History

The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel was established on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land in the 13th century, "near the spring of Elijah." The Order is both contemplative and apostolic. The first Carmelites were hermits living on the slopes of Mount Carmel. The contemplative aspect is the essence of the Order and the apostolic ideal flows from it as an overflow of love of God into love of neighbor.  In the 16th century, St. Teresa of Avila initiated a reform of the Order and from Spain it spread throughout the world.

The Carmel of St. Teresa in Alhambra was established in 1913. Five Nuns from the monastery in St. Louis, Missouri came to Los Angeles to begin the Carmelite life in Southern California. The Sisters lived in rented houses in Los Angeles for ten years until the present monastery could be built in Alhambra.

The site in Alhambra was chosen because of its beauty. The area was just beginning to be developed and had originally been an orange grove. There was an unrestricted view of the San Gabriel mountains to the east with snow-capped ranges just beyond; a very lovely sight. The monastery and chapel are constructed of red brick with tile roof, this type of architecture being chosen as it was more in keeping with both the history of the Order and of California.