Congregation of Teresian Carmelites (CTC), the first Carmelite indigenous Congregation of India was founded by Venerable Mother Eliswa at Koonammavu in the Diocese of Verapoly on 13th February 1866. God marvelously chose Mother Eliswa a widow to be the foundress and her daughter Anna and her own sister Mother Thresia the Co-Foundresses and the first members of the Congregation. Congregation, when started, held the title TOCD till it took the title CTC.
Candidates from both Latin and Syrian rites were accepted and they grew in number. But the Congregation was divided based on the rites as per the decree of Pope Leo XIII in the year 1887 and the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide in Rome decided that the first Convent at Koonammavu be given to the Syrian Vicariate of Trichur, in 1890. Therefore the sister of Syrian Rite remained at Koonammavu and developed as an independent Congregation (CMC) later.
Mother Eliswa the foundress and the sisters who belonged to Latin rite (CTC) were shifted to St. Joseph Convent at Verapuzha where they opened a school, boarding house and an orphanage for girls. The Congregation was elevated to the status of an institute of pontifical Right with a Decree issued by the Sacred Congregation for the evangelization of peoples, in 1971.
The horizon of service rendered by the Congregation was extended beyond Kerala frontiers and the tiny seed that sprouted in a small village has now spread into 73 Dioceses with 213 convents in India, Germany, Italy, Rwanda and USA. There are at present 1343 members in the congregation which consists eleven Provinces.
Our charism aims at Contemplative union with God, in a life of communion through Charity and Ecclesial Service.
The sisters dedicate themselves in the apostolate of prayer, Christian education, running orphanages, old age homes, missionary activities, healing ministry, women empowerment programmes, family apostolate, social work and jail ministry and keep alive the light of love and service imbibing the spirit of Mother Eliswa whose Cause of Beatification was introduced in the Archdiocese of Verapoly on 30th May 2008.
