The new Order grew rapidly at first in Spain and then throughout Europe. Almost from the first the missionary spirit was cultivated. Missions were begun in the 1580’s in Mexico and Congo, the Carmelite Mission to Persia followed soon after. One of the most vigorous propagators of the Missions was Thomas of Jesus (1564-1627). He was one of the most outstanding friars of his time. He was a spiritual writer, the founder of the Order in northern Europe, the sponsor of the missions and the originator of the Desert houses. These Desert monasteries revived the original hermit life of the Order. In them, separated from outside contact, friars were able to renew themselves. At present there are two Deserts in the Order: one in Spain and one in France. It is important that we maintain these houses so that those drawn by the Spirit may have an opportunity to give themselves exclusively to prayer at the service of the Church. We owe this rich spiritual resource to the vision of the Venerable Thomas of Jesus. In our province we have a single hermitage on the grounds of Holy Hill dedicated to this same spiritual end.

Another outstanding Carmelite was Saint Raphael Kalinowski (1835-1907). He was a Pole who served in the Tsarist Army. During the 1863 uprising he resigned his commission and joined the rebels. He was captured by the Russians and sentenced to death. His sentence was commuted to hard labor in Siberia. There he became a pillar of strength to his fellow prisoners. After his release he became a Discalced Carmelite friar in 1877. He set about restoring the Order in Poland. In his ministry he sought to be an agent of peace and reconciliation with the Russians. He had a special love for Russian Orthodoxy and was very zealous in working for Christian unity. He was sought out by both Catholics and Orthodox as a spiritual director. In 1983 he was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Krakow and canonized in 1991. Saint Raphael is a patron of ecumenism, especially with Eastern Christians.

Another, more contemporary figure to mention, is Père Jacques, born Lucien-Louis Bunel (1900-1945), who was immortalized in the French film, Au revoir les enfants. He is remembered for his extraordinary ability to bridge the differences of class, ideology, nationality and religion, that often divide the human family. The son of working-class parents, with a lifelong commitment to social justice, after ordination he joined the Discalced Carmelite friars, and became director of an elite school near Paris. He hid Jewish boys in his school for which he was betrayed to the Gestapo. In the concentration camp of Mauthausen, he spent himself tirelessly in the service of others. He was admired and trusted by all his fellow-prisoners including non-believers and communists. He died two weeks after the liberation of the camp by the Allies. The State of Israel has honored him as a rescuer, one of the “Righteous Among the Nations.” A martyr, his cause for canonization was opened in 1990.

Another outstanding friar from the 20th century was Blessed Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus. He was born Henri Giralou on Dec. 4th, 1894. After the death of his father, he felt a strong call to the priesthood. He entered the minor seminary and was ordained a diocesan priest on Feb 4th, 1922. Around this time he received a strong call from the Lord to become a Discalced Carmelite and he entered the Order on Feb 24th, less than three weeks after ordination! He went on to become a celebrated spiritual guide and preacher in the Order. His special love for the three Discalced Carmelite Doctors of the Church, namely; Saints Teresa of Jesus, John of the Cross and Thérèse of the Child Jesus of the Holy Face is manifest in his spiritual masterpiece, I want to See God which is a synthesis of the spiritual journey as taught by these doctors. He took on various positions of leadership within the Order, even governing the whole Order as vicar general for a short time. He founded a Secular Institute, Notre Dame de Vie, which continues to thrive and fulfill its mission of bringing the riches of Carmel into daily life and work. Fr Marie-Eugene died in 1967 and was beatified in 2016.

Added to the great friars already mentioned we should include Blesseds Lucas and Eduardo; two Discalced Carmelite friars who were martyred during the Spanish Civil war and were beatified in 2007. These friars are especially dear to us as both of these holy martyrs lived in our monastery in Washington DC in the 1920’s.

Fr Lucas of St Joseph was born Dec 14th, 1872 and entered the Discalced Carmelites at the age of seventeen. He had a tremendous intellectual capacity and a warm generous heart. One day, while persecution was already on the horizon, he wrote in an article; “As long as God preserves my vocation, I will not lower my head in shame for anybody because I am a religious…If we die for the truth, we will have triumphed”. After being elected provincial of Catalonia he returned to Spain. On July 21st, 1936, after serving wounded soldiers sheltered in his monastery in Barcelona he was shot and killed for the crime of being a priest and religious.

Fr Eduardo of the Child Jesus was born April 20th, 1897 and entered the minor seminary of the Discalced Carmelites at the age of ten, making his first profession of vows when he was only sixteen. He had great literary gifts and his poetry even won several national prizes. After his ordination to the priesthood he was appointed as prior of the new Discalced Carmelite monastery in Washington DC. In 1930 he was called back to Spain to serve on the general chapter of the province. On July 19th, 1936 while preaching a Novena of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to the local convent of nuns, Fr. Eduardo, after his sermon, told them, “This could be our last meeting until we meet again in heaven.” Days later troops stormed the home of a local family where Fr. Eduardo had sought refuge. To them Fr. Eduardo boldly stated with his companion: “We are Discalced Carmelite Friars.” They were executed and buried in a mass grave on July 25th.