Carmelites, << KAHR muh lyts, >> are members of several Roman Catholic orders of men and women. The Carmelites originated in the 1100’s with a group of men living on Mount Carmel in what is now Israel. About 1209, the men adopted a rule (program of life) emphasizing solitude, penance, and prayer. They called themselves the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In time, the Carmelites moved to Europe and adapted their rule to include preaching, teaching, and missionary work. Communities of women emerged in the 1200’s. Reform under Saint Teresa and Saint John of the Cross in the 1500’s led to the founding of independent branches for women and men who desired to return to the original rule. These branches are called discalced (barefoot) because of their custom of wearing sandals. See also Teresa, Saint .
