Mount Carmel the Palestinian mountainous headland in the Far East is more than a mere mountain. The Hebrew word for ‘Carmel has a dual meaning: ‘Garden on the Mount and the ‘Garden Mount.
Almost 900 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, Elias the mighty Prophet of God, lived a penitential and retired life in a cave on Mt. Carmel, in the Northern Israelite Kingdom.
An attempt of the Ascent of Mount Carmel, is unmistakably an invitation, an allurement to take up the challenge of the threefold, tireless and enriching journey of prayer, community living and service. For us Carmelites, life in the presence of God is a sacred, consecrated, treasured heritage that has come down to us from “Elias the mighty Prophet of God”
It is on this holy mountain that Elias the holy Prophet saw a cloudlet rising from the sea. The cloud was small but it brought refreshing rain and blessings to drought-stricken Israel. He recognized it as the symbol of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, who, centuries later was to become the Mother of the Messiah.
Once Mary manifested herself in the cloudlet, the Prophet Elias uplifted by the vision and enamoured by the Virgin Mother, vowed to love and honour her. It went down from age to age and became the gem and root of the first Monastic Orders.
The Order had taken vigorous root in Western Europe. In a General Chapter held at Aylesford, Kent, in 1245, St. Simon Stock was elected the First Prior General of the Carmelites in the West and the sixth of the whole Order. He consolidated and established it firmly from 1245 to 1263, in Sicily, England, Ireland, France, Germany and Spain.
As the Order faced challenges St. Simon Stock with many sighs and tears, implored the help of Mary, Patroness of Carmel, whom he loved dearly, to bestow on his Order a sign of protection. He addressed her thus: –
On 16, July 1251, Our Lady appeared to him and gave the Scapular saying, “Receive the Scapular as a sign of salvation, a safeguard in peril, a covenant of peace and a token of my special protection till the end of time”.
Scapular as a sign and a pledge: The Scapular is a Marian garment, and it is both a sign and a pledge. It is a sign which signifies three things: 1. Those who wear the Scapular belong to the family which is religiously devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 2. It implies a devotion and trust in the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 3. It beckons us to imitate the virtues of Mother Mary, especially her humility, chastity and spirit of prayer.
During the XIII and XIV centuries a number of pious women placed themselves under the direction of the Carmelite friars and attempted to follow the Carmelite Rule. In 1453 Blessed John Soreth organized and established these nuns as an authorized institution called the II Order of Carmel. This Order of nuns enjoyed rapid growth in Spain and eventually in Portugal.
Every Order that has a long history goes through periods of decline and reform: periods when the ideals are almost forgotten and times when the light of fervour burns brightly. Carmel was no exception to these alternating rhythms
The Council of Trent was begun in 1551 with the purpose of the internal reform of the Church. The Holy Spirit was watching over the Church and the Carmelite Order. St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross were chosen instruments of the Lord to reform the Carmelites. In the Carmelite world the Reformed Order was known as the Order of Discalced Carmel.
In 28 November 1568, with the help of Fr. John of the Cross, St. Teresa established the Reform among the Friars. At the time of St. Teresa’s death in1582 there were 17 Cloistered Carmel with about 200 nuns and 14 Monasteries with approximately 300 friars. The Discalced Carmelite Friars came to India in 1620.
Blessed Sister Anne of St. Bartolomeo, an intimate companion of St. Teresa of Jesus introduced the Teresian Carmel in France and to India in 1621.
The Sovereign Pontiff Clement VII, on 14 July 1604, accorded ample privileges to the Discalced Carmelites of Italy saying: “Distinguished as you are by humility, poverty, renunciation, fasts and austerities of life, you show that you are the disciples of your Father and Prophet St. Elias, the Founder of your institute”,
Sister Veronica of the Passion, after completing her novitiate and profession as a Carmelite Tertiary and enduring many hardships and trials in her relentless search for God’s will, founded the Third Order Regular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Bayonne, France, on July 16, 1868, with the paternal kindness and permission of Monsignor La Croix, Bishop of Bayonne.
It is our pride and glory, our joy and boast, that we the Congregation of the Carmelite Religious (C.C.R) are affiliated to this noble trunk and are part of its history. We owe our origin to Venerable Mother Mary Veronica of the Passion, our beloved Foundress. While recalling and recounting her saintly life and heroic virtues we confidently, earnestly and prayerfully look forward to the day when her name will be included in the Calendar of the Saints of Carmel.
Mother of Carmel, and the Saints of Carmel, Pray for us.
Superior General
Sr. Molly Attully CCR
CCR Generalate,
All Saints’ Campus,
Chackai P.O
Thiruvananthapuram–695 007,
Kerala, India
Provincial Superior
Sr. Lucy Mary CCR
St. Therese’s Provincialate, House
“Pushpadhara”, Kizhavoor,
Mukhathala, P.O.
