Although few in number, the mission outreach of the Carmelite Friars, Saint Elias Province, is quite extensive.
For over sixty-five years, we have been providing manpower and financial assistance to Africa, specifically to Zimbabwe (formerly, Southern Rhodesia). Within the past thirty five years, we have been helping the Carmelite Missions in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Papua, New Guinea. It is not always possible for us to send Friars on a full-time basis, and so we try to help financially through funds raised mostly in the Mission Cooperative Appeal and with whatever part-time help or administrative assistance we can provide.
Responding to the needs of the church, and the call of the Holy Spirit through the local Bishops, the Carmelite Friars, St. Elias Province, have recently begun our own missions in Trinidad-Tobago and Vietnam. Since we have already attracted many vocations in each place, we are also trying to establish formation programs in these countries. This has placed a considerable burden on our finances and on our ability to continue helping our other missionary endeavors.
We intend to focus the disbursement of funds from the 2020 Cooperative Mission Appeal especially in three areas: First, the Philippines: We hope to significantly help victims of the recent floods and earthquakes since many of our missionary efforts have been affected. Second, in Zimbabwe, our men plan to purchase seed and fertilizer for families so that they might gain some independence from reliance on the collapsed economy. And third, we will continue to help develop formation programs in Trinidad-Tobago and Vietnam so as to encourage indigenous clergy.
One hundred percent of funds raised through the Cooperative Mission Appeal go directly to our missionaries who then distribute and monitor the use of these funds.
The Carmelites respond to the call to love one another through prayer and action by establishing ministries where there is the greatest need. They create humanitarian programs to relieve the suffering of the poor, minister to those in hospitals and prisons, provide education, provide housing for orphans and rejected seniors, and conduct spiritual and religious formation in almost 40 countries on five continents. Your generosity to support the Carmelite Friars’ missionary work will be greatly appreciated.