Pope St. John Paul II affirms that “praying for the souls in purgatory is the highest act of supernatural charity.” The Church, ever conscious of her vocation to love, has always been animated by this fraternal charity, inviting her children to pray and do penance on behalf of the faithful departed. This is expressly approved…
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus is well known among Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Acknowledged as the greatest saint of modern times by Pope St. Pius X, she continues to inspire a great number of the faithful through her simple and accessible approach to spirituality. If a word could capture the significance of St. Thérèse…
On May 16, the Carmelites celebrate the feast of St. Simon Stock. A chapel has been built in his memory near the end of the Cross at «Stella Maris» monastery’s compound. As we already know, this St. Simon received from our Lady of Mount Carmel her scapular as a sign of protection for the Carmelites.…
Saint John of the Cross was born in 1542 in Fontiveros (Avila), from a very poor family. He was orphaned of father, being very young. He lived through the economic crisis of the 2nd part of the 16th century. That poverty has forced his family into a rural exodus. His mother lived on public charity,…
Fr Jesús Castellano, ocd wrotes about joy as an important element for our spiritual balance, for our communities, for our mission. He wrote an article with the title “The Decalogue of Joy”, where he explains why we should be joyful… not only because “a sad saint is a sad saint”, but because this has human,…
The Carmel that is born on this mountain blessed by the action of the prophet Elijah, in its origins and in its development in the world has always preserved this significant aspect of spirituality, proposing it also to all those who are thirsty for God. Contemplation is an action that goes beyond simply seeing and…
Today I celebrated (Fr. Paco ocd) the Holy Mass with a small group of parishioners in the convent where Fr. Prospero lived and died and in which the Carmelite friars lived from 1632 to 1762. The convent is located on the promontory of the mount, not far from the current Stella Maris monastery. The photos…
To speak of Teresa of Jesus is to speak of the Mother who gave us life in the Church, inspired by the Lord who was the vital center of her experience. Each birth goes through suffering, the pain of difficulties, misunderstandings, hostilities, little revenge; Almost the entire local Catholic hierarchy has participated in this project,…