October 2000
Whenever contemporary Discalced Carmelites wonder whether publications work is compatible with our contemplative lifestyle, we have only to look to the example of Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Therese of Lisieux, and so many authors in our tradition. Their numerous writings have changed the world and continue to appeal to contemporary readers hungry for deeper spirituality.
For nearly two decades I have been involved in the Carmelite ministry of publications, and it has been one of the greatest blessings of my vocation. Even before I had completed studies for the priesthood, I became reviews editor for my province’s quarterly, Spiritual Life, in 1982. Later I moved on to become, successively, its co-editor (1984-1988) and editor (1988-1993).
Meanwhile, when ICS Publications underwent a reorganization of the staff in 1990, I became its “editor-in-chief,” a position I have held for the last decade (except for an 18-month interval when I was on assignment in Boston). During that time ICS Publications has released some 35 new titles and has begun work on a number of books still to come. We have added volumes to our series of the Collected Works of Therese of Lisieux, Elizabeth of the Trinity, and Edith Stein, while expanding our offerings to include contemporary writers such as Susan Muto, Segundo Galilea, and Jessica Powers. For me, editing such texts has been a laborious but grace-filled process: hard work, to be sure, but also a kind of lectio divina, as I read slowly and carefully through some of the classics of our tradition. Of course, nothing was accomplished by my own efforts alone. I will always be grateful for help of my confreres on the staff and the collaboration of so many fine authors and translators.
As of September 2, however, I am taking up a new assignment. The Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, to which I belong, is responsible for the Discalced Carmelite house of studies in Nairobi, Kenya, where most of our Order’s English-speaking African seminarians receive their training in theology. Last April the provincial of our Washington Province, Father Jude Peters, asked me to become the new student director there, “for one year, maybe two.” He gave me the summer to finish up my ICS commitments, and so I will be leaving for Africa at the beginning of the current school year.
Though nervous about this new assignment, I am also excited by the challenge. As it happens, I was invited to give some talks to our students in Nairobi in 1999, and so I have already met the community there. They impressed me very much. Kenya is going through a difficult time at present, but the African Carmelites (and future Carmelites) I met were invariably gracious and dedicated. I am honored that they feel I can be of some service to them in this new role.
I am not leaving ICS Publications
completely. I hope to finish up a few projects in Nairobi that
are already nearly finished. And the African friars are interested
in learning more about the possibility of setting up their own
publishing operation. In the meantime, however, our capable publisher,
Father John Sullivan, O.C.D., will be taking over the editorial
reins from me. We trust, then, that my departure will mean no
lessening in the number and quality of new Carmelite works from
ICS Publications.
Steven Payne, OCD
At its annual meeting held in
Baltimore May 24 - 26, 2000 the CPA gave an award for Edith
Stein: Her Life in Photos and Documents. Entered in
the "Best Book by a Small Publisher" category, the
judges of the CPA praised this illustrated biography of St. Edith
Stein in the following terms:
Edith Stein comes alive for the reader in this book that presents photos of
each stage of her life and portrays her life in a manner that is informative
and appealing. The reader is captivated by this story of a modern saint
who possessed superior qualities of mind and spirit. With an attractive
style, the book traces the events of her conversion to Catholicism and
her vocation to the Carmelite way of life in a fascinating narrative. The
fact that the circumstances leading up to her martyrdom are placed within
the context of historical happenings makes for fascinating reading. The
format of this book is very attractive and will appeal for a wide audience
of readers.
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We offer heartfelt congratulations
to Sr. Amata Neyer, author; to Dr. Waltraut Stein, our translator;
to Fr. Steven Payne, edit of the book; and to Mrs. Nancy Gurganus
for the cover design. To purchase this book please click the cover
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