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Sec. I Organization
1. There shall be a National Secretariat consisting of the
Provincial Delegates and Secular representatives of each jurisdiction.
It shall be a collaborative body.
2. The Secular representatives should be appointed by the Provincial
Delegate of each of the three jurisdictions. The term of office will be
determined by the Provincial Delegate.
3. There shall also be a secretary appointed by the Secretariat who will
be present, though without the right to vote, at the Secretariat's
meetings and will record the proceedings.
4. A National Congress shall be held every ten years. Each jurisdiction
shall hold a Regional Congress every three years.
5. Each jurisdiction shall have a Central Office to assist the
Provincial Delegate in his duties.
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Sec. II The Requirements for Canonical Establishment of a Community
1. A number of people
interested in becoming Secular Carmelites may come together for that
purpose with the consent and supervision of the Provincial Delegate.
2. These people may be
known as a study group with the purpose of discerning the vocations to
which they are called.
3. The Spiritual Assistant of the Community must always be a priest or
deacon (except when Father General grants permission for a non-cleric
Religious to be appointed as Assistant); when a non-cleric Religious
serves as a Spiritual Assistant, all matters which require clerical
jurisdiction according to the Rule [Norms], must be referred to the
Provincial or his Delegate.
4. With the appointment
of a Spiritual Assistant and Director of Formation, this study group
assumes the status of a recognized Secular Order Groups (cf. Arts.
20-22), under the supervision of the Provincial or his Delegate.
5. For the Canonical Establishment of a Community it is necessary that
there be at least ten professed members of whom two have made their
definitive Promise.
6. A charter for canonical establishment must be obtained in writing
from the Father General of the Order, normally through the Provincial or
his Delegate.
7. Consent in writing
must also be obtained from the Ordinary (Bishop) of the diocese, unless
the Community is erected in association with a foundation of our Friars.
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Sec. III The Requirements for Admission to the Secular Order (Cf.
Rule Art. 10)
1. Any member of the Church, lay
person or cleric, may be admitted to the Secular Order in accordance
with the provisions of Article 10 of the Rule [Norms].
2. A candidate for admission to Formation in the Secular Order must be
at least 18 years of age.
3. "Sufficient contact" is normally understood to entail
aspirant's attendance at six consecutive meetings of the Community.
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Sec. IV Period of Formation (Cf. Rule Art. 10)
1. At entrance into formation, a
Candidate normally retains his/her baptismal name. A title of devotion
may be added to one's baptismal name, if desired.
2. There are two period of
Formation:
a. The two years before the
temporary Promise.
b. The three years before the Definite Promise.
3. Either of the two
periods of Formation may be extended if it is determined (normally by
the Council) to be in the best interest of the candidate.
a. The first period of Formation
(before temporary Promise) may be extended for one more year.
b. The second period of Formation (before the Definitive Promise) may
be extend up to three more years.
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Sec. V The Secular Order Habit (cf. Rule Art. 7, part 2)
1. The large ceremonial brown
scapular shall continue to be given as the habit of the Secular Order at
the time of admission to Formation.
2. A smaller brown scapular may be worn for everyday use (cf. Art 7).
3. If a member wishes to be buried with the ceremonial scapular, worn
externally, prior arrangements should be made with the member's family
or closest associates.
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Sec. VI The Election of
the Council
1. The Community elections shall
be held every three years in the spring prior to the Provincial
elections of the Friars.
2. Elections of the Community President and three Councilors shall be
conducted in accordance with recognized parliamentary procedures (for
example, Roberts Rules of Order) with the following particular
provisions:
a. A nominating committee of at
least three professed members may be appointed by the Council and the
names of the committee members shall be announced by the members [of
the council] at a meeting approximately one month in advance of the
meeting when the election is to take place.
b. The nominating committee shall, if possible, select two or three
qualified nominees for each office who have consented to serve if
elected.
c. The report of the nominating committee (list of nominees) shall be
presented to the members at their next meeting, when the election will
take place.
d. Only professed members shall be present and eligible to vote.
e. Nominations may be made from the floor and write-in votes shall be
valid (cf. Art. 25 regarding nominees for President).
f. Only professed members may serve as members of the Council.
g. In order that leadership qualities be developed in our Communities,
the president's stay in office should be limited to two consecutive
terms, after which postulation shall be required normally from the
Provincial Delegate.
h. Voting is to be by secret ballot. A quorum* of eligible voting
members being present, a majority (a number greater than half the
legal votes cast) shall be required for election. *A quorum for the
purposes of an election by a Community shall be the voting members
present provided notice of the election was given at the previous
monthly meeting.
i. Voting by letter or
proxy shall be invalid.
j. If a majority is not reached by any nominee on the first ballot,
the names of the two nominees receiving the highest number of votes
shall be placed on a second ballot. If there is a tie on the second
ballot, there shall be a third and final ballot. In the event of a tie
on the third ballot, seniority of profession shall be the determining
factor for election. If there is a tie in the profession dates, then
seniority by age shall determine the election.
