History of the Corpus Christi Carmelites
“You will be poor and you will be despised” Those were the words of Bishop Brindle to the group of women (Claire Ellerker, Her Mother and one of her sisters, another of her sisters, Sr. Mary Paul joined after) who undertook to help him with the poor and suffering adults, as well as children, in Leicester England on the Feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel – 16th July 1908. They were to become Dominican Tertiaries, training under Fr Vincent McNabb O.P. They took on the name of Corpus Christi Sisters. The mission of the Corpus Christi Sisters was to undertake any work the Bishop asked of them and go anywhere they might be needed.
From England the Corpus Christi Sisters were invited to the USA and later to Trinidad, West Indies in 1919. Little Mother sought to be recognised as a congregation under the Order of Preachers (OP) but this was rejected.
At that time the Carmelites were looking for a group to promote the recently canonized St Therese. Little Mother who was devoted to St Therese accepted the request and on 28thApril 1928 The Corpus Christi Sisters became affiliated to the Carmelites in order to spread devotion to St Therese.
It was in Trinidad the Corpus Christi Carmelite Sisters established their mother house at 30 Belmont Circular Road, Belmont. The Mother House was later moved to Mt St Benedict, St John Road, Tunapuna.
The Corpus Christi Carmelites received Official Papal approval as a Congregation in 1946 with the help of Archbishop Finbar Ryan O.P, The Congregation then became a Pontifical Institute.