HISTORY OF THE SECULAR ORDER OF
DISCALCED CARMELITES IN NIGERIA
On July 16th, 1976, a Nigerian post-graduate student at the University College, Cardiff (Wales), Michael Ogunu, was admitted to the Third Order Secular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Theresa by Rev. Fr. Ronan Murphy OCD at the Carmelite priory at 47 Kensington Church Street, London, thus becoming the first Nigerian to be admitted to the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites.
Nine months later (April 20th, 1977) five other Nigerian youths Emmanuel Nnamuka, an ex-Benedictine monk, Louisa Udechukwu, Juliana Udechukwu, Veronica Nwauwa and Cyriacus Okoro were received into the Third Order (as the Secular Order was then called) by the late Fr. Mark Horan OCD in Emmanuel Nnamuka’s family chapel at Nkume in present Orlu diocese in Imo State of Nigeria. The reception of those five young men and women into the Order marked the foundation of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites in Nigeria.Brother Emmanuel Nnamuka who was the leader of the group describes the historic event as follows:
“On the afternoon of 20th April, 1977, Fr. Mark was received on arrival from Owerri at St. Mary’s Minor Seminary, Umuowa-Orlu by Cyriacus and me. The seminarians at that time were on break. We lodged at this seminary. The Rector Rev. Fr. Clement Obielu travelled that afternoon. So the whole compound was very quiet. After a little rest at the seminary, we travelled to Nkume where a handful of candidates seeking to be admitted into the Carmelites Third Order and some other people gathered in a family chapel in my house for the ceremonies of reception into the Third Order and clothing and the establishment of a Third Order Fraternity.
“By 4.00 p.m. that day, 20th April, 1977, the ceremony had started. Rev. Fr. Mark Horan OCD was the Chief Celebrant. He used both Latin and English languages in performing the ceremony. Five members were admitted. The five members were myself (Bro. Emmanuel Nnamuka), Sr. Julian Udechukwu, Sr. Louisa Udechukwu, Sr. Veronica Nwauwa and Bro. Cyriacus Okoro”.
“Before Fr. Mark went back to England, he also received a Diocesan priest, Rev. Fr. Anthony Onyeocha into the Secular Order and appointed him as the Rev. Fr. Assistant to the young Carmelite flock of tertiaries”.
St. Joseph’s Community, Owerri/Orlu.
Such was the grace-filled experience of the establishment of Nigeria’s first Carmelite Secular Order Fraternity, St. Joseph’s Fraternity, Owerri/Orlu.
The spiritual regimen of the tertiaries and aspirants was as strict as that of the monks from whose community Bro. Emmanuel had reluctantly exited. Most of them gathered around his chapel everyday at 4.00 am and 4.00 pm for Lauds and Vespers. “Sundays and Tuesdays” says Bro. Emmanuel, were mapped out for intensive formation classes. From 4.00 am each day till after mass in the morning, we maintained strict silence”.
The nascent group was nurtured with spiritual materials from overseas countries. As reported by Bro. Emmanuel, “Carmelites articles and breviaries were flown in from overseas by Fr. Ronan ODC, Fr. John Bernard Keegan OCD, Fr. Killian ODC, Fr. Robert ODC and Fr. Mark, our Father founder. Bro Michael Ogunu sent quantities of the Rule of Life from England. Mother Prioress (of the Carmelite Monastery in Owerri) sent quantities of scapulars and Rosary… The choir was well arranged and the offices of the hebdomendrian, chanter, cantor and reader were well distributed.
As the number increased, the problem of formation became complex. Fr. Horan OCD responded to this challenge by establishing relationships between the nascent Nigerian Secular Carmelite Group and Secular Carmelite communities in Brisbane, Australia and Scotland. The new group obtained a lot of formation materials on the Secular Order from these overseas groups.
