Carmel as a Sign of Hope and Healing 
in Our Troubled World

July 21 - 25, 2004 in Chicago, Illinois

CONFERENCE PRESENTERS

Anders Arborelius, OCD, a convert to Catholicism who was led to Carmel through his reading of St. Therese's autobiography, was consecrated bishop of Stockholm in 1998, the first ethnic Swede to occupy that see since the Reformation. He has a licentiate in theology from the Teresianum in Rome, and has written widely on spirituality and Carmelite mysticism.

Luis Aróstegui Gamboa, OCD, has served several terms as provincial of the Discalced Carmelite province of Navarre, Spain. He obtained a licentiate in theology from the Teresianum in Rome and in 1971 completed a doctoral dissertation on Dietrich Bonhoeffer at the University of Milan. A published poet, he has worked as a formator, professor of philosophy and theology, assistant to the nuns, and missionary. In 2003 he was elected General of the Discalced Carmelite Order.

Dianne Bergant, CSA, is a Professor of Biblical Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and past president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America. She serves on the editorial board of The Bible Today and Biblical I neology Bulletin, and writes the weekly column " The Word" for America magazine.

James Boyce, O.Carm., a Carmelite priest of the Chicago province, studied piano privately with Beveridge Webster at the Luilliard School for 15 years. He is currently an assistant professor of music at Fordham University in New York.

Joseph Chalmers, O.Carm., from Glasgow, Scotland, was a lawyer before joining the Carmelites in 1975. He studied spirituality at the Gregorian University in Rome. A former provincial of the British Province, he is currently the Prior General of the Order of Carmelites. He has written on prayer and spirituality and worked extensively in retreat ministry.

Daniel Chowning, OCD, a formator for many years, entered the Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites in 1978 and is currently rector and student director at the Edith Stein House of Studies in Chicago. He has studied at the International Center for Teresian/Sanjuanist Studies in Avila, Spain, and at the University of Salamanca, writing his thesis on John of the Cross and healing. He is a member of the Institute of Carmelite Studies.

Quinn Conners, O.Carm., is a Carmelite of the Chicago Province, serving as provincial from 1990 to 1996. A licensed clinical psychologist, he was a staff member at Saint Luke Institute in Silver Spring, MD, until recently being named novice master. He has worked as a psychotherapist, local superior, spiritual director, formator, and part-time faculty member at the Washington Theological Union.

Christina Puchalski, OCDS, a Secular Carmelite, is the founder and director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health. Dr. Puchalski is an associate professor of medicine and health care sciences at the George Washington School of Medicine in Washington, DC. She has received numerous awards for her efforts to incorporate spiritual and humanistic perspectives into physician education and training.

Jane Remson, O.Carm., is a member of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Louisiana, and their main representative at the UN. She is the director of the New Orleans Chapter of Bread for the World.

Charlotte Rogers, LPC, MS, is a founding partner of the Brookland, Pastoral Center in Washington, DC. She is an active Episcopalian, a spiritual director for over 20 years, and a pastoral counselor for over ten years. A grandmother of four, she lives in Germantown, MD, with her husband.

Robert Schreiter, CPPS, is a priest of the Cincinnati province of the Congregation of the Precious Blood and holds the Bernardin Center Vatican Council II Chair in theology at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. An  internationally recognized expert in the areas of inculturation, reconciliation, and the world mission of the church, he is the author of numerous works, including In Water and In Blood: A Spirituality of Solidarity and Hope.

Andrew Skotnicki, O.Carm., is a member of the Chicago Province of Carmelites and an associate professor of religious studies at Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY. He served for many years as Catholic chaplain for the Cook County Department of Corrections in Chicago. He has written and taught extensively in the areas of Christian social ethics and sociology of religion, with a special focus on the theological and moral foundations of criminal justice.

Jean Sleiman, OCD, is a Discalced Carmelite from Lebanon and a past professor of sociology at the University of St. Joseph in Beirut. After serving as a general definitor in Rome for 10 years, he was ordained as the Latin-rite archbishop of Baghdad in 2001.

John Sullivan, OCD, is prior of the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Washington, DC, and past definitor general. He currently serves as president of the Institute of Carmelite Studies and publisher of ICS Publications.

John Welch, O.Carm., a member of the Chicago province of Carmelites, coordinates the chair of Carmelite Studies at the Washington Theological Union in Washington, DC. His numerous works in Carmelite spirituality include When Gods Die: An Introduction to John of the Cross and The Carmelite Way: An Ancient Path for Today's Pilgrim.

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WEDNESDAY - JULY 21, 2004

1:00 pm Registration

7:30 Opening Session, Prayer, and Opening Remarks

8:30 Reception

9:00 - 10:00 Prayer (Optional)

THURSDAY  - JULY 22, 2004

7:00 am Liturgy

9:00 "Give an Explanation for the Hope Within You"

(I Peter 3:15)

Dianne Bergant, CSA

This presentation will examine the causes of the world's current state and will then discuss what the biblical concept "reign of God" offers as a vision of another way of living in this world.

