Brief History of the Carmelite Order

The Carmelite order, of course was in existence long before it came to Oakville: over seven centuries. Carmelite has a distinction of being the only religious order in existence to have been founded in the holy land. It was in the vicinity of Mt. Carmel, about the year 1214, do St. Albert, patriarch of Jerusalem, gave the original rule to the first Carmelite monks. Very likely they were crusaders from Europe who, after a stint as crusaders, now decided to stay in Palestine to engage in spiritual combat for the Lord. Due to the adverse conditions as a crusading effort failed, they migrated to the West: Cyprus, France, England, than all over Europe, where they became part of the great mendicant movement with the Franciscans, Dominicans, and Augustinians.

In the 16th century in response to the call of the Council of Trent to renew religious life, to Saints, and later doctors of the Church, St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross, said about the revitalization of the Carmelite order in Spain. This renewal spread throughout the world, Ireland and 1625, to Alhambra, Los Angeles in 1924, and then to Oakville in 1955.

Carmelite House of Prayer