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2003 Novitiate

At 5.00 pm on Saturday 1 February 2003 during the celebration of First Evening Prayer for the Feast of the Presentation, Bernard Hancock and Douglas Mawhinney received the habit of our Order and began their term as novices.

Br Doug (left) and Br Bernard, after the clothing.

After being presented to the Regional Vicar, Fr Aloysius Rego, and the assembled Carmelite community by the novice master, Fr Greg Homeming, they were asked "Dear brothers what do you ask of us?".

They each answered:

"Drawn by God's Mercy,
I have come here to learn your way of life.
I ask you to teach me to follow Christ crucified and
to live in poverty, obedience, and chastity.
Teach me to persevere in prayer and penance
in the service of the Church and the world.
Teach me to be one with you in mind and heart.
Help me to live out the Gospel every day of my life.
Teach me your Rule of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel,
and help me to learn to love my brothers as Christ commanded."

Fr Aloysius then blessed their habits and after they had put on the brown tunic he placed a leather belt around their waists saying:

"When you were younger,
you girded yourself and walked where you would,
but now that you have grown older another will gird you -
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Next he placed the brown scapular over their shoulders saying

"Take Christ's easy yoke and light burden.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of then Holy Spirit."

Bernard and Doug then put on their capuches (hoods) in silence and Fr Aloysius then gave them the white mantle of the Prophet Elijah saying

"Those who follow the Lamb without blemish
will walk with him in white.
Let your garments then be radiant as the sign of inner purity.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Having given them the habit of Carmel Fr Aloysius then welcomed them with their religious names. Br Bernard of the Cross and Br Douglas of the Trinity were then greeted by the Carmelite brethren.

The habit which our two novices have received does not change them, rather it is symbolic of the quest to which they have committed themselves. They have taken to themselves the carmelite way of life in the hope that if they continue to seek Christ according to the age old traditions of our Order they might (like St Teresa of Jesus and St John of the Cross) be clothed in His virtues and so become like Christ. The habit reminds them of the new man that they strive to be. They have taken on Christ so that He might form them into His own likeness.