October 16, 2001
Dear Kevin,
Fraternal greetings in the Lord! I recall that you introduced yourself as the founder of the Carthusian Lay Contemplatives and how your members try to incorporate the spiritual exercises of the Carthusians into their
daily lives. In that connection, I also recall that you have requested a copy of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
I am pleased to mail to you a copy of our Lady's Little Office if you can
please indicate to me where I can mail it? If you wish, I can also send you other things like St. Bruno medals.
I'm sure you know that this year, we're celebrating the 9th Centenary of
the death (Dies Natalis) of OUR (i.e., you & us!) father, ST. BRUNO. Since we see that the joy of this solemn and unique occasion is not "Just For Carthusians," we opened ourselves a little bit to the interested
media. There is a write-up about us in the official diocesan newspaper
(we belong to this Burlington diocese) called THE VERMONT CATHOLIC TRIBUNE, website: www.vermontcatholic.org/vctonline at their October 5th issue.
Phone: 802-658-6110. Fax: 802-863-3866/802-658-0436.
On a wider level, THE CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT (Ignatius Press, 2515
McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94118. Phone: 415-387-2324. Fax:
415-387-0896. E-Mail: Nelli@Ignatius.com) will publish an article about us in their November issue.
I would assume you are acquainted of the recent "Message" of Pope John
Paul II to the Carthusian family on this 9th centenary.
You mentioned before that you have a website about the Carthusian Order.
Since we do not have access to the internet, it would interest us greatly
if you will have the kindness to share with us information found there?
This is only a request, and if we receive any materials, I will show them to my monks here, letting them know about you and your closeness to us (and our closeness to you!).
You Lay Contemplatives are a very precious and irreplaceable gift to our
mother the Church! Please know how dear you are to our hearts. If people come to you, join you, share their lives with you, it can be because they see the beauty of Christ's Face shining in your lives, a beauty that
communicates the ineffable love of the Father in the joy of the Holy
Spirit!
Keeping yourselves away from all degrading, contaminating influences is a necessary stage on the road towards a more lofty understanding of your beautiful vocation in the Church. A courageous attitude of refusal to compromise a converted life deeply touched and continually shaped by
God's overflowing merciful graces keeps that vocation truly itself, and therefore, fertile!
We count on your prayers, dear Kevin, as we assure you of ours for you
and the Carthusian Lay Contemplatives. Although our Order does not have
anything like "Third Order" or "Oblates," your living place and link to the entire Carthusian family of which you all are included, goes far beyond anything "juridical." You all, too, are love in the heart of the Church!
Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Lorenzo Maria T. De La Rosa Jr.
Prior
>To: martureo7@hotmail.com
>Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2001 10:42:23 -0700
>
>October 16, 2001
>
>Dear Kevin,
>
>Fraternal greetings in the Lord! I recall that you introduced yourself as
>the founder of the Carthusian Lay Contemplatives and how your members try
>to incorporate the spiritual exercises of the Carthusians into their
>daily lives. In that connection, I also recall that you have requested a
>copy of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
>
>I am pleased to mail to you a copy of our Lady's Little Office if you can
>please indicate to me where I can mail it? If you wish, I can also send
>you other things like St. Bruno medals.
>
>I'm sure you know that this year, we're celebrating the 9th Centenary of
>the death (Dies Natalis) of OUR (i.e., you & us!) father, ST. BRUNO.
>Since we see that the joy of this solemn and unique occasion is not "Just
>For Carthusians," we opened ourselves a little bit to the interested
>media. There is a write-up about us in the official diocesan newspaper
>(we belong to this Burlington diocese) called THE VERMONT CATHOLIC
>TRIBUNE, website: www.vermontcatholic.org/vctonline at their October 5th
>issue. Phone: 802-658-6110. Fax: 802-863-3866/802-658-0436.
>
>On a wider level, THE CATHOLIC WORLD REPORT (Ignatius Press, 2515
>McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94118. Phone: 415-387-2324. Fax:
>415-387-0896. E-Mail: Nelli@Ignatius.com) will publish an article about
>us in their November issue.
>
>I would assume you are acquainted of the recent "Message" of Pope John
>Paul II to the Carthusian family on this 9th centenary.
>
>You mentioned before that you have a website about the Carthusian Order.
>Since we do not have access to the internet, it would interest us greatly
>if you will have the kindness to share with us information found there?
>This is only a request, and if we receive any materials, I will show them
>to my monks here, letting them know about you and your closeness to us
>(and our closeness to you!).
>
>You Lay Contemplatives are a very precious and irreplaceable gift to our
>mother the Church! Please know how dear you are to our hearts. If people
>come to you, join you, share their lives with you, it can be because they
>see the beauty of Christ's Face shining in your lives, a beauty that
>communicates the ineffable love of the Father in the joy of the Holy
>Spirit!
>
>Keeping yourselves away from all degrading, contaminating influences is a
>necessary stage on the road towards a more lofty understanding of your
>beautiful vocation in the Church. A courageous attitude of refusal to
>compromise a converted life deeply touched and continually shaped by
>God's overflowing merciful graces keeps that vocation truly itself, and
>therefore, fertile!
>
>We count on your prayers, dear Kevin, as we assure you of ours for you
>and the Carthusian Lay Contemplatives. Although our Order does not have
>anything like "Third Order" or "Oblates," your living place and link to
>the entire Carthusian family of which you all are included, goes far
>beyond anything "juridical." You all, too, are love in the heart of the
>Church!
>
>Your brother in Christ,
>
>fr. Lorenzo Maria T. De La Rosa Jr.
>Prior xt.
