Why is the Order called “Discalced”?
“Discalced” literally means “without shoes”. The term was commonly used in religious parlance at the time of St. Teresa of Jesus (St. Teresa of Avila) to indicate an Order which had reformed itself and adopted a more dedicated and austere form of life. Members of these Orders either went barefooted or wore some form of open sandals.
In Teresa’s reformed convent of St. Joseph’s, which she founded on August 24, 1562, the nuns wore strap sandals, and thus came to be known as “Discalced Carmelites”.
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