Part II. EFFORTS TOWARDS THE EXPANSION
OF THE ORDER (1988-2009)

After 15 years of untiring efforts towards the evangeliza- tion and establishment of the parishes and Christian communities, the missionaries started thinking about the expansion of the Order in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Hence they began to encourage the local vocations.
Thus the Andhra Pradesh provincial delegation was raised into a Regional Vicariate on 25th March 1988. If the mission opts for the expansion of the Order, religious will have to dedicate themselves to the vocation promotion and formation. But the situation was contrary. Each priest had a vast area for pastoral care.
Hence the mission had to make a decision. In order to spare religious for the expansion of the Order (vocation promotion and formation), in 1989 they have handed over 3 parishes: Wyra, Budithampadu and Vemsur and again in 1991, the parish of Illandu, and in 1996, the parish of Sulanagar, and in 2009 the parish of Aswapuram to the Khammam Diocese, in 1982 the parishes of Thiruvur and Khammampadu to the diocese of Vijayawada. In 2009 the parish of Jupadu Banglow to Kurnool diocese. This is only for the greater good of the Order namely the expansion

CARMELITE ORDER

The second step in the expansion of the Order is the estab- lishment of the formation houses. The regional Vicariate under planned the following formation houses for the future:

  • Aspirancy - At Kanuru, in the Diocese of Vijayawada
  • Postulancy - At Choutuppal, in the Diocese of Nalgonda
  • Novitiate - At Tenali, in the Diocese of Guntur
  • Philosophate & Theologate- At Janampeta, in the Diocese of Eluru.

Besides, for the expansion of the Mission, they have also initiated other new foundations:

  • at Penduruthi, in the Diocese of Visakhapatnam,
  • at Ranasthalam, in the Diocese of Srikakulam
  • at Kurnool, in the Diocese of Kurnool.

In 1988 the diocese of KHAMMAM was bifurcated from the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Warangal diocese by the Papal Bull “ad perpetuam rei memoriam” dated January 22, 1988 and was pub- lished on Feb 11th 1988. Rt. Rev. Rajappa was appointed as the first bishop of Khammam. The words of Most Rev. Marampudi Joji, the second bishop of Khammam will reflect on how the local church considered the missionary efforts of the Carmelites in the diocese of Khammam: “The Carmelite Missionaries have been ef- fective workers in Andhra Pradesh Region for about the past two decades. In fact the O.C.D. Fathers are the pioneers of Kothagudem area which is part of our ecclesiastical unit. It is due to their untir- ing labour, concentrated effort, undaunted will and valiant mind that Kothagudem is in a position to boast of institutions like beau- tiful Churches, Presbyteries, OCD Service Society, the schools, sev- eral villages to Catholic faith, and finally, it is because of these the Diocese of Khammam was born”.

Immediately after taking charge of the Diocese in 1992 Bishop M. Joji noticed the shortage of the personnel in the Diocese. As most of the parishes of the Carmelite missionaries were so ex- tensive, one priest could not do justice to the catholic fold. There- fore, even before his consecration, Bishop Joji contacted the Higher Superiors of the missionaries to continue their support, sending more missionaries to the field.

As the Carmelites could not spare more priests, he appealed to several other Congregations and the neigh- boring Dioceses. Thus, some of the new parishes were created bifurcating them from the bigger ones:

Year New Parish Bifurcated from
1992 Enkuru Thallada
1993 Bosco Nagar Thallada
1993 Edugurallapalli Reddipalem
1993 Peddakorukondi Kalluru
1993 Thimmaraopeta Budidampadu
1993 Ashwaraopeta Sathupally
1994 Dammapeta Sathupally
1996 Mittapally Kalluru
Bhadrachalam Reddipalem
Manuguru Aswapuram
E. Bayyaram Aswapuram
MP Banjara Reddipalem
Mulakalapalli Palavancha
VM Banjara Kalluru

In 1971 the Carmelites were entrusted with 3 parishes which later got multiplied into several. In short, from the humble beginning of three Parishes the Lord blessed the Carmelite missionaries to see, in the area entrusted them 1971, a remarkable growth into 19 parishes with over 40,000 Catholics, beautiful parish Churches, over hundred chapels and so many institutions.

