Feast of Venerable Mary Veronica Of The Passion at Carmel Cote-Khanpur- Ahmedabad

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On 04-12-2014 the feast of Venerable Mary Veronica Of The Passion was celebrated at Mount Carmel - Carmel Cote -Khanpur- Ahmedabad. The cultural program and a skit on the life of Venerable Mary Veronica Of Passion was put up by the students of the Mount Carmel Primary School. the presence of Rt. Rev. Bishop Thomas Macwan - Ahmedabad Diocese made the program vibrant. Sr. Meeta A.C. helps us to understand the life of Venerable Mary Veronica Of Passion in the above given documentary.

Please click on the below given red link for more beautiful photos

Feast Photos

My sincere thanks to our Bishop Thomas Macwan for his presence this evening and for his encouragement in all our works. I also owe my sincere thanks to all our staff members particularly to miss Rochelle, Daina, Treasa, Oreen, Sonia,Sonica, Mr. Cedric, Seena Paul, Sr.Laveena, Sr. Silvia, Leena & Manisha who were actively involved in putting up this play. I cannot, but thank Mr. Irashad Shaikh ‘The Star Decorators’ who has been very generous in not only in beautifying the stage, providing chairs but also sponsoring the snacks. May God be gracious to him. Last but not the least my deep gratitude to Mr. Vijay for coming all the way from Anand to cover the event ‘The grain of wheat’ for BBN network channel. Hats off to all our students who took pain to learn and perform well.

We pray God’s Blessing on all those who helped us in any way. May our foundress Mother Veronica receives the honors of alter.

- Sr. Meeta A.C.

Know more about Venerable Mary Veronica Of The Passion

British convert and foundress declared Venerable

By Ann Marie Foley - 10 July, 2014

Mother Mary Veronica of the Passion founded the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel, a Discalced Carmelite Third Order for women based in India.

A British convert to Catholicism, who founded a religious order in the 19th century, has just been declared Venerable by the Church.

On Tuesday, Pope Francis authorised the promulgation of a decree concerning the Servant of God, Mary Veronica of the Passion (who was known as Sophie Leeves prior to her profession as a religious Sister).

She established the ‘Apostolic Carmel’, a Congregation of Sisters in India in 1870.

In a private audience with the Pope, Cardinal Angelo Amato SDB, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, put forward the name of Mary Veronica and six others who have lived lives of ‘heroic virtue’.

That means, not that they were without sin but that they tried their best to improve themselves spiritually and to grow in holiness. They will all be declared ‘Venerable’.

The next step on the road to sainthood is the approval of one miracle after which Mary Veronica could be beatified. If a second miracle were approved, it would open the way for her canonisation.

Mary Veronica began life as Sophie Leeves in 1823 in Istanbul. She was the daughter of Marina Leeves and Rev Henry Daniel Leeves, a military Chaplain to the British Ambassador.

She was well educated and had skills in writing and music. However, as a teenager she became very prayerful. She felt drawn to the Catholic Church, especially the sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion.

Her mother and others were not pleased, especially when she broke off her engagement to young and handsome naval officer.

She was received into the Catholic Church in February 1850 in Malta where her father was stationed.

The following year, she went to France where she entered the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition, and became a professed as a member in 1851 and received the name Sr Mary Veronica of the Passion.

Having worked in several schools in Europe, she was sent to Calicut, India in 1862.

She showed a special love for the less fortunate. She wanted both the rich and the poor to enjoy all the ‘goods of the land’ – God’s gift for his people. She learnt the local language Malayalam.

In 1867, she returned to France to start what became the Apostolic Carmel. She trained three sisters and sent them to India. Shortly after their arrival, the Sisters opened St Ann’s School for Girls.

In 1873, Mother Veronica herself returned to the cloistered monastery, the Carmel of Pau, from there she prayed for her Apostolic Carmel in India for decades until she died in 1906 at the age of 83.

Mother Veronica’s cause of canonisation was taken up by the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel in 1997.

Pope Francis also authorised the promulgation of decrees concerning the following causes:

- Servant of God Antonio Ferreira Vicoso, Portuguese Bishop of Mariana (1787-1875).
- Servant of God Saturnino Lopez Novoa, Spanish diocesan priest, co-founder of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly (1830-1905).
- Servant of God Joseph-Auguste Arribat, French professed priest of the Salesians of Don Bosco (1879-1963).
- Servant of God Elena da Persico, Italian lay foundress of the Secular Institute of the Daughters of the Queen of the Apostles (1869-1948).
- Servant of God Gaetana of the Blessed Sacrament (nee Carlotta Fontana), Italian superior general of the Poor Daughters of St. Cajetan (1870-1935).
- Servant of God Marcello Candia, Italian layperson (1916-1983).
Servant of God Mary Veronica of the Passion (nee Sophie Leeves), British professed nun of the Order of the Descalced Carmelites, foundress of the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel.