Mother Veronica of the Passion

Mother Veronica of the Passion
Born	Sophie Leeves October 1, 1823(1823-10-01) Constantinople, Ottoman Empire
Died	November 16, 1906(1906-11-16) (aged 83) Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
Occupation	Roman Catholic nun

Mother Veronica of the Passion (October 1, 1823 - November 16, 1906), originally Sophie Leeves, founded the Apostolic Carmel, a religious congregation for women.

Her father was the Anglican chaplain to the British Embassy at Constantinople, where she was born in 1823. She converted to Roman Catholicism on February 2, 1850 in Malta. She went to France and joined the Congregation of St. Joseph of the Apparition in 1851. On September 14, 1851, she took the name Sister Mary Veronica of the Passion.

On receiving an inspiration to start an Apostolic Carmel she went to India in 1862 and spent two years at Mangalore and Kozhikode. Later, she left for France and joined the Cloistered Carmel of Pau in 1867. She prepared a group of sisters of the Carmelite Third Order Regular as "Carmel for Missions" congregation at Bayonne, France, on July 16, 1868.

Through them she founded the Apostolic Carmel in Mangalore, Karnataka, in 1868. Later she rejoined Carmel of Pau.

Mother Veronica died in 1906, aged 83, and was buried in Pau in 1906. Her order has grown and now has branches in various parts of India, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Pakistan, Kenya, Rome and Bahrain. The Congregation is governed under six Provinces and centrally administered by the General Team from the A.C. Generalate, Bangalore with Sr. Mary Vincent as the present Superior General. Mother Veronica's cause of canonization was taken up by the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel in 1997.^{[citation needed]}

Mother Veronica of the Passion (October 1, 1823 - November 16, 1906), originally Sophie Leeves, founded the Apostolic Carmel, a religious congregation for women. She was born in 1823.Her father was Henry Daniel Leeves an Anglican chaplain to the British Embassy at Constantinople and mother Marina Haultain,the daughter of a Colonel in English army.

^[1] When Sophie was in her teens a change came over her. She spent long hours in prayers. She was like a child crying for the light. Her spirit craved for something that was beyond her reach. She did not know what she wanted. God had his plans for her. "Easter Tuesday ended in a dark night" she writes."I blew out the last candles. The house was still. Suddenly a clear but soft voice broke the stillness and I heard these words distinctly "My peace I leave you; My peace i give you. Then all was still again, the night as well as my heart". She felt drawn to the Catholic Church specially the sacraments of confession and communion. Mrs.Leeves and others were annoyed at this. But Sophie knew God was leading her to unknown paths. She broke off the engagement, she had made with a young and handsome naval officer. She converted to Roman Catholicism on February 2, 1850 in Malta. She went to France and joined the Congregation of St. Joseph of the Apparition in 1851. On September 14, 1851, she took the name Sister Mary Veronica of the Passion.

On receiving an inspiration to start an Apostolic Carmel she went to India in 1862.The Bishop of S.Kanara Msgr.Michael Antony O.C.D had appealed to France for assistance to hand over the education of youth to religious and as a preliminary step had bought a house at Calicut in 1860 and fitted it up for a convent and at the request of the people opened a school there on the 1st April 1862, calling it St.Joseph's. Mother Veronica and Sr.Mary Joseph after a long and tiring voyage and a brief halt at Mangalore arrived at Calicut on April 27th 1862, and took charge of St.Joseph's Convent.She served as the first superior of the convent. She spent two years at Mangalore and Kozhikode. Later, she left for France and joined the Cloistered Carmel of Pau on July 2nd 1867. She prepared a group of sisters of the Carmelite Third Order Regular as "Carmel for Missions" congregation at Bayonne, France, on July 16, 1868.Through them she founded the Apostolic Carmel in Mangalore, Karnataka, in 1868. On October 11th 1873 the little carmel at Bayonne was closed down and Mother Veronica went back to Carmel of Pau.

Mother Veronica died on November 16th 1906, aged 83, and was buried in Pau in 1906. Her order has grown and now has branches in various parts of India, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Pakistan, Kenya, Rome and Bahrain. The Congregation is governed under six Provinces and centrally administered by the General Team from the A.C. Generalate, Bangalore with Sr. Mary Vincent as the present Superior General. Mother Veronica's cause of canonization was taken up by the Sisters of the Apostolic Carmel in 1997.

References

1. ^ St.Joseph's Anglo Indian schhol Calendar. Kozhikode: Prameela press. pp. 5,6,7. 

Links

• http://www.apostolic-carmel.org/history.htm
• http://www.apostolic-carmel.org/founders.htm
• http://providenceghss.com/mother.htm
• http://holyangelsschoolcbse.org/objectives.htm
• http://www.stjosephsangloindianschool.org/history.htm