The Most Reverend Carmelite Prior General, Father Joseph Chalmers is sitting opposite me discussing his first religious calling, football. A native Glaswegian, Fr. Joseph is an avid Celtic fan and although disappointed by the recent draw with Hibernian he was nevertheless pleased to have been able to listen to the match. Despite his hectic travelling schedule, Fr. Joseph still keeps up with the Celtic scores:

“Sitting in the airport in Brazil I had an hour or so to spare so I went to the Internet café and listened to the match over the Internet.”

The international nature of Father Joseph’s work is, he says, a stimulating experience. "We have Carmelite communities in thirty-five countries; we have recently expanded to form new foundations in Africa and Indonesia. In the last few years over 150 young Carmelites have joined Order in the Indonesian." As the Superior of the Carmelite Order, Father Joseph has to guide the Order’s development. I asked him why, when vocations across all religious orders in England are falling, did he feel that Africa and Asia were such an important focus.

“In Africa the need is greatest. Carmelites bring what they can to the Churches in Africa. These are countries badly affected by governmental mismanagement, failing economies due to debt and crippling poverty. Many governments are trying to overcome their problems and some are succeeding. The Carmelites can bring a lot to these countries. In England we are blessed by vocations and we are an Order that still feels alive; we’re looking to grow.”

Father Joseph became a Carmelite in 1975, later becoming the Provincial leader for England and Wales before being elected to the post of Prior General in 1995. He has just been elected to serve another six years. I asked him how he became a Carmelite:

Cartoon: James Pullen

“I was a lawyer working for the government in Glasgow, I was also engaged but felt that this wasn’t the right thing for me. I joined the Samaritans but found that I wanted to do more and was drawn towards the religious life. I went on retreat with the Carmelites to a castle in Kent and found that I agreed with the Carmelite way of life. I felt at home with the ideas of the Carmelites and decided that I would give it one year. I’ve been a Carmelite ever since and that one year has turned into twenty-six.”

During his stay in York, Father Joseph conducted Mass in the salubrious surroundings of L/036, where the Catholic community of the University meets each week. He said that he had enjoyed his experience:

“I love celebrating mass with young people. When I organised retreats I always found young people to be very receptive. They are open to Christian values, even if they don’t consider themselves religious; they are open to the person of Christ.”

Retreats allowed Father Joseph to talk about the core of Christianity: developing a relationship with God. He still considers this part of his work as Prior General:

“Although I have very little time to lead retreats these days I am still able to talk to a wide range of people about their growing relationships with God. This is at the heart of my work, focusing on the person of Jesus Christ.”

The importance of community is central to Carmelite life. All Carmelites are called to live in community and Father Joseph reflected upon the importance of this:

“It’s easy to love your neighbour if you don’t have one. Whether we are students living on campus or religious [i.e. nuns or monks] living together, we gain a great deal from living in community. I hope that the Carmelites bear witness to others that people of different ages and backgrounds can live together in peace and harmony. God sees us all as a perfect work of art and uses other humans as the tools to create that perfection. Communities allow us to knock the edges off each other, they are a vital aid to living a Christian life.”

Father Joseph lives in Rome although he previously lived in Hazelwood with the University’s Catholic Chaplain, Father Tony. As head of his Order and recipient of the Papal Gold Medal (an award given to the highest scoring Masters in Christian Spirituality that year.) I asked Father Joseph whether he had a lot of contact with the Vatican:

“I don’t live in the Vatican and each Order has someone appointed to be the direct connection between the Vatican and the Order. Of course if there is something serious to be discussed then I will respond to the Vatican in person.”

Father Joseph was pleased to be able to say Mass in English at the University since he is often called to celebrate Mass in Italian:

“I have to have a fair command of languages since I am asked to celebrate the liturgy in different countries and I’m often asked for interviews.”

Along with his busy travelling schedule Father Joseph also manages to write books. He says that he writes in airports, on planes and trains and between meetings. The first of his three books was jointly written with Elizabeth Smith and is called A Deeper Love. The second is a collection of articles called, In Allegiance to Jesus Christ and the third was released to coincide with the celebration of the Carmelite’s Marian devotion: its title is Mary the Contemplative.

Once Father Joseph has completed his next term of office as Prior General he will leave Rome. I asked him if he was tempted to change Province and become a Carmelite in one of the more glamorous locations he has visited:

“We have a house in North East Brazil that is right on the Atlantic coast - you can hear the waves crash against the shore. We also have houses in Bali but I think I’ll be coming home to England.”

At least then he will have more chance of making it to the Scottish cup final!

Angela Cheyne