We had a very modest beginning with the motto ‘Service to God through service to man and nature’. The Congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) is the first of the existing Religious Congregations founded under the Indian Church. It was established in Mannanam, Kerala, on 11th May 1831.

Chavara Cultural Centre, Kochi is Supervised by the CMI Congregation of Priests who manage over 1200 educational institutions, including medical colleges, engineering colleges, management schools, nursing schools, B.Ed colleges, and professional colleges all over India, Prestigious colleges like Christ College Bangalore, S.H.College Thevara Kochi, Rajagiri Institutions Kalamasserry, St. Josephs College Devagiri, Kozhikode and institutions like Amala Cancer Research Centre, Thrissur are a few examples of CMI managed social institutions, non-formal education centres and cultural centres numbering over 500.

Chavara Family Welfare Centre (CFWC) is a division of the Chavara Cultural Centre Cochin, which is managed by the CMI priests. CFWC is formed with an objective to promote healthy and peaceful families in our community. This was the vision of Blessed Cyriac Elias Chavara, the founder of the CMI congregation. The CFWC is named after him. It has been functioning well in this field since 1996.