Carmelite Conversations :: 17 October 2026

Carmelite Conversations A Troubled Heart: The Tragic in Life Saturday 17 October 2026 11.00am – 1.00pm (In Person Event) • Click here to Register • Click here to download PDF There are seasons in every human life. To live is to encounter pain, suffering, heartache and loss. The agony of these moments can bring us to our knees. Burdened by their weight, we can feel lost, abandoned and afraid. This Season of the Heart can be blinding — what we have known can become obscure. We can even begin to question the reality of God’s presence. How do you proceed when the way is not clear? What has been your experience of walking a dark way? Can you trust the way forward when life takes you along a path you did not choose? The Carmelite tradition speaks into our suffering, reminding us: • God never abandons us. • God is more present to us than we are to ourselves. • God’s love abides with us, even in times of darkness. • We are invited to remain open so that God can love us all the way through. A Carmelite response to the darkness Carmelite spirituality does not turn away from the realities of pain, suffering and loss. Rather, it speaks into these experiences with the assurance that God never abandons us and, in some mysterious way, is more present to us than we are to ourselves. A Troubled Heart: The Tragic in Life will explore a Carmel-inspired faith that remains present to the realities of life. Even in times of darkness, the integrity, depth and surety of God’s love abides with us. Drawing from the lived experience of Carmelite saints, we will reflect together on the graceful presence of a love within and beyond our humanity. Their experience can help us remember that darkness and suffering do not mean that God is absent. In gathering for this Carmelite Conversation, we are invited not to close down or become embittered by what we encounter, but to remain open to the depth of our lives — allowing God to love us all the way through. “Despite all evidence to the contrary, Carmel testifies that God’s love is always present in the debris of our lives.” — Fr Jack Welch O.Carm, Seasons of the Heart Facilitator Fr Matthew Tonini O.Carm. is an Australian Carmelite friar and priest who is passionate about living and sharing the riches of Carmelite spirituality – a way of entering more deeply into the mystery of human spirituality and relationship with God. A qualified teacher with an honours degree in Science, Matthew joined the Carmelites after working as a teacher in rural New South Wales. His Carmelite ministry has included parish ministry, education and formation, and sharing Carmelite spirituality through retreats, reflection and conversation. Fr Matthew is currently Chaplain at Whitefriars College in Donvale, where he accompanies students and the wider College community in living the Carmelite way of prayer, community and service. • Click here to Register • Click here to download PDF You are welcome to join from other time zones, for example: India/Sri Lanka: 6am • Thailand/Vietnam: 7:30am • Perth/Singapore/Malaysia/Philippines: 8:30am • Timor-Leste/Japan/Korea: 9:30am • Papua New Guinea: 10:30am • New Zealand: 12:30pm • Hawaii: Tuesday 2:30pm • Los Angeles/Vancouver: Tuesday 5:30pm • Denver: Tuesday 6:30pm • Chicago: Tuesday 7:30pm • New York/Toronto: Tuesday 8:30pm • Brazil (São Paulo): Tuesday 9:30pm Join us as we explore how, even in life’s darkest seasons, we can remain open to the God who never abandons us — and allow God to love us all the way through. The Carmelite Centre 214 Richardson Street Middle Park VIC 3206 The Carmelites of Australia & Timor-Leste