In Nov 1996 the mission celebrated its silver Jubilee. By then Carmelites had 7 Parishes in the Diocese of Khammam and 2 parishes in the Diocese of Vijayawada. Kothagudem, Palvoncha and Sathupally in Khammam diocese, Kanuru in the Vijayawada are the Parishes attached to the Monas- teries. Besides, in the other Diocese, Viz., Visakhapatnam, Nalgonda, Guntur, Eluru, Srikakulam and Kurnool, Foundations were initiated.From the early nineties, there were candidates entering into the aspirant house at Vijayawada. After the Aspirancy the candi- dates were sent to the Manjummel province in Kerala for further formation, namely Postulancy, Novitiate and Philosophy. However theology study house at Eluru was begun already in 1997, long be- fore the beginning of other formation programs in Andhra. It was in 2002 January that Fr. Gorantla Johannes was ordained as the first native priest. And from then onwards, there is a constant growth in the number of ordinations every year

Seeing the constant growth in the number of local voca- tions, the rate of their perseverance and a rather big number of students under various stages of formation the Regional Vicariate saw a bright future and prospects for the expansion of the Order in Andhra Pradesh. Consequently responding to the desire of the mem- bers of the regional vicariate, it was constituted into a Commissariate for a period of Six years on 14th Nov, 2005. Very Rev. Fr. Raymond Kodiparambil was the first Commissar and Rev. Fr. Gorantla Johannes succeeded him in May 2008

When Andhra Pradesh was constituted into a Commissariate, it was decided by the definitory and agreed upon by the Manjummel province to continue to give formation to the students of the Commissariate until a certain number of years. The Commissariate was supposed to begin its own Postulancy by 2009 and from then onwards gradually the other formation houses.

However the province expressed its inability to accommo- date the postulants in 2008 as they were big in number. As a result, it was decided in May 2008 Chapter to begin the Postulancy at Tenali for that year at least. Therefore, in July 2008 the formation of Postulancy was begun at St. Joseph’s Vidhya Bhavan Tenali, though the house was meant for Novitiate.

When Andhra Pradesh was constituted into a Commissariate, it was decided by the definitory and agreed upon by the Manjummel province to continue to give formation to the students of the Commissariate until a certain number of years. The Commissariate was supposed to begin its own Postulancy by 2009 and from then onwards gradually the other formation houses.

However the province expressed its inability to accommo- date the postulants in 2008 as they were big in number. As a result, it was decided in May 2008 Chapter to begin the Postulancy at Tenali for that year at least. Therefore, in July 2008 the formation of Postulancy was begun at St. Joseph’s Vidhya Bhavan Tenali, though the house was meant for Novitiate. In an effort to be independent, in the following year i.e. 2009, the Commissariate has decided to begin its own Novitiate at Tenali. Having obtained the necessary canonical permissions St. Joseph’s Vidhya Bhavan was erected as a monastery and also has been recognized by the definitory as the Commissariate’s novitiate house. Hence on 19th March 2009, along with the official declaration of the newly established monastery, (With Fr. Michael as the first superior of the house) eleven of our postulants officially entered into the novitiate with Fr. Jayanand as the first novice master (though it was only meant for two months). Later in June 2009, Fr. Thomas Reddy has been appointed as the Novice Master.

Due to the lack of children at Jesuhrudaya High School at Reddigudem, the boarding at Thallada became vacant. Hence after having canonically erected the Thallada house into “Lourdu Matha Ashram”, (with Fr. Francis Cheriakadavil as its first superior) it has been decided to begin the Postulancy here as there were enough structures. Hence the 12 postulants along with Fr. Jayanand have begun the Postulancy in July 2009.

Though the theology house at Eluru was established in 1997, the house has never seen a good number of students. The regular small number of students did not allow the community to arrange any extra formative programs of its own. Hence the Commissariate council thought of strengthening this house with members and thus strengthen the formation program. After having obtained the consent of the Superior General to combine philosophy and theology students, from June 2009, the 7 philosophy students too begun to attend the Philosophy at Janampeta seminary residing in our Edith Stein Carmel College. Edith Stein Carmel College hence gained a colorful and lively atmosphere with 17 students for the academic year 2009-2010.

In 2008 May, the chapter recommended the council to obtain a suitable place for a separate philosophy study house closer to any philosophy college. Hence we have obtained land at Karunapuram in the diocese of Warangal, thanks to the generosity of the Diocese of Warangal for a future philosophy study house. Thus the Commissariate takes all the necessary steps in order to be self-sufficient in the field of formation as it is blessed abundantly by God with good number of vocations. The number of students that we have in each formation house encourages to go forward without fear. We are reaping the fruits now, of the missionary efforts of our good missionaries.


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