This Question-and-Answer Series was begun in the attempt to clarify questions and/or concerns that came up during the 2019 Lay Carmelite Convocation in Chicago, IL.
Cindy A. Perazzo, T.O.Carm., Coordinator of Lay Carmelites
for the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary
Who should collect dues from Isolate and Inactive members?
Inactive Lay Carmelites still belong to their Lay Carmelite Community (LCC) and the treasurer should collect dues from Inactive members. Isolate Lay Carmelites do not belong to a LCC and should send their dues into the Lay Carmelite Office (LCO) directly.
Does a candidate for office need to be present [for elections]?
No. Temporary and Finally Professed Lay Carmelites with 75% attendance hold active and passive voice. This means they can be nominated for an office and can vote in an election. Members must be present to vote by secret ballot but they can still remain on the ballot if they just happen to be absent from the community meeting when the election is taking place. It goes without saying that nominations and elections should not happen at the same meeting if for no other reason than to give a nominee the chance to discern whether or not to accept — especially if she/he is not there for the nominating meeting. There are other good reasons for not holding nominations and elections at the same meeting. We need time to discern elections, and we need to have the biggest pool of eligible finally professed Lay Carmelites at the election meeting.
Can Regional Coordinators (RCs) and Regional Formation Coordinators (RFCs) be notified when the Spanish formation materials are available? Also, are there plans for a Spanish printing of Climbing the Mountain?
We currently have Carmel’s Call, the Phase I Candidate Workbook and Formators Guide, a previous edition of the Phase II Manual (not connected to Climbing the Mountain), and the Community Manual. The LCO is also in the process of translating the original modules from the UK, which were used in the production of Climbing the Mountain. There are no other plans for translation of materials and to my knowledge; there are no plans for a Spanish printing of Climbing the Mountain.
