TOC

LAY CARMELITES of the PHILIPPINES
National Secretariat Office
22 Kamias Road, 1102 Quezon City, Tel. No. 928-0333
E-mail: laycarmphil@yahoo.com, Web: www.toc.home-page.org




JUNE 28, 2006


POSITION PAPER: WHERE IS THE TOC PHILIPPINES GOING?
(A Re-Assessment of our Direction)


Our Vision:

A REFORMED AND TRANSFORMED THIRD ORDER OF CARMEL BRINGING IT TO THE SPIRITUAL LEVEL OF THE 1ST AND 2ND ORDERS SO THAT THE 3RD ORDER COULD ONE DAY BE IN ACTIVE COLLABORATION AS PARTNERS WITH THE 1ST ORDER IN THE MISSION OF THE WHOLE CARMELITE ORDER.

Our Goal and Mission:

a. To nurture in each member a deeper commitment for the TOC and a deeper involvement in Carmelite Ministries thus doing away with the misguided notion that the TOC is just an association of devotees of the Brown Scapular.

b. To respond to the 6-point ‘CHALLENGES FACING THE CARMELITE THIRD ORDER AS WE BEGIN THE THIRD MILLENIUM” presented during the 2001 International Congress in Sassone by Tom Zeitvogel, TOCarm with emphasis on the following challenges:

· “The third and a very key challenge area is for us to frequently review and implement revisions in our formation programs, as necessary – including the development of support material that will insure the vitality and continual renewal of the Third Order and its members.”

Tom Zeitvogel declares: “Few of us would disagree that adequate and proper formation is one of the most crucial elements in the life of a Third Order Carmelite, if he or she is to achieve any significant measure of spiritual growth and if the community within which one is attached is to flourish. This notion is summarized in the introductory statement of a handbook entitled THE PROCESS OF FORMATION FOR LAY CARMELITES, which is being used in both North American provinces. It states: ‘Nearly every difficulty or problem in a Lay Carmelite community, or with an individual Lay Carmelite, insofar as his or her Carmelite vocation is concerned, can be traced to inadequate formation.’”

“Our current Lay Carmelite Rule offers general guidance about formation in Articles 50, 56 and 57 (old rule). It seems to me that there are two questions. The first is, how are our various provinces and groups interpreting what these articles are saying? The second is, how is formation actually being presented, not only to those preparing for profession, but also to those in Ongoing Formation. As one friar recently said to me: ‘the time is now for us to get down to the business of educating our “Carmelite” hearts through our minds in a profound way! Let us not forget that Carmel is also a ‘School of Prayer’.”

“….My perception is that, except for what has been in the Rule for Lay Carmelites, we more than likely have little consistency in what is presented in our formation programs or how it is presented. Some may think this is fine and that autonomy is to be respected – or even encouraged. However, without agreement on at least minimal guidelines in our approach to formation, we run the risk of receiving and professing candidates who do not know or appreciate the real meaning of Carmel, how to get the most from living the Carmelite way of life, losing vocations – or perhaps even worse, producing tepid members.” (emphasis is mine)

“Our rapid growth makes it clear that if we are not prepared with a solid formation program and good resource material, we will commit a grave disservice to the Order and to those individuals who become members of our Third Order family. If we are to properly respond to those who Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the Holy Spirit bring to us, we must be prepared to offer a well-founded and consistent formation program.”

· “The fourth challenge area is one that will always be with us. It is to review, modify
or create structures at all levels that will more effectively serve the needs of the Third Order and the entire Carmelite family.”

Tom declares: “How well these structures are serving the needs of the Third Order from the Curia down through all levels of the Order to our local communities should always be in review.”

· “The fifth, and certainly a very significant challenge area as we face this new
millennium is to understand and respond to our role as Carmelites in the “new evangelisation” initiatives of the universal Church – which are actually not new at all.

