Discalced Carmelites in India

A short history

The Discalced Carmelites came to India in the beginning of the 17th century. They founded their first residence at Tatta in Sind, now in Pakistan, and the second, in Goa in 1620. In a span of about 100 years, seven Discalced Carmelite Provinces, three regional vicariates, two provincial delegations were established. Today there are around 1,000 Discalced Carmelite friars and some 500 Discalced Carmelite nuns (35 monasteries) spread across India.

The Indian-born, however, were not admitted to the First Order till the beginning of the 1900s. It was Msgr Aloysius (Adalric) Benziger of the Discalced Carmelite Flanders Province (Belgium), Bishop of Quilon (1905-1931), who pressed provincial and general superiors to finally open the doors of the First Order to Indian candidates from 1902. On 19 March 1902, the first house of regular observance of the First Order was blessed at Cotton Hill in Trivandrum, which was later renamed Carmel Hill and in the 1920s, became a novitiate. A similar house of observance was opened at Ernakulam.

In order to establish an Indian Province of the Order, the monasteries at Carmel Hill and Thuckalay were separated from the jurisdiction of the Flanders Province and brought directly under the General Definitory in Rome on 24 April 1936. On 10 February 1937, under the leadership of Fr Gulielmus, Superior General, the Semi-Province of Malabar was canonically erected under the patronage of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Later, in 1967, the Semi-Province of Malabar was raised to the status of a Province, and now includes the Ranchi delegation (2002) and in 1979 the Province assumed the Mission of Punjab in the Diocese of Jalandhar, North India and within a span of 30 years, thanks to the strenuous efforts and selfless dedication of its missionaries, has flourished. Delhi became a full-fledged Province in 2010. The Manjummel Province was also established in 1967. Manjummel Province took up a mission in Andhra Pradesh in 1973 with Kothagudem as headquarters. Through persistent efforts, it has flourished, becoming a full-fledged Province in 2011. The Karnataka-Goa Province, was created in 1979. On 2 March 1981 this delegation was raised to the status of a Province. In April 1981, under the leadership of Fr Philip Sainz de Baranda, Superior General, Members of the Latin rite from the south Kerala region in the provinces of Malabar and Manjummel were united in a new unit. This unit grew steadily and in 2001 became a full-fledged Province known as South Kerala Province. Tamilnadu General Delegation also formed, with the  Tamil-speaking members from both Provinces of Malabar and Manjummel who voluntarily opted for the Tamilnadu General Delegation. This unit became a commissariate in 1990 and in 1993, the full-fledged Tamilnadu Province comprising the mission territories of Chattisgarh and Srilanka.

Fr Gaston Laurent Coeurdoux, a Jesuit missionary on his way from France to Pondicherry, was caught in a tempest off the coast of Mozambique. He prayed to Saint Teresa, vowing to found a Teresian Carmel in the place of his arrival should he reach land safely. This he did in 1748 at Pondicherry. Through the efforts of Bishop Bonnand, in 1859, this Carmel was received officially into the. Second Order of Discalced Carmelites. Following that in Pondicherry, other Carmels were founded across the territory.

Missionaries of discalced carmelites friars who also served in India involved in founding other carmels as bishop Bonaventure (OCD) directed nuns from Spain to Kerala, Msgr Perier SJ invited nuns in Belgium to Kolkata and through the  intervention of Rev. Fr. Nassoy, Msgr Despature-Bishop of Mysore-and the last Carmelite Bishop of Manglore, Msgr. Marie Ephrem pave a way for the nuns of France to Banglore and Manglore respectively. Now this foundations have many daughter foundations and reached 35 monasteries in 2024 by the erection approval of St. Joseph Monastery, Eroode-Kerala.