The Order of Carmelites has its origins on Mount Carmel, in Palestine, Israel. In the XII century some penitents-pilgrims who had come from Europe, came together near the "spring of Elijah", in one of the narrow valleys of Mount Carmel, to live out their Christianity as hermits after the example of the prophet Elijah in the very land of our Lord Jesus Christ. In order to have some juridical stabil
ity, this group of lay hermits turned to the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Albert Avogadro (1150-1214). Between 1206-1214, Albert wrote for them a formula of life. Definitive approval of the text as a Rule was done by Pope Innocent IV in 1247. Thus the Carmelite Order took its place alongside the Mendicant Orders. Later, they were forced to leave the Holy Land sue to persecutions and went back to Europe and flourished there. In the XV-XVI centuries there was some relaxation of discipline in various communities. In 1592, a reformative movement , called that of the "Discalced Carmelites" or of the "Teresians", became independent from the Carmelite Order and grew rapidly in the congregations of Spain and Italy which were then united in 1875. Thus there are two Orders of Carmelites: "The Carmelites", also known as of the "Ancient Observance" or "Calced", and "The Discalced Carmelites" or "Teresians" who consider St. Teresa of Jesus their reformer and foundress. In spite of this division, during the following centuries the Carmelite Order continued its spiritual journey. Many illustrious men and women gave new spirit to Carmel with their own spirituality and genius. There was also significant development among the laity with the institution of the Carmelite Third Order and the Confraternities of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel throughout the world. Since the time of the Second Vatican Council (1962 - 1965), Carmelites have reflected at length on their identity, on their charism, on what is fundamental in their lives and what is for them a "life-project", namely "to live a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ and serve him faithfully with a pure heart and a good conscience" (Rule). They found their allegiance to Christ in their commitment to seek the face of the living God (contemplative dimension), in living in fraternity and service (diakonia) in the midst of the people. To this vast and varied challenge of the Carmelite friars, one will find in close collaboration: communities of cloistered nuns, Congregations of sisters, Consecrated Lay people, numerous groups of Third Order Lay members and Confraternities of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. All these groups, born of the Spirit throughout the centuries, and inspired by the Carmelite Rule are intimately united by the bond of love, of spirituality and of the communion of spiritual goods. They constitute the Carmelite Family in the Church. At present the Carmelite Order (the friars) is formed of Provinces, General Commissariats, General Delegations, Hermetical Communities and an Affiliated Community with a total of about 2,000 religious. They are found in all the continents. The Order made its entry to India in 1982 and established its presence in the Syrian Rite. Now a province, St. Thomas as the heavenly patron, they have their Provincial House at Thrissur, Kerala. General Delegation of St. Therese and St. Albert came into being when 20 Discalced Carmelites of the South Kerala Province were recieved to the Carmelite Order by Rev. Fernando Milan O.Carm on 05th November 2011. Now the Delegation has 3 houses in Kerala and looking forward to establish missionary activities all over India. The Delegate General resides at Carmelaram Priory at North Paravur, Kerala.
