The Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (Latin: Congregatio Fratrum Carmelitarum Beatae Virginis Mariae Immaculatae) abbreviated CMI, formerly also known as the Servants of Mary Immaculate (Malayalam: അമലോത്ഭവ ദാസ സംഘം), is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church,[4] and is the largest such congregation in the Syro-Malabar Church.

The Congregation is involved in pastoral works consisting of teaching at all levels, taking care of aged and sick, apostolate of press, running several mission dioceses both in India and abroad.

Later, Bishop Mourelius Stabilini changed his decision and said, "If both of you priests, who are intelligent and prudent, are going to lead a life of silence and solitude, then who will teach the people?

The permission was granted by Vicar Apostolic Msgr Stabilini to start a religious house for the following purposes: (1) Educating the uneducated, (2) Helping them who desire to enter the Catholic Church, (3) Working for the reunion of the separated brethren, (4) Safeguarding the well being of all, (5) Aiming at the renewal of the Church, and (6) Willing to do all that are seen good for the people of God.

[citation needed] On 8 December 1855, the Mannanam community was recognised canonically with the profession of vows of eleven priests headed by Kuriakose Elias Chavara, the first prior of the congregation.

[citation needed] Kuriakose Elias Chavara governed the Congregation for 16 years as its Superior General under the name "Common Prior".

He set apart the Saturdays for the destitute and other homeless beggars to help them in their material deprivation and to give them spiritual guidance and sacramental assistance.

Since the beginning of the monastery at Mannanam in 1831, practically Porukara was the Superior of the community as most of the time Palackal was at Pallipuram with his seminarians.

During the early years of his studies Chavara lost his parents and his lone brother and he was compelled to return home to preserve his father's family tradition.

It is recorded in the Chronicle that the main personal intention of Chavara in the first Holy Mass was the realization of the establishment of a religious house for priests at the earliest.

[citation needed] He collaborated with Thomas Palackal and Porukara in the establishment of the first indigenous religious house for men at Mannanam in 1831.

[21] He took pains to unify and codify the Syriac Divine Office, liturgical rubrics, calendar in the Malabar Church, etc.

The practical wisdom and common sense with which he introduced reform in the fields of liturgy, priestly training and pastoral ministry certainly provide us with unfailing guidelines even today in similar endeavours.

He also presented well thought out proposal for regaining and maintaining Church's autonomy and identity, which would even facilitate the reunion of the separated brethren".

He initiated spiritual reforms by starting 40 hour adoration, way of the cross, and various Marian devotional practices.

[citation needed] In the midst of diverse and manifold activities, he found time and leisure to write a few books, both in prose and in verse, like Atmanuthapam (The Lamentations of a Repentant Soul-a poem), Marana-Veettil Padunnathinulla Pana (A Poem to Sing in the Bereaved House), Anasthaciayude Rakthasakshyam (The Martyrdom of Anasthacia), Dhyana Sallapangal (Colloquies in Mediation) and Nalagamangal (Historical Notes as Chronicles).

His counsels to the Christian families given in 1868 in the form of the "Testament of a Loving Father" are universally applicable and are relevant to this day even after 150 years.

Sensing the imminent death of the founder members, the community assembled around him in tears at his deathbed on the eve of 2 January 1871.

Since the congregation in the beginning was conceived to be one for the priests only, he had to wait long to be formally admitted to the religious community.

In Bro Jacob, the congregation finds a luminous example of a virgin soul, which always patiently kept the light of faith ever shining with the oil of hope for the emulation and admiration of the future members.

[26] The CMI congregation was involved in the radical renewal of the Church by systematizing liturgy and introducing devotional practices.

The priests who received formation in these seminaries were instrumental in thwarting the threat raised by Roccosian and Melusian Schism.

During the period when Kuriakose Elias Chavara was the Vicar General of the Syro-Malabar Church, he divided the Syrian parishes into zones and members of CMI congregation were entrusted to assist in taking care of the faithful in the parishes especially with regard to pastoral services, functioning of Sunday schools, conducting retreats.

Many letters were written to Rome pleading for bishops from the Syro-Malabar Church and also for freedom in liturgical worship.

The congregation had to pay heavy price for such an act with seven members were expelled for writing letters to Rome.

[citation needed] The Coonan Cross Oath resulted in the division of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

Kuriakose Elias Chavara and members of the CMI congregation were instrumental in bringing the separated Jacobite brethren back to the Catholic fold.

Letters were written by Kuriakose Elias Chavara to Rome in 1896 requesting separate Bishops for Syrians and Latins which would create an ambient atmosphere for the return of the Jacobites.

Together with other members of the CMI Congregation he worked among Jacobites in Kollam, Kottar, Pandalam, Kottarakara, Adoor, Chenganur etc.

Based in the major seminary in Chethipuzha, Fathers Stephan Thayil, Hyacinth Kunnumkal, Gregory Neerakal, Ignatius Puthanpurackal were the leading lights of the 20th century re-union movement.