Our Foundress

Mother Veronica, the Servant of God, founded the Apostolic Carmel in Bayonne, France on 16th July 1868. Born in an Anglican family, she embraced Catholicism together with her sister Mary Ann after an intense search for Truth. Later she became a religious for the Congregation of St. Joseph of the Apparition and was sent to India as a Missionary.

While in Calicut she received a special call to Carmel. With the help of Father Marie Ephrem, OCD who later became the Bishop of Manglore, she discerned her call as a timely intervention of God to found an active Carmel for the faith-formation of Catholic girls in the Malabar Cost through the apostolate of education. Hence she joined the Cloistered Carmel of Pau, France, to imbibe the spirit of Carmel. After a year of formation, she ventured out all alone to fund the Apostolic Carmel. It was an uphill task all the way. Her faith and trust in God were her only support.

‘I do not fear the obstacles and difficulties that I may have to encounter when I follow the direction of my superiors. Our Holy Mother used to say, ‘Either to suffer or to do’. Her daughter try to follow in some measure her glorious example. I have indeed encountered problems and they are still far from being smoothed out, but now at the words of your Reverence, I shall go ahead with new courage and firm confidence that our Lord will make me triumph over all obstacles and that he will lend me finally to these dear Missions for which I would willingly sacrifice my life.’