Kollam-691577
Provincial Superior
Sr. Wilma Mendes CCR
St. Teresa’s Provincialate,
Teresian Mansions,
St. Teresas’Campus, S. V. Road
Santacruz (W), Mumbai–400 054
Provincial Superior
Sr. Jane Bavelil CCR
St. Joseph’s Provincialate,
Sachidanand Niwas
Opp.Mahalakshmi Lawns
Nagar Road, Aple Ghar Kharadi,
Pune-411014
© 2025 The Congregation of The Carmelite Religious. All Rights Reserved.
Mother Michael was our first Mother General. Elected in 1908, this first architect of our Congregation, established her foundations with steadfast courage and great patience despite lack of personnel and funds, the first one at Anjengo (1916), the next at Santacruz (1922) followed by another at Neyyatinkara (1926) and the last one at Karwar (1926) where she was called to her heavenly abode. She was at the helm from 1908 to 1926.
With a heart of gold, intrepid spirit and the virtue of a saint, Mother M. Michael proved herself a skilled captain steering the ship of the infant Congregation through stormy waters and safely to harbour, with firm faith and confidence in God. She had the satisfaction of seeing the Congregation firmly established.
Every moment of her life was characterized by the spirit of humility, simplicity and charity to the poor, the sick and the orphaned. God accepted every sacrifice made by Mother M. Michael for the sake of the Congregation she loved so well and served so nobly – even the supreme sacrifice of dying and being interred far from her beloved daughters in Mangalore
Mother Archange, our second Mother General was trained by Mother Mary Elias of Jesus at Ypres in Belgium. Her great and loving heart was ever open to all and she devoted her life especially to the poor and needy in the missions in India. Concentrating on prayer and spirituality she used her talents in God’s service, to draw her Sisters nearer to God. The sentiments voiced by an English lady, D. H. Watts, an ex-student of Holy Angels’ School capture Mother’s beautiful personality. “With spiritual qualities she combined an intellect, disciplined by reading of the literature of more than one country, the intuition and receptivity of an accomplished musician and artist, a talent for organization and reaching straight to the heart of things and understanding our human frailty. Hers was the all- embracing charity, which Christ ranked above all other virtues.”
An outstanding educationist, blessed with generosity and greatness of heart, she was also an ardent lover of nature. Her sincerity and straight-forwardness, her culture and refinement, her foresight and zeal, her love for the Church and the Congregation did much to lead the Sisters along the path of progress. Mother Archange was Mother General from 1926-1944.
A towering personality, Mother M. Louise our third Mother General infused in her daughters a deep Carmelite Spirituality. Mother incessantly endeavoured to instill in her daughters, by example more than by precept, a love for prayer and the interior life even while engaged in the active apostolate of teaching, caring for the destitute and orphans.
A good helmsman, Mother M. Louise was steadfast in spirit, sturdy of heart and steady of purpose, both spiritually and morally. Her virtue was genuine and truly heroic. The light of the Holy Spirit, a guiding star all through her life, infused into Mother prudence, tact and discretion.
Mother’s term from 1944 to1975 was an era of expansion, progress and change for the Congregation. During her term the Congregation was declared a Pontifical Religious Institute in 1950 and the brown Carmelite habit was changed to white. The vestition ceremony was replaced by the Rite of Initiation into the Religious Life. Foundations increased in countries outside India.
Mother Angela, our fourth Mother General was a gracious and elegant person who steered the Congregation to great heights. As a leader, she was strikingly superior in every respect first as Secretary General, as Councillor and later as Mother General. With authority, fervent energy and an irresistible urge for perfection, she forged ahead, fostering unity and ensuring that the Sisters did their best.
A pioneer in many ways Mother started a New Novitiate in Pune due to the increase in the number of Aspirants during her time. Sisters were sent abroad for studies. Twenty-three Convents were started both in India and outside. Mother offered the services of our Congregation to the International Church in Rome – Collegio Missionaries Internazionale San Paolo Apostolo. The All Saints’ College was her biggest enterprise in the field of education. The Congregation was divided into four Regions for better administration and support as it had grown considerably during her tenure. Regional delegates were appointed and the code of governance given.
Her commanding personality impressed one and all. A tower of strength and spirituality, her kindness, generosity, beneficence and munificence was unparalleled. Seminarians, Institutions, hospitals, families, several spiritual and social enterprises like the Home for the Aged were funded by her and even strangers benefited. With her charming smile, polite demeanour and the softness and warmth of a mother, she endeared herself to everyone.
Mother was at the helm for twenty years from 1975 to 1995. She was a beacon light to the coming generations, the dreamer and shaper of the Congregation’s destiny.
