Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, CMI (1805 – 1871)


Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara was born on 10 February 1805 in Kainakary, a small village of Alleppey district in the Travancore state. After his primary education he joined the Pallipuram seminary attached to Saint Mary’s Church, Cherthala. Father Thomas Palackal was his malpan (professor of sacred sciences). He received his sub-diaconate in 1827 and diaconate in 1828. On 29 November 1829, he was ordained a priest at Saint Andrews Church, Arthunkal. From a very young age,Kuriakose was instructed to chant the name ‘Jesus’, as a result of which he eagerly wished to live a life dedicated to Jesus and the Church.

After his priestly ordination, he joined Father Thomas Palackal and Father Thomas Porukara, his malpans, and laid the foundation for a spiritual movement at Mannanam. They were joined by Brother Jacob Kanianthara who shared their lofty ideal of life in seclusion, away from worldly pursuits. They established a residence at Mannanam in the year 1831 and named it ‘Beth Rauma’ (house on the hilltop). Beth Rauma had a humble beginning and grew into a dwelling place for a group of religious priests who, later, came to be known as Servants of the Immaculate Conception. This religious community at Mannanam laid the foundation for the congregation of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI). Father Thomas Palackal and Father Thomas Porukara died in 1841 and 1846 respectively.

With the demise of his malpans, Father Kuriakose was entrusted with the responsibility of this new congregation, which he led until his death. In 1861, Archbishop Bernardinose of the Arch-diocese of Verapoly appointed Father Kuriakose the Vicar General of the Syrian Catholics, and he fought against the schism arising from the arrival of BishopRoccos, which did disturb the unity of the Malabar Church.

From 1831 onwards Father Kuriakose engaged in various spiritual and welfare activities, such as starting a Sanskrit school at Mannanam for the educational development of the area, establishing the first wooden press in Kerala, renewing the Order of the Liturgy, popularising Sunday sermons and organizing annual retreats in parishes to facilitate the spiritual renewal of the people. In 1866, he founded the first Indian religious congregation for women, the Congregation of Mother of Carmel (CMC).

Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara spent the last seven years of his life at Koonammavu, Kerala, where he died on 3 January 1871 and was buried in Saint Philomena’s Church, Koonammavu. Later, on 24 May 1889, his mortal remains were transferred from Koonammavu and reinterred in the Saint Joseph’s Monastery Chapel at Mannanam, the mother house of the CMI Congregation.

Saint Kuriakose Elias was well known for his sacrificial life and continues to be a modelof Christian virtue and a solace for many in their trials and tribulations. Many favours have been received through his intercession. SaintAlphonsa, the first saint of India, sought the intercession of Saint Kuriakose and was instantly cured of her illness. She had certified this cure by her own handwritten testimonial.

The canonization process of Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara began in 1956 and, on 8 February 1986, he was beatified by Pope John Paul II at Kottayam, Kerala.

The miraculous cure of the crippled feet of Joseph Pennaparampil from Calicut, Kerala, through the intercession of Saint Kuriakose was approved for the beatification. The miraculous cure of the alternating convergent squint eyes of Maria Jose Kottarathil from Pala, Kerala, was approved by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Vatican, for the canonization of Saint Kuriakose. On 18 March 2014, Pope Francis signed the Decreeapproving Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara to be declared a saint.

On 23 November 2014, Kuriakose Elias Chavara was canonized at Rome by Pope Francis. The tomb, where the mortal remains of Saint Kuriakose are interred, is situated in front of the main altar of Saint Joseph’s Monastery Chapel at Mannanam.

Foundation of CMI Congregation


Frs. Thomas Palackal, Thomas Porukara and Kuriakose Chavara having the same motivation of starting a religious community life, had several occasions to meet together at the vicariate of Verapoly or at the seminary of Pallipuram to discuss the idea of a religious institute. By the words of blessed Chavara, from the first page of his chronicle, we may allude to the request fathers Palackal and Porukara placed before the bishop Maurelius Stabilini Seeing that a lot of good has not been done due to the absence of a Thapasu Bhavanam (house of discipline) in Kerala even for priests, we desire to start a 'Darsana Veed’ (house of vision) at least for priests.


The Vicar Apostolic, finally on 1st November 1829, granted permission to establish a religious house. On May 11, 1831, the foundation stone for the proposed religious house was laid at Mannanam near Kottayam in Kerala dedicating it to St. Joseph. This was the first indigenous religious institute for men in the Indian Church of modern times, known now as Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI). For, if at all there existed any religious institute before, no one continued upto that time. Jacob Kanianthara, who in 1865 became the first professed brother co-operator in the congregation also co-operated with those three founding fathers from the beginning.

The Establishment of New Institutions


St Kuriakose Elias Chavara governed the Congregation for 16 years as the Superior General, under the name 'Common Prior'. The people at large took note of the transformation that was taking place in the Church and in the Malabar society through the apostolic activities of the members under the able guidance of Chavara. Thus priests and people from various parts of Malabar began requesting Chavara to open houses in their midst. Thus Monasteries were started at Koonammavu-1857, Elthurutrh-1858, Plasnal-1858, Vazhakulam-1859, Pulincunnu-1861, Ambazhakad-1868, and Mutholy-1870. In order to carry out the apostolic activities in the Vicariate more efficiently, the Vicar Apostolic, in 1864, transferred St Chavara to Koonammavu, which was near the Curia of the Vicariate

A Man Zealous in the Service of the Church


Starting seven religious houses, besides the first one at Mannanam, in different parts of Kerala within a period of twelve years, the new congregation made great strides in the spiritual renovation in the Kerala Church. Seminaries for the education and formation of clergy at Mannanam in 1833, at Vazakulam in 1866 and at Elthuruth in 1868; introduction of annual retreats for priests and laity; publishing house at Mannanam in 1846 for the propagation of Catholic doctrine and social information; special attention to start catechumenates at Mannaanm in 1853 and with other monasteries, house for the destitute and dying at Kainakary in 1869; reunion movement; Sanskrit School at Mannanam in 1846 and school for the general education at Mannanam in 1865, a school and boarding house exclusively for girls at Koonammavu in 1868 etc. were among the few of various activities under St Kuriakose Elisa's leadership. Thus he focused the area of ministry in (1) Educating the uneducated, (2) Helping them who desire to enter the Catholic fold, (3) Working for the reunion of the separated brethren. (4) Safeguarding the well being of all (5) Aiming at the renewal of the Church and (6) Willing to do all that are seen good for the people of God. In this way he prepared the religious, priests and the laity for the spiritual and social up-lift of the Church and society.

Chavara a Question Mark to the Modern World


Saint Chavara is an answer to the modern world; a world tensed with activity and tired of involvement; a world which feels loneliness without a God and neighbor; a world which cannot stay silent for a moment and pray. For, Saint Chavara was a person who could live in harmony with God and the world, prayer and action, solitude and companionship. To a world, which is losing the sense of sin, he is a question mark. In a message by Cardinal Peter Palazzi, the prefect of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, during the Beatification of Blessed Chavara said: Even though he (Chavara) could declare on his death-bed that he had always kept his baptismal innocence, he had a deep sense of sin. In this sense, he is a question mark to the modern world which seriously lacks the same sense of sin.