The Rule

About the year 1207 a group of hermits who lived on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land asked their local bishop, Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem, to give them a way of life. This Rule of Life was later approved by Pope Innocent III in 1247 and the hermits became known as Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The Rule has regulated and shaped the lives of Carmelites down through the centuries and has proved to be an excellent guide. Simple yet radical, it continues to inspire Carmelites today just as it challenged those of the 13th Century.

This Rule of Life helps the individual Carmelites to discover who they are, encourages the building of community and service to the world.