11:00 Darkness in the Church: A Carmelite Response

Quinn Conners, O.Carm.

This session will discuss the recent sexual abuse crisis as a time of darkness in the church for laity and clergy, and how Carmelite spirituality offers images and experiences from its tradition as models for responding in faith.

2:00 pm Carmel's Spiritual and Practical Resources for healing in the Developing World

Luis Aróstegui Gamboa, OCD

This talk will describe Carmelite efforts to promote hope and healing in the "developing" world) and their significance for those of us living in the "developed" world.

4:00 WORKSHOPS (select one of the following)

1. Spiritual Disaster Preparedness: Extending Our Roots to Weather Storms

Charlotte Rogers, LPC

During disasters our basic assumptions, structures, sense of identity, and relationships are challenged. This workshop will examine how our spiritual life can sustain us and enable us to help others in times of of personal and social crisis.

2. Carmel and Hope: Inner Healing for Our Troubled Selves

Joseph Chalmers, O.Carm.

The Carmelite tradition is a source of hope in the midst of so many problems today. Through faithfully living according to its spirituality, God purifies and heals our inner selves. This workshop will include a guided prayer experience.

3. Carmelite Presence at the United Nations

Jane Remson, O.Carm., and John Sullivan, OCD

This workshop will explain the significance of Carmel's new NGO status at the United Nations, outlining the original inspiration, the chronological development, and prospects for future contributions. There will be time for questions and answers.

4. Carmel: A Global Community of Prayer and Service

Panelists from different parts of the world share the experience of Carmel in their regions and what it can contribute to the whole Carmelite family. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers.

8:30 - 9:30 Prayer (Optional)

FRIDAY - JULY 23, 2004

7:00 am Liturgy

9:00 The Church in the Carmelite Tradition: Sign of Hope and Healing in Our Individualistic World

Anders Arborelius, OCD

This talk will discuss the individualistic atmosphere of our contemporary culture in the light of the mystery of the church, as seen from the perspective of Mary and our Carmelite saints.

11:00 Spirituality and Healing: A Caring Partnership for Our Troubled World

Christina Puchalski, OCDS

Studies indicate that spirituality plays a crucial role in coping with illness and suffering. Medical schools now teach physicians to incorporate this dimension into healthcare and to promote compassionate relationships fostering inner healing. This talk explores such developments in the light of traditional Carmelite wisdom regarding the healing power of hope.

2:00 pm Prisoners for Christ: Voluntary and Involuntary Confinement in Carmel

Andrew Skotnicki,O.Carm. 

The goal of voluntary religious confinement and involuntary penal confinement is ideally the same: purification and integration. This talk will explore how Carmel's tradition of solitude and enclosure can renew our understanding and help us tend to our "fallen" brothers and sisters as we would to Christ himself.

4:00 WORKSHOPS (select one from the Thursday listing)

8:30 - 9:30 Prayer (Optional)

7:00 am Liturgy

9:00 Greetings

Francis Cardinal George, OMI

9:20 Prophecy but Kenosis: The Meaning of Today's Christian Presence in the Middle East

Jean Sleiman, OCD

This talk will focus on the role of Christians in Middle Eastern societies amidst archaic structures and regimes, as well as a deep crisis of culture where the Good News of Christ is truly prophetic but must be proclaimed in a kenotic way. Archbishop Sleiman will speak on the Carmelite, Jesuit, and Dominican missions in the region.

11:00 The Human Person Made Whole: Healing According to St. John of The Cross

Daniel Chowning, OCD

John of the Cross provides a model of contemplative healing that complements and deepens many modern psychological and medical discoveries. He offers a challenge to many of the healing "paths" proposed by the New Age Movement. This talk will consider his doctrine on meditation, addictions, suffering, faith, and love, and the role these play in authentic healing.

2:00 pm Pursuing the Contemplative Dimension in a Spirituality of Reconciliation

Robert Schreiter, CPPS

It is becoming increasingly evident that a practice of contemplation greatly helps to sustain people in the work of reconciliation. This presentation looks to the Carmelite spiritual tradition as an important resource for reconciliation in the world today.

4:00 Panel Discussion  

John Welch, O.Carm., Moderator

6:30 Hope and Healing for Our Troubled Times: A Musical Response

James Boyce, O.Carm.

This recital will show how composers have used music to express their emotions concerning current events and offer solace and hope to those affected by them.

7:30 - 9:00 Dinner

SUNDAY - JULY 25, 2004

9:00am Closing Liturgy: John Russell, O.Carm., Homilist 
Joseph Chalmers, O.Carm., and Luis Aróstegui Gamboa, OCD, Concelebrants

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