3. The Election of the
Council shall proceed in the following manner:
a. The Spiritual
Assistant shall invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In the Absence
of the Spiritual Assistant, this shall be the duty of the President.
b. The President shall preside at Community elections and conduct them
in accordance with subsection two above.
c. The three incumbent Councilors shall count and verify the votes,
and the Secretary shall record them.
4. The procedure for the election
of the Secretary and Treasurer should be left to the discretion of the
newly elected Council (Cf. Art. 23.).
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Sec. VII The Provisions for Council Actions
1. The Council shall meet regularly.
2. Recognized parliamentary procedures shall be observed by the Council
in their actions to the extent that they apply, with the following
provisions:
a. A quorum for the purposes of
a valid action requiring the vote of the Council shall be at least
three Council members.
b. A majority of voting members present shall be required to carry an
action.
c. The President shall cast an additional vote if necessary to break a
tie.
d. Voting by letter or proxy is invalid.
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Sec. VIII Devotion to Mary (cf. Rule Art. 7)
1. By choosing the Blessed Virgin
Mary as the Mother and Patroness of our Order, we place our whole
religious life under her tutelage, and also propose to ourselves the
mystery of her interior life and union with Christ as the example and
ideal of interior consecration.
The Secular Order recognizes the
value of praying:
a. the Rosary
b. the Litany of Loretto
c. the Angelus
d. and other such devotions commend by the Church (cf. Pope Paul VI,
Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus, Feb. 2, 1974)
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Sec. IX Devotion to St. Joseph
As sons and daughters of St.
Teresa, members should keep in mind that ST. Joseph is the patron of the
universal Church, and the special patron of our Order. He is the model
of attentive service of Christ, of Mary, and of the Church, and is also
the "master of prayer" proposed to us by St. Teresa (Life, 6,
6-8).
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Sec. X Days and Forms of Penance (cf. Rule Art. 6,7,8; National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Pastoral
Statement "Penitent-Discipline in the United States,"
Washington, D.C., 1966)
1. Fast and abstinence:
a. In addition to the days of
fasting and of abstinence proper to the Church in the United States
and in response to the encouragement of our bishops "to prepare
for each Church festival by a day of particular self-denial,
penitential prayer and fasting" (cf. above) and to our Carmelite
traditions, our members, unless excused by reason of illness, will
fast on the vigils of the following feast days:
1. Our Blessed Lady
of Mount Carmel (July 16)
2. Our Holy Mother St. Teresa of Jesus (October 15)
3. Our Holy Father St. John of the Cross (December 14)
4. The Prophet Elijah (July 20)
5. St Therese of the Child Jesus (Oct 1)
6. All the Saints of the Order (November 14)
b. For sufficient reason, the
above special fast days may be anticipated. Anticipation should never
involve fasting on Sundays and Holy Days (cf. Canon Law 1249-1253).
c. Our Secular Order members
should remember to do works of charity, exercises of piety, fasting
and visiting the sick, especially on Fridays.
2. Sacrament of Reconciliation:
The Rule teaches us to "have a great esteem for the sacrament of
penance" (cf. Art. 5). Each Carmelite is encouraged to participate
diligently and frequently in the sacrament (Rite of Penance, n. 7, b).
3. Examination of Conscience:
a. The Carmelite will endeavor daily to
make an examination of conscience.
b. When Night Prayer (Compline) is recited, the examination of
conscience is ideally made at its beginning.
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Sec. XI Prayers for Deceased Members (cf. Rule Art. 9)
1. At the time of death:
a. The Community will have a
Mass offered.
b. The Community will pray together:
1. Evening Prayer (Vespers) of
the dead, with a particular reference to the deceased member as well
as to all the deceased of the Order; or
2. The Rosary; or
3. Other suitable prayers.
c. Each member will, if
possible, have Mass offered or participate in a Mass and receive Holy
Communion for the deceased.
2. For the deceased members
of the entire Order:
Carmelites should remember the deceased members of the Order in their
daily prayers.
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