The ardent desire to be one with the Creator, urged Mother Veronica of
the Passion to serve humanity with generosity, courage and determination
which gave birth to the Apostolic Camel in 1868. Mother Veronica, nee
Sophie Leeves was born in 1823, in a pious culture to English Anglican
parents in Constantinople. She was gifted with the singular gifts of
mind and heart which were nurtured by sound education and wide
experience. Though the daughter of a Protestant Pastor, she embraced
Catholic Faith in 1850, amidst bitter opposition from the family. God
took possession of her heart so powerfully that she courageously and
generously responded to the call to religious life. She entered the
Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition in 1851,
taking the name “Sister Veronica of the Passion”. She came to India in
1862 and worked at Calicut.
When in Prayer, she experienced a divine call to enter Carmel; she made the difficult choice of leaving her Congregation of St. Joseph to join Carmel, Congregation of Cloistered sisters at Pau, in France. Again it was terribly difficult for her to leave the peace and happiness of the cloister to set about the task of founding a new Carmelite Order for India to sow the seed of faith formation through education of young girls of the West Coast of India. The need for a Third Order was very urgent because in those days, Education in India was meant only for boys which brought great dissatisfaction to the Indian women who cried out for knowledge and the light of education. So God in his infinite wisdom chose Mother Veronica to reveal this objective together with Father Marie Ephrem, a Carmelite Priest, who had come as a missionary to serve the Indians. She founded the Congregation of the Apostolic Carmel at Bayonne, in France in the year 1868 and established it in Mangalore, India in 1870. Following the path of the Carmelite tradition of St. Teresa of Avila and Mother Veronica, the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel try to combine in their lives Contemplative Prayer and serve the need of the day. The focus of their apostolic service is Christ in His people, the church and the world at large. The pioneering spirit made itself felt from time to time in the Congregation. When there was a need of Higher Education for women in South Kanara, it was the Apostolic Carmel who established the first Women’s College (St. Agnes College) in this region in 1921. The Apostolic Carmel extended its mission to North India in 1921 and to Sri Lanka in 1922. To this day the Congregation tries to fulfill the purpose of its existence through formal and non-formal education of youth in its various Colleges, regular Schools, and Schools for the Handicapped, Teacher Training Centres, Women’s Welfare Centres, Prison and Healing ministry. The Apostolic Carmel is established throughout India, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Pakistan, Kenya, Bahrain, Rome and Naples. It aims at developing the students entrusted to its care, into committed people who should be leaven in their milieu putting love and meaning into human life and endeavor. Today there are over 190 institutions of the Congregation. Mother Veronica’s work lives in 1800 sisters who serve God and people throughout the Country.
Following the path of the Carmelite tradition of St. Teresa of Avila and
Mother Veronica, the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel try to combine in their
lives Contemplative Prayer and serve the need of the day. The focus of their
apostolic service is Christ in His people, the church and the world at
large. The pioneering spirit made itself felt from time to time in the
Congregation. When there was a need of Higher Education for women in South
Kanara, it was the Apostolic Carmel who established the first Women’s
College (St. Agnes College) in this region in 1921. The Apostolic Carmel
extended its mission to North India in 1921 and to Sri Lanka in 1922. To
this day the Congregation tries to fulfill the purpose of its existence
through formal and non-formal education of youth in its various Colleges,
regular Schools, and Schools for the Handicapped, Teacher Training Centres,
Women’s Welfare Centres, Prison and Healing ministry. The Apostolic Carmel
is established throughout India, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Pakistan, Kenya,
Bahrain, Rome and Naples. It aims at developing the students entrusted to
its care, into committed people who should be leaven in their milieu putting
love and meaning into human life and endeavor. Today there are over 190
institutions of the Congregation. Mother Veronica’s work lives in 1800
sisters who serve God and people throughout the Country.