On 29th of June, 1978, the five members received in the previous year were professed by Rev. Fr. Clement Obielu. On 7th of October, 19978, four new members were formally received into formation by Rev. Fr. Clement Obielu. On 23rd November, 1979, another set of five members were received into formation and clothed by Rev. Fr. Basil Maduike. On 12th December, 1980, Rev. Fr. Gregory Adibe was clothed and received by Rev. Fr. Basil Maduike. Mary Cecilia also was received that year. On 17th November, 1982, five members were professed and four received into formation by the then Father General of the Order, Fr. Philip Sainz OCD in the Carmelite Monastery Chapel at Owerri. On 19th November, 1983, seven members were clothed and received into formation. On 16th July, 1985, eight members were received into formation and clothed. As at this time, the numerical strength had risen to thirty-seven. About half of the population came from Owerri, about 34 kilometres from Orlu. Thus a new group was established in Owerri.
By 19th May, 1984, election for the tertiary (Secular Carmelite) Councillors was conducted at the Claretian Missionary Fathers House, Maryland, Nekede. Brother Alphonsus Osuchukwu became the first president, while Bro. Emmanuel Nnamuka was the formation master.
Thus, Local Statutes were drawn to guide both Nkume and Owerri Groups. A faculty was sent from Rome making the Chaplain of the Carmelite nuns and the Secular Carmelites one and the same person. This faculty was usually given to the Bishop’s Secretary.
From 20 April, 1977 to February 1995, enrolment in the Orlu/Owerri Fraternity of the Order had risen to 69. As at 1st June, 2010, there were 30 members in the Fraternity out of which 3 had made their vows, 22 Definitive promise, 2 temporary promise and 3 aspirants.
Flos Carmeli Community
Next in order of establishment is the Flos Carmeli Fraternity, Enugu, founded in November 1989 by Fr. Thomas Curran OCD with an initial enrolment of 14 members. The Fraternity had a boom in membership between 1990 and 1993 when the number enrolled rose to 30. It however suffered a decline in enrolment between 1994 to 1997 when the membership decreased to 23. At 1st June, 2010 there were 19 members in the Fraternity, 7 of which had made their first promise while 5 had made their final or definitive promise and 7 were in formation.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Fraternity
West of the River Niger, in the ancient city of Benin, a fraternity of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Fraternity was established by the National President of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites in Nigeria, Professor Michael Ogunu in August 1995 with an initial membership of ten with Fr. Charles Newell OCD as the first Spiritual Assistant. By December 1997, the membership had increased to 23. As at 1st June, 2010 there were 20 on roll, out of which one (the writer) had made a vow, 7 definitive promise, 3 temporary promise, 4 in formation and 5 are aspirants.
St. John of the Cross Community, Ekpoma
Next is St. John of the Cross Fraternity, Ekpoma, Edo State, founded in 1995 by Fr. Charles Newell OCD. He admitted the first members into formation in May, 1996. The foundation members including Prof. (Mrs.) Agnes Uduebor, former Vice Chancellor of Edo State University, Ekpoma (now Ambrose Alli University), attended monthly meetings with the members of the Secular Order in Benin City in order to be nurtured in the way of life of the Secular Carmelite. Later that initial number rose to 15. Fourteen of them, admitted to formation on the 18th of July, 2000 made their first (temporary) promise on Sunday July 21st 2002 while the 15th member was admitted to formation. As at 1st June, 2010, the fraternity had 17 members on roll, 11 of which had made definitive promise, 1 temporary promise and 5 were Aspirants.
Immaculate Conception Community Onitsha
In 1987, Ambrose Mary Anisiuba, a teacher in Onitsha Archdiocese desiring to be a Carmelite tertiary wrote to the Carmelite nuns at Owerri, requesting the address of a Secular Carmelite Group “anywhere in the world” so that he could contact them for admission to the Third Order of Carmel. They referred him to the Owerri/Orlu Carmelite Secular Order Fraternity. He applied to join the group and was accepted. Owing to difficulties experienced in attending the group’s weekly meetings, Ambrose, who travelled from Ozubulu, a distance of 80 kilometres from Owerri, to attend the meetings was permitted to attend them only once a month, on the days of Owerri and Orlu general meetings and recollection. After about a period of seven years (1995) the group’s Formation Master, Bro. Emmanuel Nnamuka advised him to begin a group in Onitsha area. At first he found the task of starting a group very difficult. With courage, he met the Parish Priest of Christ the King Parish, Rev. Fr. Simple Okoli for assistance. With the priest’s permission, Bro. Ambrose spoke on all the masses celebrated on the first Sunday in December 1996. From there he got twelve interested members.
