The Congregation of Carmelities of Mary Immaculate (CMI), the first indigenous religious congregation of India, had its beginning in the first half of the 19th century. It grew out of the intense God-experience in Christ of the founding fathers - Thomas Palackal (+ 1841), Thomas Porukara (+1846) and Blesed Kuirakose Elias Chavara(+1871; beatified on February 8, 1986) - who were priests of the then Vicariate Apostolic of Verapoly, Kerala, of the Apostolic Church of St. Thomas Chrisians in India. Under the paternal direction and guidance of the Vicar Apostolic, Bishop Maurilius Stabilini, these men of God started a spiritual movement at Mannanam on May 11, 1831. Jacob Kanianthara, a pious layman, shared the inspiration of the founding fathers and assisted them in the foundation and growth of the congregation (Constitutions and Directory, The Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, 1993, Article 1, p.1). In the course of time more and more priests and seminarians joined the Founding Fathers. On December 8, 1855, on the day of the feast of Immaculate Conception, the first eleven Fathers made their profession of religious vows. Thus the Congregation was canonically erected, and Fr. Kuriakose Elias Chavara was appointed the first Prior.

The Founding Fathers of the Congregation committed their life to intense prayer and deep recollection and the building up and renewal of the Church. The religious life organized by the Fathers was a life of communion with God, making the Word their food and drink and as a consequence they became powerful heralds of the Word, evangelising the non- Christians, catechizing the new Christians, working for the reunion of dissident Christians and loabouring for the all - round development of the Church.

In 1861 the community was affiliated to the Order of the Carmelites with the title TOCD (Third Order of the Carmelites Discalced). Brother Jacob Kanianthara, who assisted the founding fathers, made his religious profession in 1865. In 1885, the Congregation got its Pontifical status and for the first time, the constitution was approved by the Holy See, ad experimentum. In 1906 the constitution got final approbation.

On March 2, 1953 the congregation was divided into three Provinces - Devamatha Province, for the northern region of Travancore-Kochi; Sacred Heart Province, for the central region of Travancore - Kochi; and St. Josephïž’s Province for the southern region with Malabar area as its mission territory, called Calicut Region. In 1958 the constitution was revised and got approved by the Holy See. In the same year the name Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) was given to the Congregation. Pontifical exemption status was granted to the Congregation in 1967. After several years of experimentation and study in the light of Vatican II, the new constitution of the Congregation had finalised and it got the final approval of the Holy See in 1984.

The Congregation from its beginning engaged itself in such activities as the Church in Kerala was in need of at the particular times. It started with preaching retreats, conducting seminaries and training of priests; met the challenge of educating the youth and disseminating Christian literature; laboured for the conversion of Non-Christians and for the reunion of separated brethren; undertook works of mercy and started charitable institutions.

In 1962, Fr. Malachias Kannanaikal took over as provincial of Devamatha Province. Coimbatore region was endorsed officially during this period with Fr. Clemens Thottungal as the Regional superior. The members of the new region set out to fulfill the sustained exhortation by Mar Joseph Alappatt, the bishop of Thrissur, i.e., to cater to the pastoral needs of the Syro-Malabar Christians in the region. According to the document, "it has been the earnest wish of His Excellency the bishop of Thrissur that we should start a house here and look after the spiritual welfare of the Syrian Catholics of this locality".

Fr. Joshua Chiramel (1965-68) succeeded Fr. Clemens as the regional superior. Fr. Leontius Kanjirathingal took charge of the Region in 1968. As there were no canonical institutions in the region, the Provincial Synaxis decided that the region must have an administrative council including all the members of the region, in the model of the council of a monastery, to discuss important matters and take decisions thereof. The region was empowered in this regard from 14 September 1969. Fr. Leontius was succeeded by Fr. Primus Alappatt (1970-72).

In 1972, Fr. Eymard Uruvath took over as the regional superior. In February 1972, a Regional Administrative Council was formed with Fr. Eymard (superior), Fr. Malachias Kannanaickal (Finance) and Fr. Benizi Kollannur. On 31 January 1973, the Extra-ordinary Provincial Synaxis elected two more regional councilors: Frs. Zacheaus Edakkalathur and George Ambooken. Thus the regional council was expanded. Fr. Callistus Maliekal was the regional superior from 1975-77. Frs. Oliver Inchody (1977-78) and Joshua Chiramel (1978-79) succeeded him.

