The First Indigenous Religious Congregation

Its Name and Affiliation to OCD

Abstract

Thomas Mampra, in this entry, make a study on the name and the circumstances that led to the affiliation of the Indian Carmelite congregation, the first indigenous religious congregation for men in India, founded by Thomas Palackal, Thomas Porukkara and Kuriakose Elias Chavara, to OCD as its Third Order, in the light of a few documents published recently. He begins with excurses through the letters and writings of Chavara to see what he says regarding the name of the congregation. Having explored the primary sources, he turns to the secondary sources and scans through the pages of the early historians and their writings on the issue. To explore further, the author subjects the letters sent to Rome by the members of the congregation protesting certain moves of the ecclesiastical authorities and the reply they received. He goes on to speak about the fact and process of affiliation into the Carmelite Order and the consequences of the affiliation. He concludes the study with a question regarding the say that the members of the congregation had in this matter.