Raphael's jubilee

Father Raphael Kitz celebrated his golden jubilee as a priest this year. The jubilee celebrations began on June 2nd with a Mass with the Arkansas bishop for all jubilarians serving in the diocese. Raphael is shown here with the other jubilarians about to enter the cathedral in Little Rock for the jubilee Mass. The priest on the left, Gregory Hart, celebrated his 25th, and the priest on the other side of Father Raphael, Msgr. John Kordsmeier is celebrating his 60th.

Next Father was interviewed by the newspaper. He is shown here with Lladro’s bronze sculpture of Holy Mother Teresa of Jesus to the left and Edith Stein’s passport photo hanging on the wall behind him in the entrance room of the Monastery of Marylake. The headline of the article: “Priest spends 50 years… teaching spirituality.” In 1953 Father Raphael Kitz, OCD, came to Marylake Monastery and became a novice in the Order of Discalced Carmelites. As the novice master since 1993, Father Kitz has instructed at least 30 novices in the lifestyle and teachings of the Carmelite tradition.

Raphael celebrated his actual ordination day, September 19th at our Nuns in New Caney Texas. Then our big celebration was held in October when our entire province gathered at Marylake for our annual retreat. Raphael concelebrated this jubilee Mass with Father Stephen Sanchez, superior of Mt Carmel Center in Dallas who celebrates this year his 25th jubilee of Religious profession.

Fr. Gregory Ross, our provincial, preached extolling each for the service rendered our province as priests and as religious. Raphael entered our province after a brief stint with the Dominicans, in September 1953, four years before Stephen was born. Stephen was professed on July 16, 1984, in this very chapel where he was now celebrating his 25th jubilee.

After the Father Provincial’s sermon, Father Raphael had a few words of his own to share. He kept the subject matter lighthearted as you can see from Stephen’s reaction. “You would think a person his age would be thinking of retiring, but he’s going like the Energizer bunny,” noted Raphael’s local superior. He has put 200,000 miles on his car in the last seven years alone. He ministers to our Secular Order in Jackson Mississippi each month, and is extraordinary confessor to our Nuns in the Houston area. Each Sunday finds him at a parish in Arkansas.

After the jubilee Mass the province gathered to have their picture taken with Father Raphael. We then adjourned to the refectory for a feast with the biggest bottle of champagne ever seen in these parts. Raphael poses here with two of his community members at Marylake: Frs. John Michael and John Magdalene. A month later and we still haven’t finished off that bottle. Maybe for Thanksgiving! Also check out the Marylake blog at http://okfriarsnewslet.blogspot.com for the jubilee decorations there.