Living out the Carmelite charism as youth through shared prayer, discipleship and friendship

1. PROPOSED CARMELITE
YOUTH MINISTRY
VICARIATE OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL, NIGERIA-GHANA
Shared Prayer, Friendship And

2. PROPOSED NAME
•Order of Discalced
Carmelite Youth - OCDY

3. PROPOSED SLOGAN:
CARMELITE YOUTH!
IN GOD’S PRESENCE
WE HUMBLY STAND

4. SHARED
PRAYER
OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE
SHARED
FRIENDSHIP
SHARED
DISCIPLESHIP
CHARISM/PILLARS OF OCDY

5. PREAMBLE
“Young People are Bundles of Possibilities” is
the crust of Pope Francis’ Post-Synodal
Apostolic Exhortation on Young People
Christus Vivit. He establishes the place of
Young People in the heart of the Church’s
mission to the world and the unique mission
they bear as young Christians.

6. For this reason, the Carmelites in Nigeria
desires to offer a unique pastoral guide to
young people. This Youth intervention is a
fruit of the 2023 Chapter deliberation, held
in Nsukka. Friars Clement Obiorah, OCD,
and Philip Kusimo, OCD were charged with
drafting the modalities in view of initiating
a formal youth ministry.

7. A YOUTH VOCATION IN
NIGERIA
Although the living conditions of young
people in Nigeria are pathetic. These
conditions range from abuse to
exploitation of the young in family, in the
world, and in the Church. This becomes
the context for every mission, namely,
looking closely at the living conditions in
the light of God’s faithful intervention
through agents truly transformed from
the heart.

8. Thus,
• We seek to discern pathways where
others only see walls,
• To recognize potentials where others
see only peril.
• And to expand their capacity to live
beyond the immediate condition they
now are.

9. OUR VISION
To live at the service of God and humanity modeled
after Jesus Christ our brother and Mary our Mother
through prayer and solitude.

10. OUR MISSION
To create a vibrant youth community
sustained by a life of prayerful witness to the
gospel values of friendship and discipleship in
our secular world.

11. OUR PLEDGE
To share in the history, tradition,
and spiritual patrimony of the
Discalced Carmelite Order.
Look to the future full of hope and
happiness as we discern where the
Holy Spirit is most alive and active
in the attainment of the best
version of ourselves.

12. OBJECTIVES
1. Sharing in the Carmelite values, charism, and apostolate as young Catholics.
2. To foster youth vocation in the Church.
3. Seeking Effective strategy to infuse society with gospel values
4. To encourage personal sanctity in a lived relationship with God, people, and
society
5. To articulate their Catholic Faith through conscious learning.
6. To actively participate in community building by fostering healthy relationships.
7. To promote the Carmelite literature in a literary community (intellectual value) etc.

13. TARGET AUDIENCE
• The youths in our Carmelite communities, chaplaincies, school
environments, and children of OCDS members are our targets.
• In addition, our school communities shall establish a Carmelite fan
club just like the Bible clubs…

14. MEMBERSHIP
Who can Join the OCDY?
Carmelite Youth is open to all young Catholics who are between 15 – 25 years
with the following requirements:
1. A Christian with a genuine desire for God
2. Aspirants must belong to not more than one pious society in the Church.
3. Desire to learn and live the Carmelite lifestyle of Prayer and meditation,
shared in communion.
4. A period of discernment and accompaniment
NB: For candidates between 15 -17 years, there is a need for parents or
guardians to sign some supervision form.

15. ORGANOGRAM
Where does the OCDY fit in the
Carmelite family?
Carmelite
Children from
OCDS and affiliate
OCDY
OCD
(FRIARS/NUNS)
ORDER
FRIARS OCDS
NUNS

16. ACTIVITIES
• The activities for OCDY are as follows:
1. Weekly Seminars.
2. Periodic Workshops/conferences
3. Officers’ Chapters
4. Annual tour or outings – “the pilgrim’s way to Carmel”
• NB: the place of Media; arts and crafts; interviews; desert experiences; youth
conferences; Carmelites at work (profession); vocation drives; and Carmelite
pilgrimages/tours /Camps will be fixed in due course.

17. FORMATION PERIODS
• A flexible formation program spanning years.
• Investiture and formal reception with the Carmelite pendant happen after 3 months during which the
promise is taken.
The 3 years programs include;
1. Discipleship year/Formation (prayer, virtue, and discipleship),
2. Apostolic year, and
3. Desert year/discernment year (not fixed).
• NB: In the case of the school period, the online community forum takes precedence…For security
reasons, a zonal conference will be held.

18. PROPOSED TOPICS/CONTENT FOR THE FORMATION YEAR
The following are some ideas and topics that may be spread out during the formation period
1. The basics of Christian call; OCDY as a way of following Christ
2. What is a Youth Vocation?
3. Carmelite History and the Carmelite Family
4. Carmelite core values in response to the Gospel values
5. How to discern the will of God for us
6. Learning to heal our inadequacies tremors unwanted experiences and recreating the moments so the power of the Holy
Spirit
7. How to benefit from the wisdom of the Carmelite saints
8. How to choose a Carmelite saint for a guide
9. Youth in the church, the church's mission
10. How to choose a life profession at the service of God and humanity?
11. What is prayer? What is a prayer to me? How can my life be a prayer?
12. Prayer after the Carmelite character
13. Safeguarding - my vocation is love. An abridged version…

19. ALUMNI INTERVENTIONS
1. Resource personnel
2. Reconciliation of a larger
Carmelite body
3. Reorganizing the ex-
Carmelites.

20. RECOMMENDATIONS
1. We acknowledge them to be members of the Carmelite Family in our Vicariate and
we encourage all our communities to support this movement especially our houses
of formation and those dedicated to working with youth.
2. As it is still a new initiative, we enjoined that support in terms of fund be given to
any friar managing the youth at both community and national level.
3. We plead that the members of the Carmelite Family, especially the friars, welcome
them as collaborators in their ministries to their young folks.
4. At the community level, let it our responsibility to assist them attend all our
Vicariate celebrations.

21. THANK
YOU FOR
LISTENING!