Tom declares: “It seems to me that there are a number of minimal things each of us must strive to do in preparing ourselves for this challenge. For example, we can all become better-grounded in at least basic apologetics. We need to know our Catholic Faith and be able to succinctly express its fundamental truths. We also need to know well our Carmelite tradition and its spirituality and to learn how to discuss this great treasure simply and clearly to those who are anxious to know about them.” (emphasis is mine)

“We also need to continually encourage ourselves, as the opportunities present themselves to be “quiet witnesses” to our faith and to our Carmelite way of life. From Pope Paul V1’s exhortation – ‘Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.’”

· “The sixth and final challenge area is that we continue to appreciate even more the
value of using effective communication tools – including the use of modern telecommunication technologies.”

Tom proposed that a “ ‘Communication Coordinator’ function be defined and established within our provincial or Third Order congregation offices and even within our local groups – perhaps modelled after the CITOC office in the Curia. Some of their responsibilities may include:
· developing improved methods to share information between our Third Order offices,
· becoming the focal point for publicity,
· assisting in the promotion of vocations to our friars, nuns and active sister congregation,
· being the interface with the friars, as well as the OCD and OCDS members of our Carmelite family’
· encouraging and supporting the incorporation of the use of fax, email, web-sites, teleconferencing, improved newsletter preparation and distribution, and,
· helping to develop a lexicon so that we all have the same understanding of terms such as: Lay Carmelite, Secular Carmelite, the Laity in Carmel, etc.

Our Response to These Challenges so Far:

A. The Situation in the Philippine TOC at the time of my election as
National Prioress and prior to the 2001 Int’l Congress

A retrospection into the period from April, 2000 to April, 2001

· The majority of TOC members joined the order only for the devotional aspect of the Brown Scapular and to prepare for a happy death.
· No Structured Formation Program.
· Majority of members were not aware of the Rules and the Statutes and other basic
information regarding Carmel. It is a fact that most members were being professed without having read the Rule of Life and the Statutes.
· Members and officers were not implementing the policies approved during National
Conventions. In fact the Rules and the Statutes were not simply being implemented period.
· No uniformed guidelines and directions being followed in local communities.
· Local leaders were not aware of their basic responsibilities and proper functions hence
the Local Councils were not functioning, as they should. In other words no proper formation on the part of the local leaders.
· Local Communities were ‘to each their own’ as regards to ministries and apostolate.
Most Parish-based communities were totally dependent on the Parish Ministries for their apostolic activities. Most TOC members had the idea that they were under the Parish Pastoral Council. On the other hand, monastery-based communities were under the impression they were under the Nuns and the Nuns were actively handling the governance of their affairs.

On March 13, 2001, the TOC National Council officers and the Philippine Commissariat represented by Fr. Tony de la Cruz, O Carm met to discuss the role of the Philippine Commissariat in the TOC and vice versa and the relationship between the 1st Order and the 3rd Order in the context of the Philippine setting. The following positions were agreed upon:

a. The 1st Order and the 3rd Order shall assume the role of co-workers in the life
and fusion of Carmel and the Church through prophetic action and contemplation.

b. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Orders shall compose the Carmelite Family, inspired and nurtured by the Carmel life and mission.

c. Since the three orders have different yet complementing dynamics, they shall endeavour to work independently and interdependently of each other.

d. The 1st Order shall provide spiritual guidance and mentoring services to the TOC through the National Spiritual Director serving as the National Delegate while the TOC shall provide fraternal support to Formation thru the YCPF (Young Carmel Phil Foundation) and undertake search for vocation among young men within their family and community.

Part of the agreement was the complete autonomy given by the 1st Order to the Philippine TOC in the governance of its affairs. Fr. Tony de la Cruz emphasized that the National Spiritual Director who will be assigned to the TOC will only give spiritual direction and not get involved in the administration of the TOC. Thus it was agreed by both parties that the TOC National Council under the headship of the National Prior/ess should handle the governance of the 3rd Order.

