St-Joseph's-province

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Institution Profile

St Joseph's Carmel Monastery
Punnapra
ESTD: 1958

About

In the 1950s, some of the young fathers of the Congregation: Fr.Gilbert Palakunnel, Fr. Florian Gnarackala, Fr. Mello Chakkalackal (Thrissur) etc. felt a special need to put up a strong fight against communism among the fishermen groups of Alappuzha. In connection with their programme Fr. Gilbert started also a technical institute at Alapuzha. The most interesting thing in the situation is that most of the communist leaders of the area became good friends of Fr. Gilbert. Incidentally by the good will of Mr. K. C. Chacko Kadankavil, then director of industries in the State, and of Mar Mathew Kavukatt, the then archbishop of Changanacherry, the CMI Congregation was invited to start a polytechnic college at Punnapra. Kavukatt encouraged the province to accept the invitation and himself generously donated for the project ten acres of land (the present site) belonging to the diocese to the CMI Congregation to establish the college. The local people, friends of Fr. Gilbert too encouraged him. The services Frs. Shabor and Ananias rendered to this endeavour need to be gratefully recorded here. The college began in 1958 with three trades: civil, mechanic and electrical with Government aid. Later three other trades were introduced under the self-financing scheme: computer, electronics and automobile.