Mendicants

The Carmelite Order is one of the four great Mendicant Orders of the Roman Catholic Church, dating to the Middle Ages. Our Carmelite spirituality is very much influenced by the notion of 'mendicancy', a term which comes from the Latin word mendicare meaning beggars.

The Mendicant Orders are, primarily, certain Christian religious Orders that have adopted a lifestyle of poverty, traveling, and living in urban areas for purposes of preaching, evangelization, and ministry, especially to the poor.

The Mendicant Orders surviving today are the four recognized by the Second Council of Lyon (1274): Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians (Augustinian Hermits), and Carmelites, as well as Trinitarians, Mercedarians, Servites, Minims, Hospitallers of St. John of God, and the Teutonic Order.

The Carmelites were able to settle in cities and towns, undertake the ministry of mendicants, especially preaching and the hearing of confessions.  The Order quickly clericalized for these ministries, but was slower to move into academics.

Originally a group of hermits, apparently European, living on Mount Carmel in Palestine, the Carmelites established themselves in the Latin West as an order of itinerant mendicants.

Friars

The word Friar comes from the Latin word frater through French frère, which means “brother”. A friar is member of any of certain religious orders of men, especially the four mendicant orders (Augustinians, Carmelites, Dominicans and Franciscans).

Friars are special monks that do a service to a community and that lead a simple life. A friar is similar to a monk. Friars are like monks in that they are devoted to a religious life. The difference is that a friar lives and works among regular people in society, while a monk lives in a secluded, self-sufficient group of monks. They arose in the medieval era where monastic orders remained rooted in place.

Carmelite Friars are devoted to Mary and serve God through prayer, community and fraternity. The Carmelite friars while following a contemplative life also engage in the promotion of spirituality through their retreat centres, parishes and churches.

The friars are the oldest continually-surviving branch of the Carmelite Family and are called "active contemplatives". As Teresian Carmelites, these men strive to live a zealous life of allegiance to Jesus for the salvation of souls.

Carmelite Order

The Carmelite Order has no founder as such. However the origins of the Carmelite Order can be traced back to Prophet Elijah and his disciples. During the late 12th century and the beginning of the 13rd century, under the title of “Saint Mary of Mount Carmel”, the Order of Carmelites had its formal beginning. Thus the Discalced Carmelites are a religious Order whose heritage reaches back to a community of hermits living on Mount Carmel in Palestine during that time.

Some hermits from Europe and others, possibly former crusaders, settled on the slopes of Mount Carmel near the Spring of Elijah. After their military service was complete, these crusaders decided to remain in the Holy Land, pledging “allegiance to Jesus Christ”.

This group of hermits formed the first Carmelites, who were officially known as the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. They lived a life of solitude on the mountain of Carmel like our spiritual father St. Elijah.

In 1247 the Pope Innocent IV granted to the Carmelite Order the privilege to be one of Catholic mendicant Orders. Today the Carmelites are one of the four great mendicant Orders (those Orders whose corporate as well as personal poverty made it necessary for them to beg for alms). In fact there are two Orders of the Carmelites -- "The Carmelites", also known as of the "Ancient Observance" or "Calced", and "The Discalced (shoeless) Carmelites" or "Teresians".

The Carmelite Order is one of the five ancient Religious Orders in the Catholic Church, and first one to be dedicated to Mary. Today the Carmelites are a religious Order of Roman Catholic priests, brothers, nuns, and laity serving the Church. We follow an 800-year-old tradition of spirituality.