Order of Discalced Carmelites

The Carmelites trace the root of their tree to the Mount Carmel in Palestine where Prophet Elijah and his disciples, said to be their forefathers, lived. These 'Sons of the Prophet' who continued their solitary existence founded the Order in 1156 which was made mendicant in 1247. They were given a code of life by St. Albert, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, which was approved by Pope Innocent IV.

The hermits later migrated to Europe and in course of time some slackening crept in as a result of which the primitive code was mitigated. The Order was reconstructed by St. Mother Teresa of Avila and the first convent of the reconstituted Carmelites for nuns was established. With the help of St. John of the Cross, Mother Teresa opened a monastery for friars on November 28, 1568. Hence, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross are referred to as the 'parents' of the Order.

On 19th February, 1656, Fr. Sebastiani and four friars, the first Carmelite Missionaries, were sent to India by Pope Alexander VII and with them begins the history of Carmelites in our country. Through the Synod of Diamper (1599) Archbishop Alexis de Menezes had brought back to the Catholic Church the so called 'St. Thomas Christians' of Kerala who had been following the Nestorian heresy and so many customs and practices contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church. But the St. Thomas Christians were not happy and this dissent finally ended at the infamous revolt called 'the Oath of Coonan Cross' at Mattancherry on January 3, 1663 and the formal schism at Alangad on May 22, 1663 about which the Portuguese Bishop of Cochin could do nothing.

As per the Concordat (1500) between the Pope and the King of Portugal, the Holy See was not able to do anything but considering 'Salus Animarum Suprema Lex' it had to interfere. The Holy See therefore sent a group of Carmelites under the leadership of Fr. Joseph Sebastian O.C.D. and as a result of their endeavours, the Vicariate of Malabar (1657) and later the Vicariate of Verapoly (1704) were established. Through the efforts of these Carmelite Missionaries, major part of St. Thomas Christians came back to the Catholic Church and they were placed under the then Vicariate of Malabar, later Verapoly. While Carmelites under Propaganda Fide were ruling the Vicariate of Verapoly, there were two Carmelite Bishops under Portuguese Padroado ruling Cochin Diocese i.e. Bishop Manuel de Santa Catharina, O.C.D., (1778-1785) and Bishop Jose de Soledad O.C.D, (1785-1818).