St. Teresa’s Convent, the cradle of CSST Institute, facing the beautiful backwaters of Ernakulam and the magnificent harbor of Cochin has had a humble beginning. The convent was established in 1887 as a branch of the Tertiary Carmelite Congregation known as the Third order of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Teresa. Since its origin was diocesan, its history needs to be understood in the context of the history of the church in Kerala and of the erection of the Archdiocese of Verapoly whose prelate invited Sr. Teresa of St. Rose of Lima to start a convent in Ernakulam.

A young Indian Lady, Miss Grace D’Lima, was the providential instrument in founding this Congregation in the Church. Grace D’Lima came to Alleppey at the request of Fr. Alphonsus OCD to establish a school in his parish. While there Grace was impressed by the exemplary and self- sacrificing life of the Carmelite fathers. The zeal with which they worked for the spread of the Kingdom of God found an echo in her heart. She felt that she could work more