B. The Period from May, 2001 up to Present

STEPS UNDERTAKEN BY THE NATIONAL COUNCIL IN
RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGES POSED
AT THE 2001 INT’L CONGRESS

1. The challenge relative to the re-formation and renewal initiatives:

a. Right after the International Congress in May, 2001, the National Council realized the
urgency to introduce and initiate reforms in the Formation Program/Policies of the Order or in the methodology or methods of giving formation. It was the belief of the National leadership that the Philippine TOC needed to undergo a re-orientation to erase or rectify so many misconceptions about the TOC as the lay branch of the Carmelite Order. At the time, many Lay Carmelites professed in the 1980’s and prior years had a different orientation and concept about their Carmelite vocation. Majority thought of the brown dress as their habit instead of the Brown Scapular, thus the attachment and focus being given so much on the brown dress and the externals. At that time too many TOC’s idea of a Carmelite vocation was being anchored on the wearing of the brown uniform and very few truly grasp the real essence of Carmelite Spirituality. In the previous years people joined the Third Order only for the devotional aspect on the wearing of the Brown Scapular. In the case of monastery based TOC Communities, many TOC members had joined “to support the Nuns”.

b. In November 2001, the National Formation Commission launched the “Back to
Basics” Leadership Training/Formation Seminar.

The Seminar Objectives were:

To enhance the leadership skills of Lay Carmelites for effective formation and
2. To understand and appreciate the call of the Laity, more particularly, the call of the Lay Carmelites to holiness.

c. On January 26, 2002 the National Formation Commission introduced and presented
a new and more effective approach to formation – the RDS (Reflection, Discussion and Sharing) Method. Two major points were highlighted which distinguish this program vis-à-vis the previous formation practice and they are:

1. All the reference materials are locally available. As a matter of fact, most members already have 1 or 2 of the 4 reference materials.
2. The subjects, after being individually reflected on, will be discussed and shared in groups and will not be taught.
3. It was necessary that members have to read the formation materials. Members are
given 30 days to go through the reading materials for their reflections before they come for their formation meetings. RDS questions are supposed to be answered based on personal experiences.

The program was corollary to the Leadership Training and Formation Seminar held
last Nov., 2001, adapting the same theme: “Back To Basics”. It consists of a series of
Study Modules starting with Study Module I, the formation program for Postulants
but was required as a “Back to Basics” study program for Novices and Professed members.

The National Council required everyone (no exception) to undertake the “Back-to-Basics” formation study – from Final Professed to Novices. Receptions and Professions were held in abeyance until such time candidates had finished with the “Back to Basics” Module. Completion of the Study Module 1 was required before one could be received and professed in the Order.

The National Council also started requiring Local Councils to undertake preliminary evaluation on Candidates for Reception and Profession and when necessary did interviews with these candidates to ensure that they are ready to be received into the Order and professed as TOCs.

d. In 2004, the Study Module 2, a program for Novices, was introduced and was
required as a “Back to Basics” study module for all Professed members.

Simultaneous with the introductions of these Study Modules and requiring them as “Back to Basics” formation studies for professed members, the National Council also began strictly implementing the rule on attendance and absences because attendance to community and formation meetings is a basic and external manifestation of one’s commitment to the Order. Members who could not cope up with formation studies and regular attendance in community meetings were advised to re-undergo proper discernment of their vocation. Most of the time these members eventually resigned or were dismissed for frequent absences.

As a result of these reform initiatives, TOC members who have decided to remain with the Order at this point have a much different perspective of what a TOC should be; have a much greater knowledge of Carmelite Spirituality and its implications in their lives; have a greater understanding of what a true contemplative means in the context of a Carmelite; are now more prepared to undertake Carmelite Ministries and other challenges brought about by the recent granting of independence to the Philippine Carmel as a separate Province.

Through the reforms introduced, the National Council and its leadership, hope to see a more vibrant and dynamic Philippine Third Order Carmelites fully committed to the values of Carmel in the years to come.

e. On the same year the Module for Aspirants was introduced and the 6-month-no-absences-policy for Aspirants was imposed.

