discalcedcarmelites1990: 1. The Origin of the Order of Carmel

Federations/Associations

Federations/Associations among cloistered contemplative communities have been recommended by the Church, as a means of providing mutual support in areas such as financial needs and formation. It is a practice of many such associations and federations of cloistered contemplatives to have meetings every so many years. These meetings, although common are not required and such meetings in no way go against the observance of Papal Enclosure.

However, St. Teresa of Avila explicitly desired for her nuns to observe strict enclosure, only to leave the walls of the cloister in case of a severe emergency or situation or the forming of a new foundation. In this spirit, Discalced Carmelite monasteries which follow the 1990 Constitutions do not attend federation/association meetings.

There are two associations which include 1990 OCD monasteries in the United States. These associations do not have meetings.

St. Joseph Association
Los Palomarcitos de la Virgen

"The decision to belong or not to such bodies depends on each community, whose freedom must be respected." - Verbi Sponsa, Part IV

All other 1990 Carmelite monasteries in the United States have chosen - as they have the right to do - to not join an association.

The Association of Los Palomarcitos de la Virgen is an international association of 1990 Discalced Carmelite monasteries, that, at the time of the choosing of Constitutions, were given the privilege to be both 1990 Carmels and under the Discalced Carmelite Friars. Otherwise, 1990 Discalced Carmelite nuns are directly under the Holy Father rather then the Friars.

The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel emerged around the twelfth century, when St. Bertold of Mt. Carmel and a group of pious hermits retired to live on Mt. Carmel, the garden of Palestine. They built, in the middle of their cells, a church dedicated to his patroness, the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom he venerated as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. This is how they became known as the "Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel."

MOUNT CARMEL

Mt. Carmel was the mountain of the prophet Elijah, and the brothers lived in his spirit. From him they inherited the burning passion for the living and true God, which is reflected in the motto that accompanies the shield of the order: "Zealatus Zelo Exercitum Sum Pro Domino Deo" (Zeal for your house consumes me, Lord of the Hosts, 1 Kings 19:14).

In 1209 the Holy Patriarch Albert of Jerusalem gave them a Rule of life, which summarizes the ideal of Carmel: contemplative life, liturgy, silence, meditation on Scripture, evangelical and manual labor. After the Saracen raids, the Carmelites left the Holy Land and were presented in Europe. Pope Honorius III gave them papal approval in 1226. They became a mendicant order.

Monasteries

Federations/Associations

1. The Origin of the Order of Carmel