Carmel Convent School

The Congregation of the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel is an Indian Congregation which took its roots in the year 1870 in its Foundress Mother Veronica a holy and dedicated woman, who was divinely inspired to reach out to many girls of her day.We draw our inspiration from Christ, who willed the total development of every person, as also from our Foundress, Mother Veronica.Carmel Convent School, Chandigarh, founded on July 16, 1959, is one of the institutions conducted by the Apostolic Carmel Sisters.One small seed thrown in the rich soil of India and destined to grow, was the beginning of our Congregation. It was founded in Bayonne, France on July 16th, 1868 by Mother Veronica of the Passion and established in India on November 19th 1870.Sophie Leeves, her former name, born on 1st October 1823, was an English Lady, daughter of Marina Leeves and Rev. Henry Daniel Leeves, a military Chaplain to the British Ambassador, posted in Constantinople.She was well educated and an extremely versatile women. Besides being a writer, she was also an excellent musician. She knew several languages – Latin, French, Italian, German, Greek, in addition to her own mother tongue, English.She had everything but was not truly happy. She was searching for the truth and she found it in the Church. She had deep faith and believed that God would heal the wound she had caused her widowed mother, in His own time and in His own way.She was still searching – a far higher destiny awaited her. She had a call to give herself totally to the service of God. It was the beginning of a dialogue between God and her, that was to become increasingly urgent. She joined the Congregation of the sisters of St. Joseph of Apparition, on 14th September, 1851, in Athens, Greece. As a nun, Sophie received a new name – Sister Veronica of the Passion.