Venerable Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara was born at Kainakary, Kerala on 10th February 1806. After his schooling in the village and priestly studies under  Fr.Thomas Palackal at Pallipuram,  he was ordained priest in  1829.

Along with Frs. Thomas Palackal and Thomas Porukara, he founded the first indigenous religious congregation in India for men in 1831 at Mannanam, the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate. He proved  himself an able administrator as head of the CMI for 25 years. In 1866, with Fr. Leopold Beccaro, he started the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel for women.

Interested in education, he started a Sanskrit school in 1846 and the first English School of the St. Thomas Christians in 1881, both at Mannanam. He started theological colleges for the  education  of  priests.

Father Chavara set up the first Catholic Press at Mannanam in 1844, from which a network of printing houses spread over the country, man­ aged by the CMI Congregation. The congregation also manages the Malayalam daily "Deepika". His own prolific writings, both prose and verse, bear  witness  to  his  wisdom.

He fought for the cause of the Harijans, seeing in them the image of God. He started two schools for Harijan children and a home for the  destitute.

Amidst his diverse activities he remained essentially a man of prayer and charity.

He died on 3rd January, 1871, humbly professing gratitude to God that he could preserve his baptismal innocence. His mortal remains lie at his tomb in St. Joseph's Church, CMI Monastery,  Mannanam.

Today the Congregation runs educational institutions, hospitals, dispensaries, welfare & cultural centers and printing presses. The work of the congregation is a tribute to the vision of Fr. Chavara. His Holiness Pope John Paul II conferred the formal recognition of the Church by  Beatifying  him  on  8th  February,  1986.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India