The history of the Carmelite order dates back to an epochal event on July 16, 1251. On this day, the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed to have revealed herself to St. Simon Stock, a Carmelite monk, and bestowed upon him the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, commonly referred to as the “Brown Scapular.” A hundred and twenty-five years later, the Carmelite order inaugurated the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the same date.
Mount Carmel, a site of biblical significance, overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. It is renowned as the location where the prophet Elijah famously vanquished the priests of Baal, thereby converting the populace to the worship of the true God. A myth persists that a religious community was established here even before the Christian era, however, concrete historical evidence is absent. The first documentable record of a monastic community on Mount Carmel dates back to the 12th century.
Regardless of the historical ambiguity, by 1263, the religious community had managed to construct a monastery and church, both dedicated to the Virgin Mary, on Mount Carmel. In 1254, Saint Louis, King of France, made a pilgrimage to Mount Carmel and was so inspired that he brought back six French hermits, for whom he built a convent near Paris. However, Mount Carmel fell to the Saracens in 1291; the monastery was burnt, and the monastic brothers were martyred. Notwithstanding, the Carmelite order spread throughout Europe, primarily due to the endeavors of Saint Simon Stock (1247-1265). The Carmelite Order received official approval at the Council of Lyon in 1274.
The Carmelite order today is perhaps most renowned for two of its members: Saint Theresa of Jesus, also known as Theresa of Avila (1515-1582), who accomplished a reform of the Carmelite Order despite facing numerous obstacles, resulting in the creation of the Discalced Carmelites; and Saint Edith Stein, or Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (1891-1942), a Jewish convert, philosopher, and university professor, who was martyred at Auschwitz. Stein was canonized in 1998 and designated as a co-patroness of Europe in 1999.
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