Media Release

Mangaluru, Jun 8: As the Apostolic Carmel completes a hundred and fifty years of its existence, as a tribute to foundress Venerable Mother Veronica who started the foundation house of the Apostolic Carmel in a poor residence, the congregation chalked out a project of a hundred and fifty houses for the homeless.

Accordingly, the building of the hundred and fifty houses was allotted to the five hundred and fifty houses for the homeless provinces in India, the province of Sri Lanka and the East Africa region with the central administration opting for twenty houses.

The project was initiated a year and a half ago to inaugurate it during this year of the special event of completing a hundred and fifty years of the Apostolic Carmel. While each province found different modes of implementing the project, the central administration planned to build an apartment block in the land of the congregation at Maryhill, with twenty one apartments, each with one room, hall, kitchen and toilet as well as the water and electricity facilities provided. On completion of the Apartment Block the homeless families who had given the application were identified, a visit was paid to them to ascertain the genuineness of the appeal. The blessing and inauguration of the block named, Mother Veronica Nivas, took place on the fest of the Visitation of Mary, namely, May 31. The apartment block was inaugurated by Sr 

M. Susheela, superior general and the building and the apartments were blessed by Fr Andrew D’Souza, parish priest, Bondel church. The keys to the apartments were then handed over to the needy families.

It was a great joy for several of the Apostolic Carmel communities across India, Sri Lanka, East Africa also to gift a total of 150 houses to needy brothers and sisters to mark the 150 years of the foundation of the Apostolic Carmel. The celebration also included planting a hundred and fifty saplings to commemorate this great event and many other minor projects.