← [[part-ii-f1b|Part II: OCDS Constitutions and Statutes]] | [[formation-I-b-handbook|Table of Contents]] | [[session-08-f1b|Session 8: Organization and Government of the Order and Community]] → # Session 7: Formation in the School of Carmel “Our Life in Carmel is to love – that is our vocation.” — St Teresa of the Andes Required Reading: OCDS Constitutions articles 37-50 and the corresponding local Statutes relating to Community. Additional reading: Pastoral Care of the Secular Order, Spiritual Assistants (Appendix L). The entire document is available here: http://www.carmelitaniscalzi.com/en/documents/ocds/pastoral-care_ocds_en/) Essential Points to Discuss: • “The Secular Order is basically structured on the local community as a visible sign of the Church and … enjoys juridical personality” (Const. art. 40) • “The Secular Order is juridically dependent on the Discalced Carmelite Friars. The Superior General establishes the local communities...” (Const. art. 41) • “The Provincial Superior, usually aided by the Provincial Delegate, is the Superior of the Secular Order within his territory” (Const. art. 43) • Local communities are governed by the Council. The Council, composed of the President, three Councilors, and the Director of Formation, constitutes the immediate authority of the community (see Const. art. 46). • “The General Superior, the Provincial Superior and the Council of the community are the legitimate superiors of the Secular Order” (Const. art. 48). • “Every three years, each local community of the Secular Order elects its President and three Councilors.” (Const. art. 50). • “These four officers, after consulting the Assistant, elect the director of formation from those who have made definitive promises” (Const. art. 50). Note: The Formation Director is not elected by the community. • The Council then names a Secretary and a Treasurer (Const. art. 50). There may be a secretary for the Council and a different secretary for the community, if need be. • “The Spiritual Assistant to each community is usually a friar of the Order. His duty is to give spiritual aid to the community… He will also endeavor to promote solidarity between the Secular Community and the friars and nuns of the Order” (Const art. 44). He is appointed by the Provincial for a set term of office (Pastoral Care of the OCDS art. 16 – this excerpt is in the Appendix L). • Every three years, each community of the Secular Order elects its president and three councilors. The President must be definitively professed (Const. art 51); except under special circumstances, councilors are elected from the definitively professed members (art. 52). • The procedure for the elections is to be determined by the Provincial Statutes (art. 50). A brief introduction to the procedure for election outlined is in the provincial statutes. • To be eligible to vote, a member must be professed (at least in First Promise). • Professed members are eligible to serve on the council nominating committee. 17 Election to a position in the Community is for the purpose of service. In the religious life, no one has a vocation to hierarchy. Our structure is completely on a rotational basis. One is a Councilor or President, and then goes back to being a regular member. Carmelites are always a visible sign of the Church because they are members of the Order, not because they are a President, Councilor or Formation Director (see pgs. 92-93 Election – Welcome). “... [the Council’s] character as a temporary shared authority, renewed every three years, indicates that the Council receives an authority of mediation and delegation from the community that elects it. It must therefore lead it according to the spirit and charism of the Teresian Carmel, according to what is defined in the OCDS constitutions” (Letter to OCDS). Assigned Meditative Reading: • Philippians 2 – humility in leadership roles • Heb 13:17 – humility toward and cooperation with leaders • Mark 9:35 – humility as leader and servant of all • Eph 4:2 – humility and bearing one another in love • Luke 17:10 – unworthy servants, only doing what we are obliged to do --- **Source:** Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, *Formation I Year B: I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life* (US National Formation Program, 2024).