St. Raphael Kalinowski and the Carmelite Secular Order 1 The ...

particular scapular devotion was approved by a Decree from the Congregation for Divine
Worship on 27 Jaunary 1989 and signed by Cardinal Martinez. Formal membership of a
Confraternity of the Brown Scapular is not required in order for a person to be enrolled. In
the enrolment ceremony the cloth scapular is always used but subsequently a medal can be
substituted for this , especially in warmer countries and according to individual preferences.
Kalinowski`s specific work for Carmelite Secular Order.
Raphael Kalinowski was the founder of Carmelite Third or Secular Order in Czerna and
Wadowice and even before that , immediately after ordination, he was also appointed by
the provincial as Director of the existing Secular Order , set up and led by Princess
Marcelina at the Discalced Carmelite Convent in Lobozowa, Kracow. Secular Order
meetings took place in Carmelite chapel on the first Friday of each month. Raphael took part
in those meetings, directing and preaching conferences and hearing confessions. 11
Secular Carmelite members certainly were very devoted to Kalinowski as their Director.
They went to him for the Sacrament of Reconciliation , he carried out the usual ceremonies
for them , gave them inspiring talks and received what are now called their Promises. Like a
good Father he tried to give them spiritual consolation such as arranging a meeting with Fr.
Gotti, General of the Order . John Baptist Bouchaud OCD described in a biography of
Kalinowski how he encouraged the members in Krakow to engage in charitable activities
such as helping poor people, etc.
The Secular Order as we saw had been in existence in Poland before Kalinowski's time but
it was he who gave it a new impetus and established new communities. In this place I will
briefly analyse historical facts related to our Secular Order in Poland and its relationship
with St. Rafael. 1864 is thought to be the year Princess Marcelina established the Secular
Order on her return from Paris, at the Carmelite Convent in Wesola , situated at 24
Copernicus St, Krakow.
11 When he sought advice from Fr. Jerome Gotti , General of the Order, during his visitation in Poland, on how
to run the Secular Order community, he received this reply: ` As far as teaching the community members is
concerned, I would advise you to make it as simple as possible. If The Secular Order has its own chapel, it
would be different , but since you gather in the nuns' chapel, I would like the teachings to be edifying but
simple. Don’t introduce any changes in the community's usual agenda. In my opinion it would be too much to
expose the Blessed Sacrament . Instead , you could put out the relic of the Virgin Mary after giving your
teaching , then decide on a virtue for the month, recite the rosary and litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Then
bless the group with the relic and allow them to venerate it.`
14