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 have been taken by Fr. Julio Almansa, ocd, always ready to collaborate.
Like in the time of P. Prospero, today, the Carmel needs reinforcements in this land where it was born. I speak of reinforcements of Carmelite friars without forgetting other members of the Order.
Prospero insisted that the religious who came to Carmel be familiar with the languages and the way of life of the local people. During the time I’m here, almost half century, the religious with whom I have lived have been unanimous in agreeing with Fr. Prospero’s thinking.
At the end of the last century, Fr. Nilo Geagea, born in Lebanon, told me: Carmel has to designate some students to come here paying for their theological training.
I propose to the Provincials and in the first place to our F. General and his Council to elect 10 students from the entire Order (it is important that among the students there are several Arabic-speaking students). Our Order could pay for their theological studies and others in Rome (the Italian would be the common language of the group). Carmel will introduce them to the reality that is lived here (in Stella Maris- Parish and Muhraqa).
