A BRIEF HISTORY OF ST JOSEPH'S MONASTERY

CARMEL HILL MANGALORE  

- Rev. Fr Paul D’souza, OCD.  

The Carmelites of Karnataka:  The Teresian Carmelites had established themselves in Goa and in Kerala in the seventeenth century. And since the region formerly known as the Carnatic, lies between Goa in the north and Kerala in the south, the Carmelites had inevitably to pass through Karnataka when proceeding by land from Goa to Kerala. And it is not surprising to find them residing at least on a temporary basis, in places like Bijapur, which form part of today's Karnataka. In his "Viaggio alle Indie Orientali," Fr. Vincent Mary of St. Catherine, has left us interesting descriptions of the beliefs, customs, and feasts, of the Canara of his time, and even of the scenic beauties and the cultivation and other aspects of life. But he found the Christians greatly neglected, and, on his reporting the need of the Canara Christians to the Holy See, Mangalore secured its first Vicar Apostolic in 1677.

            In the eighteenth century, the head quarters of the Carmelites in Karnataka, was at Sunkery near Karwar, from 1709. Several religious from Sunkery were appointed vicars apostolic of Bombay and Verapoly, and one of them, Bishop John Dominic of St. Clare, who had acquired a mastery of Konkani, Died at Sirva while on a pastoral visit in 1772. It is reported that on previous visits of this kind he had conferred Confirmation on more than 15,000 persons .From Sunkery, the friars attended to the Christians in the Canara region especially after 1773 the year in which the Holy See entrusted to the Carmelites, the erstwhile Jesuit missions in Canara and in Mysore.

            The Carmelite Church in Sunkery suffered, at the end of the eighteenth century the fate of more than thirteen other churches, at the hands of the Tiger of Mysore. It was re-built by Fr. Francis Xavier of St. Ann, a Genoese who acquired enough knowledge of Konkani to write an Italian - Konkani dictionary Portuguese - Konkani dictionary as well as a history of the mission.We see his presence in Sunkery till 1831.

Focus on Mangalore:

            As Christianity waxed stronger in Mangalore after the death of Tippu Sultan, not withstanding the conflicts that continued to flare up occasionally between the Propaganda and the Padroado, the Catholics plucked up courage to request from Propaganda a Vicar Apostolic headquartered in Mangalore. Their petition was heeded and Msgr. Bernardine of St. Agnes took charge as Pro- Vicar Apostolic in 1845.

            The Carmelite bishop's first concern was the seminary. In 1850 he raised the Rosario Church to the rank of a Cathedral. The second Carmelite bishop of Mangalore was Rev. Fr. Michael Antony who was consecrated bishop in Bombay in 1853 and reached Mangalore in September, and set about stream-lining the diocese which he ruled for seventeen years.

            A variety of difficulties and problems mushroomed during his regime, and finally, having a list of achievements to his credit, he retired in 1870 - after predicting that the Jesuits would take over the diocese. He departed this life in Bombay on 18 December 1878. And the Jesuit team arrived from Europe on the following day - 19th December.

            Meanwhile in 1870, another Carmelite took over as bishop of Mangalore, namely, Msgr. Marie Ephrem, who went in 1869 as Vicar Apostolic of Quilon, to the first Vatican Council and returned in 1870 as Vicar Apostolic of Mangalore bringing into the diocese the first Carmelite cloistered Sisters. He had also a share in the founding of the Apostolic Carmel. His demise in 1873 seems to have followed from an attack of malaria. He had been the only child of his parents; and conversing casually with his familiars a few days before his departure from this life, he remarked : "I learnt from my father, the practice of charity, for, I may say that I never heard him speak ill of any one."

            While Msgr. Marie Ephrem was bishop, the Milagres parish of Mangalore was governed by a French priest, quite probably a carmelite tertiary who, though belonging to the diocesan clergy, habitually donned the Carmelite habit, and brought it great honor through his assiduous practice of pastoral zeal and unusual asceticism. This was Father Alexander Dubois who, on 14 September 1873, laid the foundation - stone for the Church of the Holy Cross at Cordel where he died in the odour of sanctity, and where his mortal remains were laid to rest in 1877. The following year, there remained only two Carmelites in Mangalore, one of whom, Fr. Victor of St. Antony, a Belgian, handed over the keys of the Cathedral and the charge of the diocese to the Jesuits.              

