OUR LEGACY
The Congregation of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) is the first indigenous religious congregation in the Catholic Church of India.
Fr. Thomas Palackal, Fr. Thomas Porukara and Fr. Kuriakose Chavara of the Syro-Malabar Church of apostolic origin founded a religious house at Mannanam on 11 May 1831. On 8 December 1855, the religious Congregation was canonically approved and the first eleven fathers made their religious profession.
St. Chavara, the only surviving founder, was appointed the first superior of the Congregation. The Congregation was granted pontifical exemption in 1967. In 1871, on January 3rd, Fr. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, after a short but painful illness, passed away at Koonammavu preserving his baptismal innocence unto death. His mortal remains were transferred from Koonammavu to Mannanam in 1889 and have been interred in
St. Joseph’s Monastery church.
CMI IN THE PATH OF EDUCATION
CMI Congregation has a huge and wide network of various types educational institutions; according to the latest statistics 2013,
we have 151 Kindergartens, 170 Lower Primary Schools, 150 Upper Primary Schools, 136 High Schools, 77 Higher Secondary Schools, 30 Arts, Science, Commerce and Education Colleges of varying sizes and enrolments, 6 Nursing Colleges/ Schools, 1 Polytechnic, 6 Industrial Training Centers, 2 Engineering Colleges, 1 Medical College and 1Deemed University. We have also entered into other forms and areas of education demanded by the special needs of our times, like training the handicapped, adult education and various types of non-formal education; today we run 12 institutions for the training of the differently challenged and have 55 non-formal education centers and 24 cultural or dialogue centers.
HISTORY OF CHRIST ICSE SCHOOL KENGERI CAMPUS
The idea of a school as directed by Prior General Rev. Fr. Paul Achady CMI in his report on the canonical visitation to Dharmaram College in August 2016, a ten member committee was constituted by Rev Fr. Thomas Aykara Rector Dharmaram College to study the possible programmes that could be undertaken to put to the optimum use of the landed property at St. Mary’s Farm, Kumbalgodu, Kengeri.
The committee visited St. Mary’s Farm on 7th October 2016 and made a survey of the plot and the educational institutions in the nearby area. The committee suggested starting education institutions and to begin with a school in ICSE syllabus in the year 2017.
The thrust of the committee was to provide integrated inclusive education by retaining farming in St. Mary’s campus, incorporating agriculture into curriculum especially organic farming.
The proposed school was sanctioned in the local council of Dharmaram College on November 21st 2016. The foundation stone for Christ School at St. Mary’s Farm was laid on December 8th 2016 on the Feast of Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Rev. Fr. Thomas Aykara CMI, Rector Dharmaram College. It was a historical event in the history of Christ group of Schools and St. Mary’s Farm at K Gollahalli. The school building was blessed on 25th February 2018
by Rev. Fr. George Edayadiyil CMI, Rector Dharmaram College and was inaugurated
by Sri. K. J. George, Minister for Bengaluru Development and Planning, Govt. of Karnataka.
The maiden academic year 2018-19 in Christ ICSE School Kengeri Campus, was inaugurated with 200 students and their parents under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Augusty Paimpallil CMI, Principal and fifteen teachers.
Rev. Dr. Martin Mallath CMI, Rev. Fr. N. K. Dominic CMI, Rev. Fr. Antony Payyappilly CMI and Rev. Fr. Fenil
the Principals and Christ group of schools participates and addressed the Inaugural function.
At Christ,the students are encouraged to be creative, reflective and motivated learners. Individual talents of the children are spotted, nourished and encouraged. Apart from a rigorous academic programme a variety of co-curricular activities are organized for students, which empower them with holistic development and become successful in life.