The group started on 8th December 1996. Later in 1997, seven other persons joined them, raising the total number of members of the group to fifteen. A majority of the members left the group after a while. Those who remained were formally welcomed into the Order and invested with the Scapular of Carmel by Fr. Charles Newell OCD at the Carmelite Monastery in Owerri. Bro. Emmanuel Nnamuka, the Owerri/Orlu Formation Master was assigned the responsibility of visiting the group to form them in the spirituality of the Order. Fr. Charles Newell OCD as national spiritual assistant also visited the group. Following the appointment of Fr. Ephraim Orjiekwe OCD as National Spiritual Assistant to the Secular Carmelites, Fr. Sylvester Itodo OCD was appointed Spiritual Assistant to the Onitsha group.
Our Lady, Mother of Divine Grace Fraternity, Nsukka.
The sixth Secular Carmelite Fraternity in the country is Our Lady, Mother of Divine Grace Fraternity, Nsukka. The late Fr. Michael Fitzgerald OCD who, for two years had worked hard to give the members solid foundation in Carmelite spirituality later became the Regional Superior of the Order in Nigeria. The members of the Fraternity who were certified qualified for admission to formation were later formally received into the Order. The Fraternity is vibrant as most of the members are staff of tertiary institutions.
St. Teresa of Avila Secular Carmelite Group, Ibadan
St. Teresa of Avila Secular Carmelite Group, Ibadan, started after Sunday announcement on the origins of the Carmelite Secular Order by Rev. Fr. Christogonus Okorie, OCD who was the Prior of St. John of the Cross Carmelite Community in Ibadan at that time. The Group had its first meeting at St. John of the Cross Carmelite Community on October 30, 2007, with five members. As time went on, new persons joined. There were eleven members on roll as at 1st June, 2010. The new members were received into formation in the Secular Order on September 17, 2008 (the feast of St. Albert of Jerusalem) by Fr. Christogonus OCD, in the presence of the other Carmelite friars of the community.
Mother and Queen of Carmel Community, Abuja
The Discalced Carmelite friars moved into the Nigeria’s Capital city of Abuja in October 2008 to establish a new community. The purpose of this community was to work toward building a Retreat Centre. While awaiting the realization of that project, the Archbishop gave the Order a parish to run in June 2009. However, the Friars took the bull by the horn by not losing sight of their vision; they embarked on parish retreats and directed retreats. This became the avenue to sell the Order’s Charism. Through these retreats, some people indicated interest in joining the Secular Order since the friars had prepared some leaflets, which were distributed to participants.
On July 4, 2009, there was the first meeting of intending members. 10 persons attended this meeting. This meeting was held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, Abuja. Those that attended were very happy and indicated strong desire for mental prayer. The group decided to be meeting once every month. Friar Jerome Ituah started the group.
The number on roll as at 1st June, 2010 was twenty (20). The Group begins their meetings with Confessions/Mass. Guided meditation follows after the Mass and then the reflection for the day. Personal meditation, intercessory prayers and discussion then follow. The meeting ends with a meal which is usually provided by a member of the group.
St Therese Community Ugbodogwu
The Community was founded on September 19, 2010 by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Nwadike OCD with the following 8 (eight) Secular Carmelites from Flos Carmeli Community of No. 17 Nike Avenue, GRA, Enugu as pioneer members:
a. Sr. Agnes Emelife
b. Sr. Mary-Pauline Ekowa
c. Sr. Christine Asadu
d. Bro. Phillip Agu
e. Bro. Collins Ukeje
f. Sr. Monica Udeze
g. Sr. Virginia Uzoaga
h. Sr. Edith Nkechi Onyia
The Community was officially inaugurated on March 10, 2012 by Rev. Fr. Francis Odigwe OCD with Rev. Fr. Ambrose Ekereoku OCD as their Spiritual Assistant at the time.
Written by Bro. Michael Ogunu, OCDS
(National President of Secular Carmelites in Nigeria)
Updated and Edited by Fr. Innocent Igbokwe, OCD
(Provincial Delegate, Secular Carmelites Nigeria and Ghana)
.png)
