Summer 2001
Late in June through mid-July Fr. Kieran Kavanaugh gave talks on Carmelite spirituality to both Carmelite students and the public in Nairobi, Kenya. In Africa for the first time, he was glad to share his knowledge about St. Teresa, St. John of the Cross and other Carmelite topics during a three-week stay.
As the accompanying photo shows (standing second from the right in the back row), he was welcomed by a community of confreres of international make-up. Among them was Fr. Steven Payne, former Editor-in-Chief of ICS Publications (last on the left in the back row). Fr. Steven's tenure in Africa, as OCD student director, teacher and wielder of several other specialties, will finish by year's end. He has accepted the position of President of the Carmelite Institute located at the Washington Theological Union in our nation's capital. We look forward to many a story of activities during his ministry in Nairobi, the latest house of the Washington Province, and we trust he'll urge us to a bona fide "hakuma mutata" attitude. Those words in Swahili were made popular in Disney's "Lion King" and they mean "Don't worry, be happy." In fact, we are happy to congratulate Fr. Steven for the expected publication of his doctoral thesis titled "A Theological Study of the Declaration of St. Thérèse of Lisieux as Doctor of the Church" by an American Catholic publisher (Alba House).
While he was away in Africa work in our editorial offices advanced on Fr. Kieran's newest translation of a Carmelite text, The Collected Letters of St. Teresa of Avila, Volume 1 that covers the years 1546-1577. This will be a distinct contribution to study of the life and thought of St. Teresa. Fr. Kieran has included several features due to enrich use of the volume: a lengthy group of biographical sketches that explain who the correspondents of Teresa were; copious notes to illustrate the context of the events Teresa mentions; and a useful index, too. If all goes well, the book will appear sometime this Fall, 2001.
Just before leaving for Africa Fr. Kieran completed the manuscript of a reader of Saint Teresa for New City Press. It will appear in a series of anthologies done by the same publisher. Notification about publication date depends on them and they, not ICS Publications, will be distributors.
With sadness we want to inform our readers of the death of Fr. Michael Linssen, OCD of a heart attack at his monastery in Wurzburg, Germany. We featured Fr. Michael in our "News" page this past February. He had had cardiac problems in the past, but nothing in his calm and kind demeanor while visiting Washington last fall gave any hint that he would suffer heart failure within seven months. Please think of him in your prayers, and remember also the intentions of his collaborators who will continue the work of studying and disseminating the message of St. Edith Stein.
