CMC Jai Christo
Province
The Jai Christo Province, Palakkad, of the CMC Congregation, takes its immediate origin from Nirmala Province, Trichur which owes its beginning to the Mother House at Koonammavu, started in 1866. With the approval of the Syrian dioceses of Kerala in 1897 the sisters belonging to the Trichur diocese were taken to Ambazhakad to open a carmelite convent there. Under the loving care of Dr.John Menachery, the first Syrian Bishop of Trichur and his successors the new unit became a separate diocesan congregation and flourished with great rapidity.According to an order from the Sacred Congregation for the
Oriental Churches, on May 21, 1963, all the sister congregations of Koonammau were again united under a new title, Congregation of the Mother of Carmel. Thus the diocesan congregation of Trichur became a province with the title ‘Nirmala’. In 1974 the Provincial chapter of Nirmala Province felt the need for a division of the Province due to administrative reasons.On 13th June 1976 Irinjalakuda and Palakkad were proclaimed separate regions dependent on Nirmala Province by the then Provincial, Mother Christopher. The period that followed was a time of remarkable progress for the newborn region with Mother Bambina at the helm of affairs. . At the General Chapter in 1977, Palakkad region was raised to the status of Vice-Province. On May 16th, 1977, the region was officially declared as Jai Christo Vice-Province by Mother Silvia, the then Superior General after the solemn celebration of the Holy Eucharist by our Patron Rt. Rev. Dr.Joseph Irimpan, Bishop of Palakkad. Mother Bambina was appointed as its first Provincial.
The Jai Christo Vice-Province is spread over the entire Palakkad diocese comprising the civil districts of Palakkad (Kerala), Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) and Karur Taluk in Trichy district altogether covering approximately an area of 28515 sq.K.M.Convents in the district of Indore in Madhya Pradesh is also part of Christo Region. Jai Christo had then 179 professed sisters and 13 convents, 8 in Kerala, one in Tamil Nadu and four in Madhya Pradesh. The harvest is rich but the labourers are few. The field indeed is vast. Under such circumstances it was a dire necessity that new
houses be founded and work projects planned. The old Provincial House was renovated at the time of Mother Ezechiel in the year 2000. In October 2001, Jai Christo Province started a house at Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi, an African country. The Capuchin OFM fathers were instrumental in this new venture. On 23rd June 1995, 7 houses belonging to Jai Christo Province, Palakkad in the Dioceses of Indore and Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh were declared a Region-Christo Region, Indore by Mother Rosula the then Asst.Superior General of CMC. On 22nd March 2016, Christo raised to the status of Vice – Province by Mother Sibi Superior General. At present Jai Christo Province has 307 professed sisters. There are 28 houses in Palakkad diocese,6 houses and 2 Extension centers in Ramanathapuram diocese .