Prefer listening to a podcast? Listen here: Friars’ Focus – Episode 1 July 2024 | The FriarsCast Podcast (podbean.com)

Dear members of the Whitefriars College Family,

How often in life do we crave a little time and space? Time to stop, to remove ourselves from the busyness of life and the space, to lift our eyes and see beyond the day to day? To consider, to reflect and to evaluate where we are now, where we are heading and what we believe? I feel very blessed and humbled to say that the very valuable and rare gift of time and space was granted to me by the Whitefriars College Board and generously supported by the College Leadership Team, in the form of enrichment leave which I participated in during the last few weeks of Term 2.

As you may be aware, Whitefriars College is the only school in the Carmelite tradition in the southern hemisphere, and it has been my dream to develop a greater awareness and understanding of our unique and important Carmelite identity in other parts of the world in support of the continued growth of our College community. To this end, I planned and experienced a six-week reflective journey to Ireland and the UK to learn more about the rich history of the Carmelites in that part of the world and to listen to the stories, experiences and wisdom of present day Carmelites who live in allegiance to Jesus’ world and who minister to their communities in many and varied ways.

These experiences included visiting Terenure College, a Catholic, Carmelite School for Boys in the heart of Dublin, as well as many Carmelite centers, parishes and important works throughout Ireland and the UK. I also attended the International Boy’s School Coalition Conference, of which Whitefriars College is a member, at the Harrow School in London.

Throughout this immersion experience I kept a detailed journal of my travels and the insights gained along the way. Reading back through this journal, I am overwhelmed by the richness and breadth of the many encounters I had with Carmelite people and places, as well as broader learning about the history of this part of the world and it’s effect on the Carmelites over time. I could not possibly share all these experiences in this space, however I would like to share one entry which spoke to and of, both the past and the present, and which gives some insight into this ancient order whose traditions continue to influence our school community in Donvale in 2024.

Wednesday 5 June 2024

Today we left Dublin and drove Southwest to visit the Carmelite community known as White Abbey in the Town of Kildare in County Kildare.

White Abbey was the site of a Carmelite Friary established in 1291, and there has been a church on this site since that time. We discovered, that a few years ago this church was in danger of closing due to lack of priests. Fr T.C., from India, answered the call and began administering to this community about ten years ago.  

Fr T.C. was a very warm and welcoming person. From the moment we arrived, he and a younger priest, Fr Johnson, dropped everything they were doing to greet us and offer to us very warm and generous hospitality. We were immediately welcomed into the priory, where we were treated to cups of hot tea as well as sweet and savoury treats. At that moment, anything they should or could have been doing was put aside and they gave us their absolute focus and attention. This was a great lesson in Carmelite hospitality. It is about more than food and hot tea, it is about focus and genuine fraternal warmth and care.

Fr T.C. spoke of his initial struggles as a new priest from a foreign land entering this community of which he had very little knowledge or understanding. In fact, in those early days Fr T.C. questioned the decision of his superiors to send him here and wished to go home. But through prayer and perseverance, he embraced his new community and they embraced him.

10 years on, Fr T.C. and the later-arrived Fr Johnson, are an integral part of the Kildare Community. Their daily masses are very well attended, (more so then the Parish Church down the road, according to Fr T.C).

I asked Fr T.C. what his secret to success was in building up such a thriving community. He told me that it was all about walking amongst his community with humility and without pretention, and with respect and regard for the other. The very young Fr Johnson was also a very happy and enthusiastic soul. In fact, they both were men of good humour whose laughter was as infectious as the positivity and energy they brought to their role.

As we had been greeted with great warmth at White Abbey, so too were we farewelled with both priests insisting that they walk us to our car and bid us a very fond farewell.

As we drove away, after one last picture with Fr Johnson, I reflected on the way in which I welcome visitors to our Carmelite community. Do I offer guests my full attention? Do I offer generous and warm hospitality? Do I give my guests my undivided attention and not become distracted by other issues no matter how urgent or important? Most importantly, do I offer dignity and unconditional love and respect to all I encounter in the day to day?

For that is true Carmelite Hospitality.

Thank you for reading (or listening to my new podcast!). I hope to continue sharing my experiences with you, as together we explore our rich Carmelite tradition and its role in helping our boys grow into fine gentle men.

Mark Murphy

Principal