FOUNDER

The Congregation of the Apostolic Carmel, took birth at Bayonne, France in 1868, When Mother Veronica of the Passion, founded the Congregation. She did so, in response to the divine call, experienced by her through prayer and the growing realization of God’s all sufficing love, to serve the Christian community on the West Coast of India by giving a Christian education to the young girls of that region.

Mother Veronica’s life was full of trials and hardships. But her pioneering spirit, courage, dedication and complete faith in God’s love and help, and her divine vocation helped and strengthened her to undergo all hardships, to make her dream a reality.

She founded the Congregation of the Apostolic Carmel to meet the great need for education for women in India. The Apostolic Carmel was established in Mangalore in 1870.

The pioneering spirit made itself felt from time to time in the Congregation, When there was need for higher education for women of South Kanara, it was the Apostolic Carmel that started the first Women’s College in this region in 1921. The same need in Bihar was satisfied by the starting of Patna Women’s College in Patna. The Apostolic Carmel extended its mission to Ceylon in 1922 and to North India in 1940. The work of the sisters has been mainly limited to the running of Schools, and Colleges though in various regions it has branched out into social work. Today there are over 180 institutions of the Congregation-Schools, Colleges and Orphanages. Mother Veronica’s work lives in the 1600 Sisters who serve God and His people throughout India.