The Carmelite Order has its origins on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land with the coming together of a group of hermits in the early 13th Century, forming the first religious order in the West to be named for the Virgin Mary - the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. The reform of the Order by St. Teresa of Jesus (commonly known as St. Teresa of Avila) undertook to provide the Church with a manifold service of prayer, contemplation, and apos­tolic activity. The Discalced Carmelite Friars, Nuns, and Seculars continue this contemplative mission today, seeking union with God and sharing their charism and spirituality with the Church and the world.

Learn more about the Discalced Carmelites and their vocation here.

From its Latin origin ‘frater’, the term literally means ‘brother’, as in fraternity. In the early Church, it was a general term used among the Christian faithful, as in the frequent use of the words “brother” and “brethren” in the New Testament writings. Later the term was used more exclusively by members of religious orders. Since the thirteenth century, it referred to those who belonged to one of the mendicant orders, such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, and Carmelites, and others in the monastic tradition.

A friar differs from a monk in that his ministry engages him in work outside the monastery whereas, traditionally, the prayer and labors of a monk are within the monastery to which he belongs. Also, a friar is not bound to any locality or house, as a monk is. A friar is bound to a province, which usually consisted of the entire number of houses in a country or, as in America, a region. The Discalced Carmelite Friars of San Antonio belong to the Semi-Province of St. Thérèse. Learn more about the Province here.