
MOUNT CARMEL

CLOISTERED CONVENT

Discalced Nuns in Kerala
When looking back to the history of Carmels in Kerala, one will find it's root in the Carmel of Salamanca, founded by St. Teresa of Avila herself in the year 1570. In March of 1900, the daughter of the Baron and Baroness of Andilla, entered the Carmelite convent of Salamanca at the age of 25. Adorned by God with exceptional gifts of nature and grace, Maria santa Cruz y Garces seemed to be called to shine in this world. Social position, uncommon intelligence, attractiveness, and beauty meant nothing to her; all she had seemed too little to surrender completely to God. With Great happiness she answered to the divine call by becoming a discalced nun and lived there for 11 years with the name of Maria Josepha del Corazon de Jesus. When her fathe died , her superiors decided to have a new foundation and she accepted their wishes and left with the mothers to the new foundation at El Escorial.Maria Josepha gave up much and worked for that foundation which she desired to consecrate to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to whom she had particular devotion. In 1919, Oct. 12 Maria de las Maravillas, the youngest daughter of the Marquis of Pidal, the Ambassidor of Spain, entered the Carmelite convent of El Escorial. What brought Maravillas to the Carmel was her love of Christ and her desire to imitate Him. This accounts for why she was anxious to suffer, to make reparation and to give herself totally to him for the salvation of souls. She was not yet solemly professed when the Lord asked her to found a Carmel in El Cerro de los Angeles, the geographical centre of Spain, where a monument had been erected in honor to the Sacred Heart and the nation had been consecrated to Him on May 30th 1919 by King Alfonso XIII. On May 19th 1924 Sr. Maravillas and three other nuns from El Escorial set themselves up in a makeshift house in the village of Getafe where they could supervise the building of the convent. In this house on May 30th of the same year she made her Solemn Profession. In June 1926, aged only 34, she was named Prioress of the community despite her efforts to resist it happening. A few months later, on October 31st, the monastery of El Cerro de los Angeles was inauguarated. On June 29th 1931, Fr. Boneventura Arana, a Carmelite missionary was consecrated Bishop of Vijayapuram in Kerala. He had a great desire to found a Carmelite Monastery in his diocese, build on the solid foundation of prayer. He had confided these thoughts to no one, and on March 13th, 1932 he was recieved in private audience by Pope Pius XIth, who took a fatherly interest in the state of the diocese, and if he knew or could read his innermost thoughts, the Pope asked him if he had ever thought of establishing a Carmelite convent there. “Holy Father” he answered “this is one of my ardent desires and I should like it to be accomplished as soon as possible.” The Pontiff, who was to name a humble Carmelite, patron of the missions (St. Therese od Lisieux), comforted and encouraged him to bring this plan into effect and he gave him his special blessing. Before returning to India, His Lordship went to Spain, for the realization of this project. He knew that the daughters of St. Teresa who wouldhave given a thousand lives for souls that were being lost, would spare no efforts to help him in his missionary works. So on 15th of September he visited the community of Cerro de los Angeles where Mother Maravillas was prioress and asked to see and speak to the whole community. The visitor was announced and the Sisters entered the parlor with the thrill of receiving a blessing from him who had such a great right to their love and veneration: A Carmelite, a Missionary and a Bishop. There was one nun missing from the group. She was making her spiritual retreat, but Mother Maravillas who knows her intimate wishes, asked her to be called against the usual custom. The Bishop speaks’; “I need prayers, many prayers that this mission which now starts to live by itself may grow. Prayers to consolidate and perfect the Christians already formed and prayers to bring to the true Church the thousands of pagans. What better than a convent of Discalced Carmelite nuns, who through their rule and profession would be constantly praying and supplicating the Lord!” It was Sister Rosario who had been making her retreat the day that Bishop Bonaventura visited. Sister Rosario was an exemplary nun, and had been left an orphan an early age. She had been one of the four foundress of the Cerro de los Angeles. Mother Maravillas called her in because she knew of the flame for missionary work that burned within her generous soul for so long. In effect, as Mother Maravillas suspected, this visit was the last touch of Divine grace Sr. Rosario generously offered herself for the missions. After prudently diserning their vocation for the missions, the Prioress wrote to the Bishop expressing her willingness to send Sisters who desired to start their beautiful life of prayer in his diocese in India. The Bishop consulted with his councillers who received the idea with enthusiasm. The Father General of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites also gave his approval and blessing. As a result in February 1933 a definite ‘yes’ reached the Cerro de los Angeles. Mother Maravillas herself wished to be one among the foundresses but her superiors would not permit her to go. Instead Sr. Rosario of Jesus (Prioress), Sr. Amala of Jesus, Sr. Louisa of the Holy Ghost, Sr. Isabel of Jesus Mary,Sr. Gertrude of the Angels, Sr. Maria Teresa of the Cross, Sr. Beatriz of the Mother of God and a postulant- Angeles of the Heart of Jesus were chosen for the new foundation. They left the Cerro on 11th September 1933 in the company of the servant of God, Rev. FGr. Zacharias OCD, a missionary and professor at the Alway Seminary. They installed a movable little Carmelite convent in a corner of the deck in the ship. They followed their life of religious observance: daily Mass, Communion, Divine Office, recreation, work etc. After many hardships they landed on the 7th October 1933, at Tuticorin, India. After the enthusiastic receptions they went to their temporary residence called “Summer Villa” from where they could go as often as needed to supervise the work of their convent which was being built on a hilltop called ‘Keezhukkunnu’ on the outskirts of Kottayam. Under the vigilance of the Bishop and the missionary Fathers, the construction of the convent was finished within 8 months and the inauguration took place on 14th June 1934. The Mother took up in earnest the most delicate task of formation of the first novices who were to be the pillars of these foundations. A new foundation was made in Thiruvalla in 1948. Carmels were founded in Kottiyam in 1964 and in Mysore in 1985.