2. The Challenge relative to the new evangelisation initiatives:

a. We resolved to re-orient the TOC members that we are not under the Parish Pastoral
Council and that we should not depend on the PPC for our apostolic works and thus we came up with the four (4) Carmelite Ministries: YCPF, Confraternity of the Brown Scapular, Vocation Promotion and JPIC. In the 2005 National Convention we proposed and agreed to take a deeper involvement in these four ministries.

b. In our new formation program via the RDS method each and every TOC is being
encouraged to be witnesses by sharing their personal experiences or their individual faith experiences. Via the RDS method of formation they are being directed to be “quiet witnesses” to others because they are being taught how to live out their Carmelite spirituality in concrete terms.

c. Equipped with a more structured formation program and reading materials more
and more TOC members are being educated about Carmelite Spirituality, Carmel’s history, culture and tradition, thus more and more members are becoming more aware of their identity as TOC and their Carmelite vocation.

3. The challenge relative to the use of new media technologies for our
communications:

a. We have the TOC Newsletter and we try to improve on it as much as we are able.
b. We now have the “TOC Phil. Blog” representing our on-line TOC Newsletter and
the “TOC Random Thoughts Blog” which showcases the personal sharings taken from the members’ RDS answers.
c. We also have the TOC yahoo group and we encouraged members with access to the Internet to sign up for membership.
d. A TOC Phil member has taken the initiative of moderating the Carmel Reflections
Yahoo Group, which allows us to be in contact with other Carmelites from other countries.

THE FRUITFUL RESULTS OF OUR INITIATIVES AS WE SEE IT

1. A renewed and more vibrant community life

a. With the strict implementation of the rule on attendance (Note: The maximum
allowable three (3) absences a year was a policy approved during the 1991 National Convention but which was never implemented until I took over as National Prioress because the National Council believed what good is a policy or a rule if it is not implemented?) absentee members who have not shown any genuine desire to live out the Carmelite Charism were asked to re-discern their vocation. Most opted out eventually because they could not cope up with their basic obligations in the Order.

b. It was noticed that members without genuine vocation were not contributing to the
spiritual well-being of the Community as a whole so with them out of the picture, community life has become more harmonious and members are more equipped to grow more maturely in Carmelite spirituality.

2. A more enlightened, educated, disciplined and committed TOC members

a. As one Carmelite friar has accordingly said that it’s high time “for us to get down to
the business of educating our “Carmelite” hearts through our minds in a profound way!” so I can proudly say that our initiatives of introducing new methods of formation has paved the way for such thing to happen in the TOC Phil.

b. Members who continue to complain about the volume of formation materials and the
strict implementation of the rule on attendance have become very few in numbers. The National Council position on these members is for them to re-discern their vocation because in all probability they may not have a genuine calling to be in the TOC.

A stricter evaluation on members being received and professed has been recently adapted to ensure that we do not “run the risk of receiving and professing candidates who do not know or appreciate the real meaning of Carmel, how to get the most from living the Carmelite way of life, losing vocations – or perhaps even worse, producing tepid members.” (Tom Zeitvogel)


IN CONCLUSION:

This has been the position and the direction that we continue to undertake since 2001 up to this very moment. This was also the position and the direction that the past Philippine Commissary Council has undertaken, completely backing us up in all our initiatives and undertakings.

Are we to continue towards this direction?
Is the present General Commissary Council with us in this direction? Or does the present GCC share in our Vision and Mission for the Third Order at this point in time?


Annexes/Attachments:
a. Challenges Facing the 3rd Order by Thomas Zeitvogel delivered during the 2001 Lay Carmelites Int’l Congress in Sassone, Italy
b. The Identity of the TOC adapted by Fr. Toto from the article written by Fr. Aloysius Deeney, OCD, General Delegate to the OCDS. This article is one of the reading materials for Study Module 2.
c. The Value of Attending OCDS Meeting by Fr. Conley Bertrand, OCDS. This article has confirmed our move at the National Office for strictly implementing the rules on attendance.



Prepared by:

N.C. Tangcuangco, TOCarm
June 28, 2006