The members of Ursuline Franciscan Congregation Mysore Province are very happy to tell the story of the Divine guidance in its amazing growth in the past years. We take pride in marking a red letter day in the annals of Mysore Province. A group of three Sisters pioneered the mission to Kenya under the charismatic leadership of Very Rev. Sr. Jyothi Fernandes the Provincial Superior.
A long awaited dream of the Congregation was realized on 27th January 2006 with the blessing and inauguration of the new Generalate. The Congregation needed a suitable and conducive administrative block. The Foundation Stone was blessed by Fr. Francesco Saverio Bazzoffi, our benefactor from Florence, Italy and laid by Sr Doreen D’Souza, the Superior General of the Congregation on the feast of St. Angela Merici, 27th January 2005. It was God’s providence that enabled the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters to complete the construction within a year and have its blessing and inauguration in 2006 on the feast of St Angela Merici, our Patroness. The inauguration was done by Fr. Francesco Saverio Bazzoffi, and the new building was blessed by Most Rev. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangalore.
The same day was also celebrated as the Golden Jubilee of the Franciscan Affiliation of the Congregation to the Order of the Friars Minor, Capuchins, 50 years have passed since this event and the Congregation has grown in size and vigour over these years. Hence it was a celebration of thanksgiving to the Lord, for the bounteous graces the Ursuline Franciscans have received from him. In the solemn Eucharistic celebration officiated by the Bishop of Mangalore and over 30 priests, the Sisters gave expression to their jubilation and gratitude. The Eucharistic celebration was followed by a felicitation programme during which the Bishop, Fr. Francesco Saverio Bazzoffi and his team, Fr Jossy Fernandes, Provincial Minister of Karnataka Province of Capuchins, Fr. Francis Serrao S J, the delegate and the consulter of Provincial of Karnataka Province of Jesuits, Fr. Remegius Sequeira, OFM Cap the Spiritual Director of the Congregation, Fr. Victor Machado, Rector of St. Joseph’s Seminary Mangalore, Fr. Victor D’Souza, Parish Priest of Panir, Mangalore Diocese were honoured and gifted with a memento. Another unique moment of the celebration was honouring the three Ex-Superiors General of the Congregation Mother Ernestine, Mother Severine and Sr. Edilburga who during their tenure of office had steered the Congregation in the spirit of St. