CMI is a religious congregation of Catholic priests and brothers, which was founded in Kerala in 1831 by the saintly visionary Blessed father Kuriakose Elias Chavara. From the very inception, the congregation has engaged in innovative programmes of social uplift, setting the road map to prosperity and development. The CMI have taken up educational, social and cultural activities as service to humanity and consequently a vast network of schools all over the country are engaged in this pursuit with unwavering dedication and tenacious responsibility. CMI fathers who are professed celibates (Sanyasins) have dedicated their lives for the cause of the well being of the society as a whole
The BL.CHAVARA VICE-PROVINCE, belonging to the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI), was founded within the boundaries of Rajkot Diocese in 1988. This region is situated in the southern parts of Rajkot Diocese and is spread over 35% of the Diocesan area. It comprises four civil districts of Saurashtra,Gujarat viz. Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, and Porbandar. In all 24 priests and 80 sisters are actively engaged in the apostolates in the BL.Chavara Vice-Province
It is an independent Vice-Province of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate Religious Congregation. It was a dependent Region of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, dependent on the Kottayam Province of CMI congregation till Very Rev. Fr. Prior General raised Chavara Region to the status of a Vice- Province by his decree on 12th, November,2010. It is on the path of development into the status of a Province when personnel and financial stability are established.
Two social service centres and seven schools are working under the direct management of the CMI Bhavnagar Vice-Province.
There are four established parishes and a quasi parish(of Rajkot Diocese) in the area of the Chavara Vice-Province. They are : 1) St. Xavier's Parish, Bhavnagar (1000 faithful), 2) Stella Maris Parish, veraval (600 faithful), 3) St. Anne's Parish, Junagadh (500 faithful), 4) Sacred Heart Parish, Porbandar (100 faithful) and 5) St. Thomas Quasi parish. Altogether there are about 2400 Christians in the area of the ChavaraVice Province. Majority of them are migrant Christians from Kerala, Tamilnadu, Goa, and Mangalore. Besides, there are individual members, and families even though a few in number, at a few other pockets like Palitana, Mangarol, and Sasan, who are working in schools, offices or factories.
