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Curia OCD
Roma (01-02-2009).- The Definitory General organized the establishment of the Discalced Carmelites in this large island in the Indian ocean. It totals 64, 652 sq kms with a population of 17,970,000, of which 69% are buddists, 15% hindus, 8% christian and 7% muslim. Our houses in Mannar, Anuradhapura, Chilaw and Trincomalee-Baticaloa in the northern part of the island, in the Jaffna diocese, are under the jurisdiction of the Tamilnadu province. The foundations in Kurunegala, Kandy, Badulla, Ratnapura and Galle, in the centre and south of the country, in the Colombo diocese, are under the Malabar (India) province. With our priory in Indigolla (1954-1966), in the diocese of Colomba, the Order had a presence until it was supressed due to the fighting between the Tamil Tigers and governmental forces. The present provision for future foundations is in response to an invitation by the bishops for us to lend greater assistance to our cloistered sisters and to forment of native vocations.
The last Sri Lankan carmelite was professed in 1946, ordained priest in 1955 and lived for many years in our Flanders province. Fr. Gabriel Gunasekara died March 14, 2008.
As has often happened in the past our Discalced Carmelite sisters have preceeded us friars to the island. In 1935 the missionary Carmel of Cholet (France), already suppressed, had founded a convent in Colombo. This Carmel in its turn founded Kandy (1950) and Galle (1967). In Sri Lankas three carmels there are about 50 Discalced Carmelite nuns. Since 1978 the Secular Order has been established and meets in our convent in Colombo.
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