Preshitha Vice-Province

It was an ardent desire and a great dream to develop the region in terms of finance and personnel and make it mature enough to erect a vice-province. From 1975 this aspiration and movement became unanimous in its marching towards fulfledged vice-province. It was after Fr. Oliver took over as the regional superior (1977-78) that the idea of vice-province became very active and strong.

On 18 September 1977, the Regional Synaxis at Little Flower Mission Centre unanimously decided to make the petition for the erection of the region into vice-province. The petition was submitted to the Provincial Synaxis on 25 September 1977, which later empowered the provincial Council to complete the formalities and submit the request to the General Synaxis the request. The Provincial Synaxis met on 31 May-1 June 1978 repeated the same resolution. After Fr. Joshua became the superior (11 June 1978), with the help of Fr. Callistus, the efforts in this line were enhanced which resulted in its fruition. Fr. Malachias Kannanaickal who was the mission procurator and regional councillor for finance (1972-78) was very determined regarding the development of the province. Fr. Eymard Uruvath, the regional superior, (1972-75) was actively involved in the process of the formation of the province. But it was the untiring and continuous role played by Frs. Callistus and Joshua that raised the region to the status of a vice-province. While the process for the erection of the vice-province was going on, some of the members even who were working in the region even opposed the formation of the vice province pointing out the immature stage of the region both in terms of finance and personnel.

Dismissing every opposition from the members of the region, Fr. Callistus took the challenge of forwarding detailed procedure of forming a Vice Province. He personally met the members of the province from aspirants to priests and persuaded them to collaborate in the formation and initial growth of the new mission province. The circular attached with option-list of Fr. Alex Ukken, the Provincial, was sent to the members of the province on 22 May 1978. Only the professed members of the province were allowed to opt officially to the new Vice-Province. According to the Statute No. 169b minimum 40 members including 25 priests were to be opted for forming a vice-province. In March 1979 the list of the opted members of the vice-province was published. According to the document, the total number of the list was 56 professed members including 4 brothers and 17 scholastics. After the erection of the province, on 25 December 1979, 2 scholastics, 7 novices and 4 pre-degree aspirants were added to the list of the members of the province. It was the persistent effort of Fr. Callistus Malieckal that made the members of the province to opt for the new mission-field and to form a community enough to erect a vice province in time. Good Heavenly Father selected him as an efficient instrument of His intimate and providential control over all events which were very pertinent to the formation and initial growth of the vice-province.

The General Synaxis-XXXI resolved to raise the Coimbatore region into a vice-province, in accordance with the petition of Provincial Synaxis of Devamatha province (iv/78) and in the tenour of Statutes No. 168, on 11 March 1979. During the Devamatha Provincial Synaxis when Fr. Alex Ukken was Provincial, Fr. Joshua Chiramel was elected as the first Vice-Provincial on 21 May 1979.The formal inauguration of the Vice Province was held on 25 September 1979 at Little Flower Mission Centre, Saibaba Colony (presently Little Flower Monastery).

The Silver Jubilee of the Little Flower Mission Region and the decennial of the Vice-Province were celebrated on January 1990 at the Little Flower Mission Centre.

Preshitha Province

The Vice-Provincial Synaxis-IX (23 February 2002) unanimously decided to formally initiate the procedures to declare Vice-province as a Province and approved a resolution to this effect. Fr. Raphael Kannanaickal, provincial of Preshitha vice-province, submitted a petition dated 19 March 2002 to the General Synaxis for raising vice-province to the status of a province.

The General Synaxis-XXXV elevated the Vice-province to the status of Province in the tenour of Constitution Art. 203 on 8 April 2002. At Little Flower Monastery on 22 May 2004, the Preshitha Mission celebrated the silver jubilee of its erection as the vice-province. On 3 October 2009 the province celebrated the silver jubilee of its formal entry to Tamil Nadu as its mission field. With enhanced number of personnel, the Province could successfully engage in various ministries such as pastoral ministry, education, social service, frontier ministries, interreligious and ecumenical dialogue, etc. At present, Preshitha Province has 88 priests, 37 scholastics, 18 novices and 38 aspirants. The province has three canonical houses: Little Flower Monastery at Coimbatore, Viswadeepthi Monastery at Pollachi and Bharathamatha Ashram at Palakkad; four houses: Carmel Monastery at Erode, St Joseph’s Bhavan at Pakulam, Lisieux Home at Karimba and St Joseph’s Monastery at Shoranur, five residences and fourteen centres.