The Congregation of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) is the first native religious group for men. Saint Kurakose Elias Chavara, from the Syro Malabar church, founded a religious house in Mannanam on May 11, 1831. This marked the beginning of CMI’s spiritual leadership, unity, and growth in the Kerala Church.

Today, CMI operates in five continents and 28 nations, with over 2500 members. They spread God’s word, strengthen the spiritual life, support the underprivileged, and excel in education. CMI manages over 480 educational institutions, from nursery schools to professional colleges, research centers, and a university worldwide.

Education has been a key focus since our founding. We serve in 35 countries across India, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and from Mumbai to Arunachal Pradesh. While our institutions vary, they all share the same CMI spirit.

CMI is a religious congregation within the Catholic Church, following the Oriental, Carmelite, and Indian spiritual tradition. We abide by the code of Canon Law of the Oriental Churches (CCEO), Syro Malabar Church laws, and our own CMI constitution. We are a charitable association and a religious minority group under the Indian Constitution.

Our objectives include bearing witness to the church’s spiritual reality, spreading God’s word, serving through sacraments and preaching, and helping people regardless of caste, sex, color, or creed through education and charitable work.

We are preparing for the 200th anniversary of CMI’s founding. This milestone encourages us to adapt to the current times, just as our founders did two centuries ago. We’re making resolutions and action plans to renew our educational mission in collaboration with our partners.