The Discalced Carmelites, or Barefoot Carmelites, is a Catholic mendicant order with roots in the eremitic tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. The order was established in 1593, pursuant to the reform of the Carmelite Order by two Spanish saints, St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross.
The Discalced Carmelite order is now known by the initials "O.C.D." (The older branch of the order, Carmelites of the Ancient Observance, has the initials "O. Carm."). The secular branch of the order (the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, formerly known as the Third Order), has the initials "O.C.D.S."
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History
In the 16th century, St. Teresa of Ávila's work of reform began with herself. She made a vow always to follow the most perfect course, and resolved to keep the rule as perfectly as she could. A group of nuns assembled in her cell one September evening in 1560, taking their inspiration from the primitive tradition of Carmel and the discalced reform of St. Peter of Alcantara, proposed the foundation of a monastery of an eremitical type. On August 24, 1562, the new monastery dedicated to St. Joseph was founded. Then in Duruelo, with John of the Cross and Anthony of Jesus, they founded the first convent of Discalced Brethren in November 1568.
For a Carmelite, prayer is deeply theological. It is guided by the teachings and experience of St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross, as well as the saints who have followed in their steps, such as St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, St. Teresa of the Andes, and martyrs like Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross), Père Jacques and the sixteen Martyrs of Compiegne.
Each day is marked by silence to create an environment for a house of prayer. In addition to the daily celebration of the full Liturgy of the Hours, two hours are set aside for uninterrupted silent prayer. The life is well balanced: community life is marked by much laughter around the meal table and during recreation. Communities are kept fairly small to nourish an atmosphere of genuine sisterhood/brotherhood and sharing.
While the sisters live an enclosed life, the friars live a life that is both contemplative and apostolic, in imitation of Jesus who lived both the prayer in the desert and the ministry of compassion with the multitudes. Their life of contemplation is primarily a service designed for the whole Church. The life is also marked by a serious commitment to a broadly based and thorough discipline of study to more fully develop a knowledge of the human heart that is marked by great personal sensitivity.
Bishops
Living Bishops (3 Archbishops, 16 Bishops)
 Current Bishops  |
Former and Actual Episcopal see or Assignment | Current Residency | Date of Birth Current Age |
Appointed to Bishop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anders Arborelius |  Bishop of Stockholm(1998-Incumbent)
|
Stockholm, Sweden |
September 24, 1949 | November 17, 1998 Pope John Paul II |
| Cástor Oswaldo Azuaje Pérez |  Auxiliary Bishop of Maracaibo(2007-Incumbent) |
Maracaibo, Venezuela |
October 19, 1951 | June 30, 2007 Pope Benedict XVI |
| Silvio José Báez Ortega |  Auxiliary Bishop of Managua(2009-Incumbent) |
Managua, Nicaragua |
April 28, 1958 | April 9, 2009 Pope Benedict XVI |
| Paul Bassim |  Vicar Apostolic Emeritus of Beirut(1999-Incumbent)
|
Jall Ed Dib - Bqennaya, Lebanon |
November 14, 1922 | September 8, 1974 Pope Paul VI |
| Philip Boyce |  Bishop of Raphoe(1995-Incumbent) |
Letterkenny, Ireland |
January 25, 1940 | June 29, 1995 Pope John Paul II |
| Paul Dahdah | Archbishop-Vicar Apostolic of Beirut (1999-Incumbent)
|
Beirut, Lebanon |
June 8, 1941 | May 30, 1983 Pope John Paul II |
| Brig. Gen. Gonzalo de Jesús María del Castillo Crespo |  Military Bishop of Bolivia(2000-Incumbent)
|
La Paz, Bolivia |
September 20, 1936 | November 3, 1983 Pope John Paul II |
| Amancio Escapa Aparicio |  Auxiliary Bishop of Santo Domingo(1996-Incumbent) |
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
March 30, 1938 | May 31, 1996 Pope John Paul II |
| Guy Étienne Germain Gaucher |  Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Bayeux-Lisieux(2005-Incumbent)
|
Venasque, France |
March 5, 1930 | August 27, 1986 Pope John Paul II |
| Gustavo Girón Higuita |  Bishop of Tumaco(1999-Incumbent)
|
Tumaco, Colombia |
May 20, 1940 | February 8, 1990 Pope John Paul II |
| Julio Xavier Labayen |  Territorial Prelate Emeritus of Infanta(2003-Incumbent)
|
Parañaque, Philippines |
July 23, 1926 | July 26, 1966 Pope Paul VI |
| Gonzalo López Marañon |  Vicar Apostolic of San Miguel de Sucumbíos(1984-Incumbent)
|
Nueva Loja, Ecuador |
October 3, 1933 | July 2, 1984 Pope John Paul II |
| Luis Alberto Luna Tobar | Archbishop Emeritus of Cuenca (2000-Incumbent)
|
Cuenca, Ecuador |
December 15, 1923 | August 17, 1977 Pope Paul VI |
| Francis George Adeodatus Micallef |  Vicar Apostolic Emeritus of Kuwait(2005-Incumbent)
|
 Cospicua, Malta |
December 17, 1928 | November 5, 1981 Pope John Paul II |
| Aníbal Nieto Guerra | Bishop of San Jacinto de Yaguachi (2009-Incumbent)
|
Yaguachi, Ecuador |
February 23, 1949 | June 10, 2006 Pope Benedict XVI |
| Braulio Sáez Garcia | Auxiliary Bishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (2003-Incumbent)
|
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia |
March 23, 1942 | February 18, 1987 Pope John Paul II |
| Jean Benjamin Sleiman |  Archbishop of Baghdad(2001-Incumbent) |
Baghdad, Iraq |
June 30, 1946 | November 29, 2000 Pope John Paul II |
| Jusztin Nándor Takács |  Bishop Emeritus of Székesfehérvár(2003-Incumbent)
|
Székesfehérvár, Hungary |
January 15, 1927 | December 23, 1988 Pope John Paul II |
| Rolando Joven Tria Tirona | Territorial Prelate of Infanta (2003-Incumbent)
|
Infanta, Philippines |
July 22, 1946 | November 15, 1994 Pope John Paul II |
Deceased Bishops (7 Cardinals, 14 Archbishops, 51 Bishops)
Communities of Carmelite Tradition
- Byzantine Discalced Carmelites
- Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel
- Lay Carmelites of Oswego, New York
See also
- Carmelite Rule of St. Albert
- Book of the First Monks
- Constitutions of the Carmelite Order
- St. Raphael Kalinowski
- Jan Tyranowski
- Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
External links
- Carmelite Vocation
- Discalced Carmelite Order
- "Sayings of Light and Love" - Spiritual Maxims of John of the Cross
- St. Therese of Lisieux, Discalced Carmelite and Doctor of the Church - her life, writings, spirituality, and mission
- Discalced Carmelite Calendar and Saints
- Hermits of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
- Carmelite Hermits of the Trinity
- Institute of Carmelite Studies Publications
- Meditations from Carmel
- Archbishop Daniel Acharuparambil Passed Away
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