In 1980 Pope John Paul II called on consecrated persons to move into Africa in a big way, and the OCD friars responded generously. John Paul was right: Africa, though rich in minerals and human resources had been exploited by the industrialized world in the pressure of their increasing demand for mineral and other resources, but they had not paid much attention to developing the local peoples and infrastructure. There was a clear need for upliftment in many ways, especially by offering quality medical, moral and educational care to the local people as well as to enhancing the religious formation of the indigenous clergy and consecrated life. This pressing need provided an opportunity for dedicated,
religious persons to get involved in serving these needs, augmenting the existing resources. 

Carmelites were present in Egypt from the time of Fr Prospero on Mt Carmel in the early 17th century. However, after Vatican II Belgian friars had taken up missionary initiatives in the Congo (now called Zaire); the Basque Province of Navarra took up missionary initiatives in Malawi and, soon after Vatican II, the Portuguese worked in the province of Mozambique. After the call of the Holy Aee, Philip Sainz, the Superior General of the order, started a new initiative with a view to establishing infrastructure for higher seminary formation. He established an inter-congregational mechanism for theology studies in Langata, Nairobi Kenya and a novitiate in Lagos, Nigeria for Anglophone Carmelites. The francophone Carmelites were accommodated in the Kinshasa and Gomo missions. Both large and small missions have been maintained by many European and American provinces ever since. 

The west Indian province of the Carmelites — known as Karnataka–Goa — was founded in 1982 at the insistence of the Superior General, and these Carmelites, together with other units of friars in India, started missionary work in southern Tanzania, Africa the following year. The saintly bishop of Morogoro immediately welcomed Indian friars to work in his diocese and offered the Mikuni parish on the edge of the national park as the base parish. This was a very difficult venture and other provinces had retreated one by one. In addition to the lack of personnel, there was a serious lack of financial support from the Order. However, the Province persevered and today the region is on the verge of being declared a fully fledged unit of the Order. 

Great credit must be attributed to the South Africa based contemplative Carmelite nuns, the spiritual daughters of St Teresa, for offering the rich spiritual gifts of the Carmelite Order to South Africa. Presently there are three contemplative communities in South Africa, one in Benoni, near Johannesburg, one in Cape Town and also the one in Mafikeng.

After only a few years of Carmelite presence in Tanzania, Fr Camilo Maccisse, the Superior General again invited the Karnataka-Goa province to accept the mission of sharing the spiritual gifts of the Carmelite mystics in South Africa. It was a delicate time in South Africa as the nation transitioned from the Apartheid era to one of general democracy under Nelson Mandela’s leadership. The transition was amazingly peaceful considering the relentless humiliations that had been suffered by most of the people for decades. The General Council was wondering whether to entrust the South African mission to Nigerian friars of the Irish Province or to the Karnataka-Goa province which had already had success in Tanzania.

After a fact-finding tour in 1998 by Fr Charles Serrao and Fr Lawrence D’Mello, then General Councillor and Provincial respectively, it was decided to send two young and energetic friars to far-off South Africa. The kindly lay associates of the cloistered Carmelites met the friars at the Johannesburg airport and drove them to Carmel. The friars were then accommodated in the guest / chaplain’s quarters of Carmel. Mother Ann
Cunningham, the prioress, and the community received them with joy and affection and took extraordinary care of them. The friars spent their time offering the Holy Eucharist, giving spiritual talks to the sisters and offering spiritual ministry. They were also invited to minister in neighbouring parishes.

As soon as the news of the Carmelite arrival in Benoni had spread around, the national seminary in Pretoria requested the services of the friars as spiritual directors and professors. The friends of the Carmelite nuns, who frequented the daily Mass at the cloistered Carmel, generously invited the friars into their homes for festivities and dinners and offered to help in any way they could. They were Indian, Lebanese, Italian, Portuguese, Afrikaans and English-speaking South Africans. So the friars were quickly assimilated into the local fabric of society in Benoni and its surrounds. There was not much time for home-sickness.

Mother Anne and the cloistered Carmel had been so far-sighted as to acquire 5 acres of land adjacent to Carmel, complete with an existing home that could easily be converted to accommodate five friars and incorporate all their basic needs, chapel, refectory, and recreation hall besides the individual cells. This was planned to be the base for the friars in South Africa.

In 1999, almost a year after the Indian friars had taken up residence as chaplains of the cloistered Carmel, the Karnataka-Goa province endorsed the South African initiative taken by the provincial team. The cloistered sisters had generously supported the friars from the start with food and care. As Carmelite friars, we can never be too grateful to the sisters for their immense sacrifices. The renovated premises were soon ready to be occupied and it was time to settle down. On 1st May 1999 His Excellency Bishop Reginald of Johannesburg presided over the open-air celebration of the Holy Eucharist; the renovated building was blessed and the Carmelite presence was inaugurated. Besides the sisters, many local friends of the sisters and friars were present for the occasion. This was a dream come true, especially for the cloistered sisters to have their Carmelite brothers in the vicinity to minister to them.

Soon thereafter, as a new Provincial, I went to visit the South African mission. After consulting with Mother Ann and the council of the cloistered Carmel, it was agreed that the undeveloped plot of land adjacent to Carmel would be used to construct a retreat centre dedicated to propagating the Carmelite spiritual heritage and it was intended to be handed over to the friars as a means of income for their spiritual ministry to the cloistered Carmel.

Soon after arriving at the mutual understanding, the compound was planned to be a series of five parallel halls that included a lecture hall, reception, refectory and kitchen. It was also agreed to name the hall in memory of Rev. Fr Elias Friedman OCD. He was born in South Africa. After the creation of Israel, as he was of Jewish parentage, he moved to the Holy Land and became the first South African Carmelite. He dedicated himself to scientific research on the origin and early developments of the Latin hermits on Mt Carmel and in Palestine. He has many scientific works and articles to his credit. He fought and won in the highest court of law for his right to citizenship in Israel, even though he had accepted the Christian faith. He lived in Stella Maris Monastery and often used to express to me his desire that a Carmelite foundation be made in his native land, South Africa. He died at the turn of the millennium and is buried at Stella Maris cemetery in Haifa.

While the construction work was in full swing, there were many requests for retreats and organized spiritual programs. Fortunately, the friars also had a vacant hall on their premises which they could use for offering the Eucharist to special groups and for select friends in the area who requested them to offer Saturday evening Eucharist. At that time the need also arose for a capable friar to be the formator of the novices in Tanzania. Fr Raymond Santhanaz was chosen and he agreed to move to Tanzania. Immediately, the dynamic Rev. Fr Marie Joe took his place. The sisters also asked for someone who could guide them in their studies for a deeper grasp of the Carmelite heritage and then Fr Walter Lobo and Fr Silvestre D’Souza were sent.

The presence and availability of more friars enabled us to positively respond to the Bishop’s request to render Sunday ministry in some neighbouring parishes. While there was an overwhelming acceptance of the quality of our pastoral ministry, we also humbly acknowledge that one of our pioneers fell out and deviated from the priestly ideals. No doubt, that did bring acute pain and did immense damage to the good name of the Carmelites. Sadly, therefore, the friars had to withdraw from their ministry at the retreat house and so it was entrusted to the Salesians, then later to the Episcopal Conference of South Africa. Thanks be to God, other friars led by Fr Marie Joe rose to the occasion with tremendous resilience and poise and regained the good name of the friars. Archbishop Buti Tlhagale, who recently visited the Province in India, expressed his great satisfaction with the pastoral work of our friars, wishing that many more of our friars would come to South Africa.