Thanks to its simplicity and zeal in evangelization, the Company spread to a few other parishes in Mangalore. Very soon the members desired to organize themselves as a recognized religious institute in the Church, for they had already begun to live like religious in a few Convents. Thus through the able leadership of Mother Rose Saldanha, the Ursulines placed their cause before the Ordinary of the place, Bishop V.R. Fernandes. He seemed to have hesitated for some years to grant their request. In the mean time, some of the young members joined the other established religious Congregations. Finally, however, the Company received the Canonical Erection on May 13, 1934 and the Mangalore Ursulines came to be recognized as a religious institute of diocesan right with its new name - ’THE CATECHIST SISTERS OF ST URSULA’. At the same time, their newly-drawn constitutions were approved by the Holy See. The very name ’Catechist Sisters of St Ursula’, signifies the priority of faith-formation on the apostolic endeavours of the nascent Congregation.
With the canonical erection, the Congregation opened a novitiate in the Mother House that is St Ursula’s Bolar and Sr Agnes AC from the neighbouring St Ann’s Convent was appointed novice mistress. She trained the Ursuline novices almost for a decade, while Sr Margaret, a young Ursuline, worked as an able assistant to her in the work of formation. Sr Margaret belonged to the first batch of novices who made their profession in June 1935.
