On the feast of Saint Teresa of Avila (which was Therese's feast day during her lifetime), I recommend "Be Missionaries of God's Mercy - A Carmelite Challenge," a brief article by Dr. Keith Egan about the role of mercy in the Carmelite tradition as typified by its two female Doctors of the Church, Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux.  This article appeared in the summer/fall 2014 issue of Carmelite Review.  May the whole Christian family, including the Carmelite family, be missionaries of mercy! 

Dr. Keith Egan, theologian and author, will speak on “Therese of Lisieux, Gifted Daughter of Saint Teresa of Avila" on Sunday, September 29, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.  Keith will explore what wisdom Saint Therese learned from Teresa and the wisdom that Teresa has for us.  For details, please visit Carmelstream.  You may also read "Carmelite nuns plan 3-year celebration of 500th birth anniversary of founder" in the Providence Journal.  The lecture is free and open to the public.

 Keith J. Egan, T.O.C.

On Sunday, October 21, at 3:00 p.m. at Transfiguration Church in Tarrytown, New York, Professor Keith J. Egan, T.O.C. wll speak on "Saint Therese's Struggle to Believe."  Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend the lecture at this parish staffed by the Carmelite friars.  Please take advantage of this chance to hear this theologian reflect on St. Therese's struggle for faith as we begin the year of faith and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vatican II, which brought into the life of the Church so many themes from the prophetic spirituality of St. Therese. 

Keith Egan has several audio/DVD programs about Carmelite spirituality available from Now You Know Media, including Therese of Lisieux: Wisdom's Daughter. Below you may view one session, "Therese: A Child Surrounded by Love" from his 12-part program.

 Professor Egan is Aquinas Chair in Catholic Theology Emeritus at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana.  He founded the College's Center for Spirituality, where the Carmelite Summer Seminar has taken place for more than 25 years, and is a founding member of the North American Carmelite Forum.   Keith Egan s Adjunct Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame and is the former president of the Carmelite Institute.  He has spoken and published much on Christian spirituality and mysticism, especially on Carmelite spirituality, to audiences in North America, Ireland, England, and Rome.  With Laurence Cunningham, he is the co-author of Christian Spiritualty: Themes from the Tradition.  He is the editor of Carmelite Prayer: A Tradition for the 21st Century.  His lectures "Saint Therese: Doctor of the Church" and "The Discovery of Merciful Love" are available on CD from Carmel Clarion Communications.