A New Beginning:

            The Belgian Carmelites, especially those staffing the erstwhile Quilon seminary, decided on founding a house of monastic observance in Mangalore in 1947 for which purpose they sent Fathers Marcel and Hyacinth as pioneers in 1947. After exploring the city in search of a suitable site, Heaven guided them to what today is known as Carmel Hill. The people were hospitable, especially the Apostolic Carmel community at Maryhill where the Fathers stayed for more than a year: They shifted to Angelore when the construction work on the monastery commenced, and came to Carmel Hill finally to form the new monastic community.

            However, the foundation of the monastery, canonically speaking, was in 1947. The Sacred Congregation for Religious in Rome, granted the indult for the founding of the new house, for which the Sacred Congregation of propaganda gave its "nihil obstat" on 5 June, 1947, while the General Definitory gave its permission on 6 June. Shortly afterwards we find Msgr. Victor Fernandes, Bishop of Mangalore, visiting Belgium and the Carmelite monasteries there, especially Ghent where he was- according to an official chronicle- from Aug. 25 till 12 September.

            Fathers Constantine, Nicholas and Herman Joseph left Antwerp for India on a Norwegian cargo ship in 1948 on 14 October. By this time, Fr. Irenaeus had already come to Mangalore from Margao. When Fr. Herman Joseph arrived in Mangalore (1950) Fr. Hyacinth had already left for Belgium.

            From Margao, Br. Louis came to Mangalore in 1952, to be followed by Fathers Constantine and Boniface in 1953, by which year the chapel and the central part of the construction had already been constructed.

            The long-awaited day to which especially many Carmelites in India were eagerly looking forward, came in March 1954. The frontiers of the jungle had been pushed back, the hard, unyielding earth had been levelled, the terrain had been cleared, a lowly monastic structure had been raised atop the elevation that would henceforth be known as "Carmel Hill".

            On 18 March 1954 Bishop Victor Fernandes-during an open air reception with eight petromaxes lighting up the late evening sky, blessed solemnly the new chapel with its adjoining structure. And the following day Auxiliary Bishop Peres said the first Holy Mass in the newly blessed Chapel.

           Fr. Constantine was the first superior of the new community and he was in charge till 1959 by which year Fr. Marcel as well as Br. Louis and also Fr. Herman Joseph had already left Mangalore.

Mangalore under Manjummel:           

            Before Fr. Constantine completed his term as superior, the Carmelites in the Karnataka region had to be amalgamated with the Kerala Carmelites of the Manjummel unit because of political disturbances between Goa and the rest of India as Goa continued to be under Portuguese rule. Hence, candidates joining from Mangalore were sent to Kerala for their Carmelite formation as well as their priestly studies. During this period which lasted till 1981, the local superiors of the Mangalore community were:         

            Rev. Fr. Bernard Nunes                        1960-1966

            Rev. Fr. Theophine                              1966-1972

            Rev. Fr. Gregory D’Souza                    1972-1975

            Rev. Fr. Anthony D’Silva                      1975- 1978

            Rev. Fr. Patrick Lobo                           1978-1981

            In 1978, Fr. Gregory D'Souza became one of the Provincial Councillors of the Manjummel Province, and , considering that the time had come for autonomy, moved for the formation of a separate unit for Karnataka. Hence, in 1979 a Provincial delegation for this region was set up. By this time, the number of candidates, most of whom had been nurtured in the Kulshekar Carmel Hill vocation Home, had risen to 46 including 29 priests.

The Karnataka-Goa Province:

            Finally, in 1981, Fr. General constituted the region into an autonomous Carmelite Province, and the Carmel Hill Monastery became the Provincial Headquarters as well as the residence of students who would hence forth be frequenting the Jeppu Seminary, from Carmel Hill.