The growth and expansion of the Ursuline Franciscan Congregation gradually opened new horizons for its missionary presence and prepared the way for an important milestone in its history. During the tenure of Mother Ernestine D Almeida, the Congregation extended its apostolic presence to various parts of South, North, and North-East India. This missionary expansion continued under the leadership of Mother Reparata D Souza, as the Sisters responded generously to the needs of the Church and people in distant regions.
The Congregation’s missionary outreach eventually crossed the boundaries of India. In 1986, during the term of office of Mother Severine Barrows, the Sisters took their first steps onto German soil, marking the beginning of their presence in Europe. This development was an important milestone in the Congregation’s journey towards becoming an increasingly international religious family.
Meanwhile, the initial work towards obtaining Pontifical Status for the Congregation had already begun in the early 1980s. Years of preparation, correspondence, study, and careful discernment gradually brought this long-cherished aspiration closer to fulfilment. The process finally bore fruit during the efficient and farsighted administration of Sr Edilburga Monteiro.
In 1995, the Ursuline Franciscan Congregation was elevated to the status of a Religious Institute of Pontifical Right by Late St Pope John Paul II. This recognition was a moment of great joy and gratitude for the entire Congregation and marked a significant milestone in its history. It affirmed the maturity and ecclesial development of the Institute and entrusted it with a broader responsibility in the universal Church.
The attainment of Pontifical Right was not merely a privilege but also a profound responsibility and challenge. On the one hand, it offered the Congregation greater freedom and scope in discerning and carrying forward its growth, governance, and missionary endeavours. On the other hand, it called the Sisters to assume a deeper responsibility for the faithful living of their charism and for responding courageously to the needs of the universal Church.
This new status invited the Congregation to move beyond familiar boundaries and to venture into new and untrodden paths in the service of God’s Kingdom. Rooted in its Ursuline and Franciscan heritage, the Congregation was encouraged to remain open to new missionary possibilities, while preserving the spirit of simplicity, faith, fraternity, and loving service that had characterized its journey from the beginning.
The granting of Pontifical Right in 1995, therefore, became both a celebration of the Congregation’s past and a call to greater responsibility for its future. It strengthened the Sisters in their sense of belonging to the universal Church and encouraged them to continue their mission with renewed faith, courage, and commitment, always seeking to make the love of Christ visible through their lives and service.