Mother M. Frances, the fifth Mother General focused on development and renewal. She urged the sisters to update their knowledge in Theology, Biblical studies, academics and other professional courses. Her approach to renewal was to overhaul Formation and instill a deep Carmelite spirituality and love for the interior life even while being engaged in an active apostolate. Her simple, charming, humble and humane personality won the hearts of all who interacted with her. Her love for nature was phenomenal and she completely changed the landscape of All Saints’ College during her time as Principal. A seasoned orator she could hold an audience spellbound as she spoke. The highlights of her tenure were the shifting of the Generalate to the serene campus of the All-Saints’ College, organization of Provinces and the Revision of the Constitutions and Directives. Though faced with many challenges, Mother Frances forged ahead valiantly to open new convents in Assam, the United States of America and Africa.
Mother Mary Elma, the sixth Mother General, with deep faith and trust in God, accepted the role of Superior General, knowing that He who chose her would guide her all through. She worked zealously and sincerely for strengthening and developing the existing institutions. Prior to this Sister Elma was in the Formation team and thereafter she was elected Provincial of the Kerala Province. In her early days she was sent to Africa, where she worked whole heartedly in that mission. She was very sensitive to the needs and did her best to keep the boys cheerful and happy.
Soft spoken, calm and serene, with her gentle smile and sparkling wit, she added joy to the sisters on her rounds to the various convents, advising them to use freedom with responsibility.
Sr. M. Elma forged ahead with great fidelity to duty, firm in the assurance that God watched over her, leading her to guide the Congregation to green pastures.
A golden jubilarian in her religious life Mother M. Frances, the seventh Mother General bears the stamp of a sagacious, enterprising and dynamic leader. An astute visionary, an amazing organizer, a prayerful guide blessed with wisdom, prudence and efficiency beyond her years, her tenure marks the significant growth of the Congregation. She began her apostolate as a Professor in English at All Saints’ College, Trivandrum, teaching students at the UG and PG levels, instilling in them a love for the language. A gifted educator, her inspiring presence touched numerous young minds. As Principal in the same prestigious Institution, she renewed the infrastructure and led the Institution to lofty heights of excellence in academics and extra-curricular activities. From sandy dunes to a beautiful clean verdant paradise, the astounding transformation of the campus bears testimony to Mother’s ingrained love for nature and a deep concern for the ecology. Today as its Corporate Manager, she spearheads the move to revamp and re-energise the Institution in its march towards the future.
As Superior General for two and a half terms from 1996-2011, she shepherded the Congregation through its transitional phase which witnessed the decentralisation of power and the formation of Provinces. Blessed with innate humanity, a responsive heart, golden eloquence and wide contacts Mother is well known and loved. Re-elected in 2017, she leads the Congregation into the future, bestowed with grace, turning vision into reality.
Superior General
General Councillor of Formation and Vocation Promotion
– Served as a Teacher, Headmistress and Animator.
– Councillor to the Provincial of St. Joseph’s Province, Pune from 2014- 2017.
– Vocation Promotor and Formator of St. Joseph’s Province, Pune.
– In 2023 elected as the General Councillor for Formation.
General Councillor of of Finance
– Served as a Teacher, Headmistress and Animator of Communities.
– Provincial Councillor of St. Therese’s Province, Kerala for Education and Mission from 2008- 2011.
– Elected as the Provincial Superior of St. Therese’s Province, Kerala from 2011- 2017.
– In 2017 elected as the General Councillor and in 2023 re-elected as the General Councillor for Finance.
General Councillor of Education and Social Apostolate
– Served as a Teacher and Principal.
– Provincial Councillor of St. Teresa’s Province, Mumbai from 2006 – 2014.
– Provincial Superior for the St. Teresa’s Province, Mumbai from 2014- 2021.
– Elected as the 2nd General Councillor in 2023.
General Councillor of Spirituality and Ongoing Formation
– Served as a Teacher, Assistant Headmistress and Animator of the community.
– Assistant Provincial of St. Joseph’s Province, Pune from 2014- 2017.
– Provincial Superior of St. Joseph’s Province, Pune from 2017- 2023.
– In 2023 elected as the Assistant Superior General.
Secretary General
Served as a teacher in:
Assistant Headmistress at Tassia Catholic Primary and Nursery School, Nairobi, Kenya.
Animator at Little Flower Convent, Nairobi, Kenya.
Appointed as General Secretary in 2023.
Bursar General
Primary Teacher & Office Administrator,
St. Paul’s Convent School, Dadar
Assistant Teacher:
Secretary to the Provincial Superior (2007 – 2008)
Provincial Councillor in charge of Finance (2008 – 2014)
Principal, St. Joseph’s Convent High School, Khadki (2010 – 2022)
Provincial Bursar (2014 – 2017)
Animator – in Wagholi for one year. 2022- 2023
General Bursar (2023 – Present)