Chapter 3: History of Carmelites

The history of the Carmelites is just as beautiful as its charism.

Ever since the Old Testament times, when Prophet of God, Elijah, slew the prophets of the false god on its heights, the holy mountain of Carmel gained popularity. The Prophet Elijah was told to stand at the mouth of the cave on Mount Carmel as the Lord would pass by. Earthquakes, thunder and lightning occurred but the Lord was not in these momentous events. Then there was a gentle breeze and Elijah covered his face and fell to the ground because he knew God was in the silence of the gentle breeze. Since then Mount Carmel has forever been a holy ground.

Around 12^th century, some holy men started living on Mount Carmel after the Crusades and built a monastery with a chapel dedicated to Our Lady. They called themselves the hermit brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and meditated on the Word of God in total silence. They led an austere life and looked up to Prophet Elijah for inspiration as he had found God in silence of the gentle breeze. It was around the year 1253.

 Pope Urban VI called them Carmelites in documents in 1379. Since then the Carmelites went on to establish monasteries in Europe and other parts of the world. Carmelite monasteries are now found all over the world.

The new Order was called discalced meaning without shoes – poor. It refers to the fact that this branch of the Order customarily went barefoot or wore sandals. The Discalced Carmel acknowledges St. Teresa as its mother and foundress.  In August 1562 she founded a new style of Carmelite community in Ávila, Spain. This Carmelite Doctor of the Church, with the help of Saint John of the Cross, reformed the Order in the 16th century. These two great contemplatives, along with St. Therese of Child Jesus, gave the Order a special orientation toward mysticism.