Three events that mark our history

We, Carmelite Missionaries, present in five continents, celebrate with joy and gratitude to the God of Life the three events that mark the direction of our Congregation:


The Bicentenary of the birth of our Founder, Francisco Palau y Quer.

On 29 December 1811, a man was born in the Church into a humble, simple, fraternal and very Catholic family. A man who, with his indefatigable commitment and evangelizing ardour, would give a new impetus to the missionary Church of all time. (See biographical sketch).


Founding Anniversary: 150 Years in the Church

Following the revelation of the mystery of the Church, Francisco Palau y Quer, received a new momentum to his missionary spirit. He felt that his dedication and service to the Church should continue and expand because there are many men and women who need help. He knew that schools need to know Jesus Christ and that it is his duty to spread the Gospel; therefore, he gathered, formed and organized groups of women and men who felt called to offer their life. In 1860, our Congregation emerged with strength and dynamism in Spain : service to the poor, the sick, the orphans; to education, and all acts of love of neighbour are a priority to him and his daughters. He says so in his letter of 15 December 1863: “Teach those who do not know, visit the sick, help the poor, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, etc. These are the works of love, of charity to our neighbour”.

100 years in America

The missionary expansion of our Congregation was so strong that, seeing the need in America of a lively and effective evangelization and having received constant invitations and requests from this continent, our strong and courageous sisters, despite the inconveniences of the time and the difficulties in transportation and communication, heeded to the voice of Francisco Palau, who repeated again and again to their ears: “Go and proclaim the Gospel”…thus they embarked on the journey crossing the ocean, leaving behind their homeland, their families and everything that held them back so as to bring to those remote places the torch of faith.

As we celebrate the one hundred years of presence in America, the Congregation has decided to celebrate it with an opening of a new foundation, this time, in Guatemala.

Celebrating this anniversary is an invitation to the whole Congregation to recreate our missionary spirit with the spiritual force of love and ecclesial commitment that inspired our Founder.