Zagreb, (IKA) – The beatification of the Blessed Mother Mary Teresa of St. Joseph, foundress of the Carmelite Order of the Divine Heart of Jesus, which took place on May 13 of this year in Roermond, the Netherlands, was formally celebrated on June 1 at the convent of this order in Zagreb. Auxiliary Bishop Valentin Pozaić of Zagreb, Dr. Jure Zečević; Sister Anastazija Veić, provincial superior of the Croatian Province of the Carmelite Order of the Divine Heart of Jesus; a choir consisting of nuns and children from the order’s homes for children, and Don Anton Šuljić participated in this observance.

In Sister Anastazija’s greetings to the many guests and friends of Carmel, including Dr. Mato Zovkić, Prof. Marijan Jakubin and sisters of various orders, she mentioned certain aspects of the life of the Blessed Mother Foundress, particularly her thorny path from Protestantism to Catholicism and toward religious life. She also spoke about the arrival of the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus in Croatia in 1917, at the invitation of Archbishop Antun Bauer. Speaking about the charism of Mother Mary Teresa of St. Joseph, which has been recognized by the Universal Church, the provincial superior said: “The recent beatification of our foundress is confirmation by the Church of her work and mission. This is the ultimate that a religious order can experience. The gift of the calling she received to establish the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus matured in her heart and was examined by the Church, which gradually approved and accepted the rightness of her undertaking and afforded full recognition to this new offshoot from the ancient trunk of the Carmelite order as an independent congregation.”

Bishop Pozaić then presented a lecture entitled “The Blessed Mary Teresa of St. Joseph, Protectress and Champion of Life,” in which he noted that faith in God champions and protects life. As evidenced by the new beata, the faithful promote the culture of life, which opposes the culture of death. Presenting theological aspects and contemporary magisterium regarding bioethics, Bishop Pozaić said, “Attacks on life and the destruction of life are lurking not only at the beginning and end of life but in the very shrine of life, in the family.” Observing that behind bioethics there is biopolitics, i.e. politicians who enact laws that confirm or negate values, Bishop Pozaić said that today we are living in a world of great contradictions. “The roots of these contradictions are to be found in an egoistic, corrupted concept of freedom, far from the truth, and in obliviousness to solidarity and altruism, the serving of others. The strong prevail over the weak. Under such circumstances, the defense of human dignity, life and each individual becomes a new challenge and a new mission. Choose life!” said the bishop. In this context, Bishop Pozaić spoke about the significance of the Blessed Mother Mary Teresa of St. Joseph and her works, which confirm that faith in the protection and championship of life do not wait but act. “During her lifetime, her establishment of numerous convents and homes for children, as well as homes for the elderly, was reflected as charism – the special mission of her religious order. In addition to caring for neglected children and the elderly, this charism encompasses concern for the poor, catechesis, missions and parents. In this way it continues throughout the course of life – as the culture of life,” concluded Dr. Pozaić.