The Carmelites of Mary
Immaculate [CMI] is the first indigenous religious institute of India. It had
its humble beginning in the first half of the 19th century, when two zealous
and God experienced men – Fr. Thomas Palackal and Thomas Porukkara – started a
spiritual movement at Mannanam on May 11th 1831. They were inspired by God to
restore religious life of the St. Thomas Christians. 

On 8 December 1855 the religious community received full ecclesiastical recognition and the first eleven fathers under the leadership of St Kuriakose Elias Chavara made the first profession of religious vows. They were given Carmelite rules with certain modifications and were known as Servants of Mary Immaculate of Mount Carmel.

Fr Kuriakose Elias Chavara, the first Prior of the congregation was called for eternal reward after a fruitful life of sanctity on 3 January 1871. He was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II on 8 February 1986 at Kottayam, Kerala and was canonized by His Holiness Pope Francis on 23 November 2014 at Vatican. Since the Bishops of Varapoly were Carmelites, under whose jurisdiction and guidance was the congregation in its early days, a Carmelite influence was obvious. 

In 1860, the General Chapter of the OCD, named the Religious Institute as Third Order of the Discalced Carmelites (TOCD). In 1958, the name was changed to Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) with the approval of its revised constitution by the Holy See. It was granted pontifical status in 1885 and was declared exempted pontifical religious congregation in 1967. The congregation was involved from its very beginning in pastoral care responding to the need of the then church in Kerala. One of the other important apostolates of the congregation was training priests to serve the Church effectively.  The members met the challenge of educating the youth and disseminating Christian literature, laboured for the evangelization of the Non-Christians and for the reunion of the separated brethren among St Thomas Christians and undertook works of mercy and started charitable institutions. Pleased with apostolic activities of the Religious Institution, the Holy See, entrusted to it a number of mission territories beyond the boundaries of Kerala in 1960s.