History of the Order
Hanay, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
On the Slopes of Mount Carmel
In the 12th century a group of hermits began living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land. In about 1207 they received a Rule of Life from St. Albert of Jerusalem, becoming known as the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. When circumstances forced them to leave Mount Carmel they made foundations in Europe, adapting their way of life to living in cities while still aiming to keep the desert ideal by the practice of solitude and silence in their monasteries. In the 15th century groups of women were also admitted to the Order, by then widespread in Europe.
All my longing was and still is that since He has so few friends and so many enemies that these few friends be good ones.
—St Teresa of Jesus
St Teresa—Longing to be a Good Friend of Christ
In the 16th century the Church was in turmoil. Many Catholic beliefs were being questioned. St Teresa was very distressed by the divisions in the Church. For her, to attack the Church was to attack Christ, to be ungrateful for all the gifts He had given us. She longed to find a way to “help… this Lord of mine who is so roughly treated." She resolved to dedicate herself to a deeper life of prayer and in 1562 founded her first monastery of St Joseph’s in Avila, Spain. The new monastery became the foundation of the Discalced Carmelite Order as the movement for reform spread. In this she was greatly helped by St John of the Cross who became the first Discalced Carmelite Friar and whose writings have been a source of guidance and inspiration for many generations of Carmelites.
Discalced Carmelite Nuns Today
Today there are over 800 monasteries of nuns in over 90 countries. Carmel is to be found in Oceania, Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America. Languages and cultures vary but St Teresa’s mission for her nuns remains the same. That mission is to be a good friend to our Lord:
to pray for the Church, for the Holy Father, bishops, missionaries and especially priests in the local diocese, often struggling under heavy loads as they strive to bring Christ to our world;
to pray for the spiritual and temporal needs of all people, that they may know the love of God and be able to live out this love generously in daily life.
“The consecrated life is a history of passionate love for the Lord and for humanity. In the contemplative life, this history unfolds day after day in a passionate quest to see the face of God in intimate relationship with him...Through this life of contemplation, you are the voice of the Church as she ceaselessly praises, thanks, implores and intercedes for all mankind.”