OFFICIAL NAME
Secular Missionary Carmel
ACRONYM
CMS (Carmelo Misionero Seglar)
ESTABLISHED
1988
HISTORY
The CMS was founded by Marelia Suárez, a young lay Catholic, attracted to Carmelite spirituality and the missionary dynamism of Fr Francisco Palau. In 1987 she put a proposal to the Medellín Province of the Carmelite nuns of the Sacred Heart, Colombia, to set up a lay association to share their charism. The 16th General Chapter of the Order agreed to this proposal and invited the Congregation to respond to the promptings of the Synod of Bishops regarding the vocation and mission of the laity in the Church, devoting particular attention to the comprehensive formation of the lay faithful, and encouraging the constitution of the CMS in every country where the Congregation was present. On 20 March 1996, the Pontifical Council for the Laity issued a decree recognising Carmelo Misionero Seglar as an international association of the faithful of Pontifical Right.
IDENTITY
CMS brings together lay faithful of all ages and sets out to promote the identity and the mission of the lay person in the Church through a commitment to discover the greatness of the Christian vocation in the mystery of ecclesial communion; to practise a prayer life as a sign of friendship with God and as an experience of the universality of the Church, in the light of the Word and of history; to cultivate listening, reflecting, and contemplating; to adopt an attitude of service towards one’s neighbour, paying particular attention to the urgent needs of the Church and society; to contemplate Mary as a model, Mother and companion in a constant search for communion with God and with our fellows; to live a simple, joyful and hard-working style of life; to work for the construction of a more just and solidarity-based society. Formation and guidance for members of CMS focuses on the unity of life of the lay faithful, and gives pride of place to the human, Christian and missionary dimension according to the spirituality of Francisco Palau, a Discalced Carmelite, preacher, spiritual director and catechist. The members of CMS perform their apostolate in groups and individually, bearing witness through their lives to Gospel values; they strive to help the marginalised; and they seek to respond in practical ways to the needs of their environment and of the Church.
ORGANISATION
CMS is organised into autonomous groups whose work is coordinated by a Management Board made up of a Coordinator, a Secretary, Treasurer, and one or two members appointed by the groups. At the national level, communion and cooperation between the groups are guaranteed by an Animation Committee. The ultimate guarantor of the Association at the international level is the Superior General of the Missionary Carmelite Sisters.
MEMBERSHIP
CMS has about 500 members and is present in 12 countries as follows: Africa (2), Asia (3), Europe (1), North America (3), and South America (3).
WEB SITE
HEADQUARTERS
Carmelo Misionero Seglar
Via del Casaletto, 115 - 00151 Roma - Italy
Tel. [+39]06.535472 / 06.5827216 - Fax 06.58232279
Email: carmis@rm.nettuno.it
