BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE CARMELITE RELIGIOUS

The Congregation fo Carmelite Religious (earlierknown as the Third Order Apostolic of Our Lady of MountCarmel) was founded by Mother Veronica of the Passion, on
July 16,1868,in France.
Mother Veronica (nee Sophie Leeves) was born on October 1,1823, in Constantinople of English Anglicanparents.

The atmosphere of love in her home culminated in her outstanding love for God which was expressed in her tendency to serve the helpless,the afflicted and the sick. She
received a liberal education in this happy,religious and cultured
atmosphere. Thus,we have in Mother Veronica,a highly accomplished woman of strong faith,fluent in Greek,French,German,her native English and several other
languages. She came to India as Sister of St. Joseph of the
Apparition.

She concentrated on the education of girls, empowerment of women and the less privileged. She even learnt the regional language Malayalam to reach out to the
poor and the needy along the Malabar Coast.
Her strong desire for a life of contemplation led her
to opt for the Cloistered Carmel of Pau.
Prior to her entry into Carmel, she trained young Sisters at Bayonne, France
to work, in India. She was a great visionary and she braved
many hardships to fulfill her dreams.

Her first batch of Sisters arrived at Mangalore,in 1870. It was from here that the
Carmelites gradually spread to the Malabar Coast. In 1880,
the Holy Angles Convent was started at Trivandrum, Kerala.
From here the Congregation has spread to most of the States
of India and abroad. She passed into glory on November
16,1906.

Following in the footsteps of Our Lord and Master
Jesus Christ and our foundress Mother Veronica, we,her
daughters, seek to en kindle the fire of Divine Love in the
hearts of all God’s children.

Through Education and other works of mercy,we seek to promote the Kingdom. Values of
Justic, Fellowship and Freedom,thereby bringing harmony
in the Society, especially to the target group’ of the locality.