Hello, I’m Father Anthony Armstrong, a Carmelite priest at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Osprey, Florida. It is my joy and privilege to serve this vibrant community, helping others deepen their faith and grow in their relationship with God. With a heart for prayer, service, and contemplation, I strive to live out the values of the Carmelite tradition in all that I do. My mission is to guide others with compassion, offering spiritual support and inspiring all to live with humility, peace, and love. Thank you for visiting, and I look forward to walking this journey of faith with you.

I read a story recently about 96-year-old Elma Johnson, who has a special place in her heart for Hospice Care. Her love for Hospice Care was fueled by the loving care of Hospice nurses, known as little angels. Elma’s daughter was cared for with love by the Hospice nurses when she was dying of cancer. The same loving care from Hospice was later provided to Elma’s husband when he was dying. Her stepson became a doctor and the director of Hospice care. He then received the loving care of Hospice nurses when he was dying of cancer. Elma’s heart is in awe of the love that Hospice Care provides for those who need to be loved most.
Ema’s life is a life of love by caring, volunteering, and working to make life better for others. Elma witnessed how Hospice Care continued to go out into the world to ease suffering, offer dignity, love, and comfort to those who are dying. Throughout the past 13 years, Elma would bake a blackberry pie for the annual Hospice fund-raising auction. Loving one another through Hospice Care is Elma's passion.
Today in the Gospel, we hear, “Love one another!” There is no greater love than to offer the willing sacrifice of our lives for the sake of another. When I was in my very early grade school days, I remember my eighteen-year-old neighbor, three doors up the street. He went off to the Vietnam War and died as a soldier in less than a year of his service to our country. I’ll never forget the sadness of our neighborhood when a black ribbon was placed above Patrick’s front door. At the beginning of the Easter Vigil, our cantor Mark chanted "to ransom a slave, God gave his only Son". That slave is us, the entire human race! Any separation from God is healed through Jesus’ love and sacrifice. Through Jesus, we are ransomed from sin and death, now offered the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When Elma stood in line with her little blackberry pie, her daughter admitted that she was slightly embarrassed. The quality of the desserts was incredible, and Elma stood in line with her humble pie. Well, that humble pie by far received the highest bid because the bidders saw love, not a baked good. Over the past 13 years, Elma continued to donate a little pie each year. The total funds raised so far are $200,000. Why? Because the 96-year-old Elma is a Legend of love. Her love became hope, strength, and perseverance that only love can provide. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16. Keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus' love for us will strengthen us to see a new heaven and a new earth. Loving others speaks of God’s might! There are times that we journey through the open door of faith to allow the faithful to bless us with love, and times to be sent to bless others with love. Many blessings of God’s love this Easter Season!

With the passing of Pope Francis, I thought that in this week's Pastor’s Corner, I would explain how the process of electing a new pope takes place.
  
 God promises to always be with His Church and to guide the Church. It is especially important to rely on that promise at this time when, as I write this, the Cardinals of the Church are preparing to enter the conclave to elect a new Pope. Church history is full of proof that, despite some of the corrupt and sinful people who have been elected as Pope, God HAS still guided and led the Church.
So, with that being said, what is a conclave? Ultimately, a conclave is a gathering of the cardinals of the Church to elect a new pope. For over 1000 years the tradition of the Church has been that it is the college of cardinals that elects the new Pope. Normally, bishops and archbishops are elected to become cardinals but, sometimes, priests can become cardinals, usually as a sign of honor and respect.
In 1970 Pope Paul VI decreed that, to be a voting member of the college or cardinals, you had to be under 80. That means that, in this conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor, there will be 135 voting members, with 2 cardinals unable to participate, because of health reasons. Over 75% of cardinals have been chosen by Pope Francis (108), with just 12 chosen by Pope Benedict and only 5 chosen by Pope St. John Paul II.
And, especially under Pope Francis, the cardinals in the College of Cardinals are a very diverse group of cardinals. Pope St. John Paul II was the first non-Italian pope for over 400 years and that was because most of the cardinals were Italian but, especially under the papacy of Pope Francis, cardinals have become more representative of the global church, with 12 new countries having cardinal electors for the first time. Europe still has the most cardinal electors, at 53, with the Americas having 37, Asia having 23, Africa having 18, and Oceania 4.
The tradition of the cardinals being locked in comes from the fact that, following the Pope’s death in 1268, the cardinals took 3 years to elect a new pope, and only then because they were locked up and given limited food and rations until they elected a successor! Today, they stay in Casa Santa Marta, where Pope Francis decided to continue to stay following his election as Pope and, from what I have heard, while the food is not great, it’s not the bread and water that was given to the first conclave who was locked up!
To be elected pope, they need a 2/3 majority of the cardinals. The day they start the conclave they will have one vote and then will have 4 votes a day until they elect a new pope by sending up white smoke from the burned ballots. As the cardinals prepare to enter their conclave let us pray in a special way for each of them that they may be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and seek God’s will as to who GOD wants to lead His Church.