Diocese: Mangalore
Pioneers: Sisters Genevieve Castelino, Esperanace Rego, Bernarda D’Souza, Marie Dulcis Braganza and Assumpta Lobo
Belthangady is a historic place. Its historicity consists in the resistance of Canara Catholics towards the oppressive regime of Tipu Sultan. As his captives on their way to Srirangapatna, they had preferred to give up life rather than their faith: some of them were hurled down to death from the Jamalabad rock fort, their second camp, Bantwal being the first. In 1890, during the Padroado-Propaganda controversy the parishioners (Belthangady then formed a part of Agrar parish) had put up a chapel in Gadai at the foot of the Jamalabad fort. The chapel, as a symbol of their faith, demonstrated powerfully that no threats could douse their faith on the one hand and on the other it represented an unvoiced plea to reclaim the lost glory of Christianity in Canara. Fr Pascal Mascarenhas, parish priest, however, regarded their adventure as ill-advised chiefly because of the constant attacks of malaria in the region; he erected a small church building nearer to the town in the location of the old church building. The old church building had been constructed and dedicated to the Most Holy Redeemer by Fr Piedade S D’Souza in 1908.
Subsequent to the persecution of Christians, there were large scale conversions in and around Belthangady, owing largely to the missionary activities of the Italian missionaries. It was necessary that they were integrated into the community by being formed in the Christian faith. This inevitability brought the Catechist Sisters of St Ursula to Belthangady on June 1, 1945. Their task was defined as catechizing, teaching in the school, and assisting the parish priest in the activities of the parish, especially the sacristy. Fr Rosario Fernandes, parish priest, proved a support to them in all their apostolic endeavours.
Teaching in the school was one of the objectives of their presence at Belthangady. They assumed the responsibility right from the start. Beginning from Sr Bernarda D’Souza, the head teacher, the successive head teachers toiled with singular commitment in the Parish Higher Primary School. They aimed not merely at imparting academics but also the values of the Kingdom. The School recorded incredible progress over the years.
With the realization that a high school was vital in the area, the Sisters started St Therese High School (Kannada medium, for girls only), on June 1, 1965 in the building rented by the church. Sisters Claudia Tauro and Gertrude D’Sa became its torch bearers. Owing to the friction between the parishioners and Sisters, the School had to be shifted to the convent building in 1977. With the assistance of Fr Edwin Pinto, a new building was put up in 1979 in a plot of land donated by the Diocese of Mangalore, close to the church bus stop. As no high schools existed in the vicinity, in order to cater to male students of the locality, the School came to be adapted for co-education in 1983. The School came to be distinguished for academic standard, discipline, and proficiency. It has continued to draw students to date even at a time of rush for education in English medium.
In 2001, the parish started the Holy Redeemer Parish Primary (English medium) School; Sr Benedicta D’Souza and later Sr Luella D’Souza shouldered the responsibility of administering it. In continuation in June 2006, the Ursuline Franciscan Educational Society started an English medium High School in a wing of St Therese Kannada Medium High School building. Initially, the Mangalore Province met the financial needs of the Institution. The School needed a playground, which was provided from the land of the Convent.
In keeping with the times the Sisters started a Pre-University section with Commerce and Arts streams in 2011. The academic institution has been progressing steadily. Its current strength is
143. At this point of time, a caution as well as an aspiration is in place. The caution is that with educational institutes of several levels and under ownership of different groups of people, egocentric specifications of ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ are bound to arise and they in turn are bound to generate detrimental scenes at the campus. Hence an aspiration for all individuals who might be mired in such mess is that, they transcend egoistic boundaries and bear profound witness to Christ.
Alongside the educational ministry, the Sisters carry on their pastoral apostolate joyfully and fruitfully. As catechism and value education form part of the study curricula in the School, they observe it faithfully. During weekends and on Sundays, they render their service in the parish as well as in two substations of the parish, namely, Indubettu and Manjotti. Manjotti has been a challenge to the Sisters since believers in the area have been lately deserting their faith. The Sisters’ activities in the substations as well as in the parish involve catechizing, animating the altar servers and Marian Sodality, undertaking sacristy work, distribution of communion on Sundays, teaching catechism to Tulu-speaking Catholics, visiting families, especially students, the sick and the aged, attending SCC prayer meetings of eighteen out of twenty-one wards. Most of these activities have been performed right from the inception of their existence at Belthangady. The Sisters had assisted pastorally also at Badyar parish for a number of years. This programme ended with the arrival of Bethany Sisters at Badyar in 1986.
Social apostolate also was accorded due importance at Belthangady. The Sisters carried out Mother and Child Health Care programme for several years. Sr Clemence Noronha animated Mahila Mandals; she guided women in literacy, tailoring, and in self-help group activities. One of the noble acts performed by the Sisters was facilitating high school studies of Catholic girl children by establishing a boarding house in the convent campus. The initiative was financially supported by Fr Edwin Pinto and Ms Rosy Golmann, Director of Andheri Hilfe, Germany. Its beneficiaries hailed from remote villages in and around Belthangady. The boarding house that brightened the lives of girl children was closed down in 1985, due to emergence of more high schools in the surrounding areas. Thereafter the candidates of Mangalore Province utilized the building for four years, namely, 1992-1996; currently, the building has been turned over to the student candidates of Mangalore Province.
A portion of the convent building was added in 1976 during the tenure of Sr Reparata D’Souza. Thanks to its space, the building has been used for various programmes of the Province such as Superiors’ Meeting of December 1992, the third Regional Chapter of the Mangalore Region on April 25-27, 1994, retreats for Sisters of the Region, and candidates programme from 1992 to1996 until it was moved to Sirsi. In 2006, a play school was started at St Therese Convent; Sr Maureen D’Souza rendered valuable service at it for five years. As the number of Sisters increased due to various activities in the campus, the oldest part of the Convent was demolished and a new block with self- contained rooms was put up in 2007 during the tenure of Sr Mary D’Souza, as animator of the community.
A few events of Belthangady must be noted: The untimely death of Sr Mary D’Souza on April 24, 2008 due to abdominal cancer. She had been the animator of the community and head teacher of the Parish Higher Primary School. Sr Hyacinth D’Souza celebrated the golden jubilee of her religious profession on May 11, 2007. Fr James D’Souza, parish priest built a grandiose church building, adjacent to the old church building. It was blessed in 2012. The Sisters continue to find joy in the service of God’s people at Belthangady. Their labour in the parish and school has borne fruit. It is visible in and through devout and committed Catholics, through ranks secured by children, through high positions secured in civil society etc. The challenge before the Sisters is that while basking in their past glory, they are not to forget the task lying ahead of them – to continue to be the living witnesses of the love of Christ.
