Origins in the Holy Land

The Carmelite Order began on Mount Carmel in Isreal in the 13th Century. Shortly after that, the situation in the Holy Land became precarious for Westerners who had settled there and as such some of the hermits sought refuge in Europe. They made foundations and began to adapt their life to this new setting. In 1247, Pope Innocent IV approved the Carmelite Rule modifying it to suit their new situation. This is the Rule which all Carmelites observe to this day.

A Marian Order

Carmelites have always looked up to Mary as their sister and a model of true Christian discipleship; one who made herself completely available to the service of God. Thus, from the very beginning, the Carmelite Order was dedicated to Our Lady under the title of "Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel".

The Teresian Reform

 In Spain in the 16th Century, St Teresa of Avila with the help of St John of the Cross renewed the original, authentic spirit of the Carmelite Order, and hence those who embraced the reform became known as Discalced or Reformed Carmelites. Their aim was to adapt their life-style to the demands of that time and to create an environment where people could experience the Living God through prayer.

Discalced Carmelites Today

In today's society, we strive to meet the challenges of a new era. Our task is to embark upon creatively cultivating a field often neglected in our present world - the field of prayer, of listening and responding to the Living God.

Prayer

Prayer is the source of our life. Our life focus on one thing alone: personal friendship with God and the extension of his life-fulfilling experience to the lives of others. This means that we strive to be first of all people grounded in the wisdom of the Spirit so that we can develop a relationship between ourselves and  Christ from which others can also benefit. As faithful children of Holy Mother Church, we share in her concerns by being faithful to our life of prayer together with an apostolic zeal for the needs of the Church. Each day, a special part of our prayer is time spent with God in silence.

Work

Our friendship with Christ leads us to serve people as he did. We find great joy and fulfilment in this service. In our work, our continual aim is to encourage others and to lead others to a sense of God's presence in every area of human life. This may involve retreats, the ministry of the Sacraments and parish work. We do engage in spiritual guidance, writing and other creative ways of expressing the life-giving and powering message of the Gospel to the people of today.

Life in Community

It is good to be able to share one's life with others, especially those who have the same faith in Christ Jesus. We live in community because it helps us to grow in Christian friendship and to serve one another. Our life together nourishes our communion with God and our work with people. The inconveniences which come with living with others is appreciated as they are constant reminders of our need to be forgiven and to forgive and makes us the more aware of God's bountiful mercy towards all. To be a Carmelite is to live, pray and work as a member of a united family in Christ.