Jayamatha Province, Pala traces its origin back to the bifurcation of Changanacherry diocese and the erection of the new diocese of Palai in 1950. Due to this division, our convents within the territory of Pala diocese were brought under a new unit on 8th April 1952. With immense pleasure we could say that the first daughter of the Koonamavu convent was at Mutholy (1888) in Pala. The headquarters of the province, Holy Family convent was erected in 1957 and the Novitiate house, Karoor were established in 1958.
Jayamatha could put the seed of C.M.C. in Malabar in 1956. It sprouted and multiplied into 3 provinces i.e. St. Joseph’s Province Tellicherry, Sacred Heart Province Manathavady and St. Mary’s province Thamarassery. The zealous C.M.C. missionaries of Pala ventured out of Kerala for the first time in 1963, started a mission station at Mandamari in Chanda diocese and then in the North East region in 1966. Presently, it has 3 mission stations i.e. Mancherial, Dimapur provinces and Jagadalpur region. Missionary activities are extended upto Tanzania in East Africa. Through the different fields of apostolate like education, healing ministry and social work, Jayamatha focusses on the faith formation of Gods own people specially women & children. There is a retreat house at Geovally named Tabor and a prarthanalayam at Parathanam. We are happy to say that the province is trying for the holistic development of the people in and around.
At present Jayamatha has 37 houses in Kerala and one in East Africa and one in Germany. There are 636 sisters. By the grace of God, in 2012 we celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of our province.
CMC Jaya Matha feels indebted to all our provincial superiors, Mother Martha Kaithakkari (1952-1954), Mother KochuThresia Kayathumkara (1954-1960), Mother Ursula Neriamparampil (1960-1966), Mother Flora Manjakkunnel (1966-1971), Mother Mary Angel Edayody(1971-1977), Mother Harold Kadankavil (1977-1982), Mother Silvia Medayil (1982-1988), Mother Laetitia Valiakandam (1988-1991), Mother Rosaritta Parippeettathottu (1991-1997) Mother Augusta Mattam (1997-2003) and Mother Philositta Kumplankal (2003-2009). The present Provincial Superior Mother Lucine Mary is offering her mite in making the province fruitful and graceful before God and man.
The candidates were recruited in those days in the individual convents. Their formation, except the canonical novitiate, was done in the respective convents. In 1958 a novitiate house was started at Karoor. The province grew in rapid pace due to the plenitude of good vocations. It became rich enough to extend its services to various fields of apostolate.
Responding to the invitation of Mar Sebastian Valloppilly, the then Bishop of the newly established diocese of Tellicherry, sisters were sent to the remote villages of Malabar in 1956. In the fertile soil of Malabar, CMC sprouted and multiplied into three provinces – Tellicherry, Thamarassery and Mananthavady. The zealous CMC missionaries of Pala ventured out of Kerala for the first time in 1962, starting a mission station at Mandamari in the diocese of Chanda. In 1995, the CMC houses in Chanda were declared as a separate province.
Jaya Matha Province came in to being as a unit of the Congregation of Mother of Carmel in 1963, as a result of the unification of provinces. Mother Ursula, the then Superior General was appointed as the first Provincial Superior. In the first Provincial Chapter she was re-elected as the Provincial Superior. During her stewardship Jaya Matha reached surprising heights of achievement in every field of apostolic activities.
In the general chapter of 1953, healing ministry was accepted as one of our apostolic activities. Our superiors were far sighted in sending the sisters for medical studies within India and abroad. The first CMC hospital Ranigiri was established in a remote village at Thudanganad in 1963. We extended our ministry to Cherupushpam Trust Hospital, Pala for about quarter of a century from 1979 onwards. In 2003, a full-fledged hospital – Carmel Medical Centre- started function at Pala. C.M.C. sisters are serving as doctors, nurses and other staff in various para- medical departments.
Inspired by the intution of the founding fathers, our pioneers at Mutholy were keenly interested in imparting education to women and children. Even before the opening of the Mutholy convent, the aspirants to religious life were trained as teachers and a school and boarding were started in the year 1886. It was mainly for the educational ministry that our sisters were invited to start convents in various parishes of the diocese. In 1951, all the aided schools under CMC and the training school at Mutholy were handed over to the Corporate Educational Agency of the diocese of Palai.
Besides the main stream of education, we are running a special school for mentally challenged and a rehabilitation centre for physically handicapped. A home for the aged is established at Moonnany in 1986. We are proud of the fact that Jaya Matha pioneered the retreat center in 1988, owned by nuns , starting Tabor prayer house.
At present, Jaya Matha is one of the largest provinces of the congregation with 635 members and around 25 candidates. There are 37 houses in Kerala,10 in Jagad Matha region and one in Germany.
CMC Jaya Matha feels indebted to all our provincial superiors, who pioneered the way and led the province to its present beauty and appearance. Each one of them, veterans in one way or other, had spared no pain in guiding the destinies of the province during these years. They are Mother Martha Kaithakkari, Mother KochuThresia Kayathumkara, Mother Ursula Neriamparampil, Mother Flora Manjakkunnel, Mother Mary Angel Edayody, Mother Harold Kadankavil, Mother Silvia Medayil, Mother Laetitia Valiakandam, Mother Rosaritta Parippeettathottu Mother Augusta Mattam and Mother Philositta Kumplankal. The present Provincial Superior Mother Lucine Mary is offering her mite in making the province fruitful and graceful before God and man. We raise our hearts with thanks and praise to God almighty for His abundant blessings showered up on us always and everywhere.