy from Chicago including an introduction to contemplative people in the service. who was in the Carmelite seminary until prayer, Lectio Divina, and Taizé prayer. This This chaplain is a little different. When he ordination.” set a prayerful tone to the entire weekend. briefs newcomers to the base, he always brings a Part of the ministry in Bosnia involved Liturgies for the weekend were coordinated long, gnarled stick. He explains that he and his distributing some 4,000 lbs of clothing in the by Dominican Sisters Carol Artery and assistants are here to help everyone with spiritual refuge camps and orphanages. Chaplains were Priscilla Woods and helped set a tone that was needs, regardless of religious affiliation. He ferried by helicopter and convoys with 60mm both prayer-filled and joyful. concludes his remarks with a simple admonition: machine guns on the humvees in front and in Coralee Basile, T.O.Carm. coordinated an “A chapel staff is good to lean on.” back. For his work, Joe received a NATO medal, army of local volunteers to provide a hospitable Assigned years ago to St. John’s in an Air Expeditionary medal, and an Air Force experience for the Lay Carmelites who came in Leonia, NJ, Joe was soon involved in the local commendation medal, a second oak leaf cluster. from all over the United States and Canada. fire department as a volunteer fireman. Shortly Joe was recognized by the Army Chief of According to Robert E. Lee, O. Carm., who thereafter he took up flying and earned a pilot’s Chaplains and Major General at a dinner given in welcomed the Lay Carmelites to New Orleans, license. He then joined the military as a full time his honor. His work among the troops was also this convocation was a witness to the growth, chaplain. This has taken him to several postings recognized at a Battle Staff briefing by Major both in numbers and in depth, of the Lay around the country and world. Today he lives in General Campbell, the Commanding General of Carmelite movement. Substantive talks and Virginia and works at the Pentagon. Multi-National Division North.

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