About the Carmelites

History of the Carmelite Order

The original Carmelites began to live on Mt. Carmel in the middle of the 12th century, probably in the year 1155. They were former crusaders, nobles and pilgrims, both clerics and laymen, who came to Palestine. Much of their motivation stemmed from a movement of renewal within the Church. It also grew from a desire to return to the Scriptures and Gospel by which they sought to guide their lives.

After defeating the Muslims, some of the crusaders stayed in the Holy Land of Mt. Carmel (a mountain range that extends into the Mediterranean Sea near the present city of Haifa, near the southern border of present-day Lebanon). They chose Mt. Carmel because of its association with the prophet Elijah, as seen in the Old Testament in the Second Book of Kings. At the same time, both Muslims and Jews considered Mt. Carmel a sacred place dedicated to the memory of Elijah the Prophet.

These Christian hermits continued to increase in number. At the beginning of the 13th century, they approached Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and asked for a Rule of Life so that they could dedicate themselves to prayer and service. That marked the beginning of the Carmelite Order.

Around 1245, the Muslims began to reclaim many of the holy places in the Holy Land. It was at that time that the Carmelites began to return to their homelands, namely Italy, France, Germany and England. From those four countries, the Carmelite Order spread throughout the world, growing in number to encompass thousands of Friars, Nuns and Secular Carmelites (lay men and women affiliated with the Order).