Our
Lady of Mount Carmel Parish is in the care of the Carmelites.The first Carmelite Priory in Wentworthville
was established in 1956 when the Carmelites arrived in the parish.Later, in 1961, Prior and Parish Priest Fr.
Paul Knüppel O.Carm built the current priory building adjacent
to the church. The priory building serves not only as the community
house for Wentworthville's Carmelites, but also as the parish
offices.
The
Carmelites were established in the 12th Century, with no known
founder. Rather, the order began as a group of lay hermits who
lived on Mount Carmel, on the Israeli coast. Drawn by the spirit
of the prophet Elijah, they placed themselves in the care of Mary.
They were given a rule by St Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem and
became the "Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount
Carmel", coming together to eat and pray and minister to
passing pilgrims. In 1247, Pope Innocent IV changed the Carmelites'
hermit way of living into a community life. From that time, the
"Whitefriars" grew in number, opening houses in Europe
and moving further into a ministry of preaching and spiritual
direction.
The first Carmelites
in Australia were two lay convicts, John Butler and James Dempsey,
who arrived in 1802, transported for their part in the Irish Rebellion
of 1798. The first official Carmelite foundation in Australia was
made at Gawler, South Australia, in 1881 by the Irish Carmelites.
They took over Sandridge Parish (now Middle Park - Port Melbourne
Parish) in Melbourne in 1882, and established a novitiate in Albert
Park in 1928. Since then, they have ministered to parishes in Brisbane,
Perth and New Zealand, as well as Wentworthville.
Members of the Carmelite community
may work in parish ministry, as well as other areas such as hospital
and naval chaplaincy, and retreat facilitation and education.
Some serve in roles within the order worldwide. The members of
the Carmelite community in Wentworthville are:
Fr. John Powell O.Carm (Prior)
Fr. Anthony Scerri O.Carm
Fr. Bernard Shah O.Carm
Fr. Michael Brundell O.Carm
Fr. Denis Andrew O.Carm
Fr. Paul Sireh O.Carm.
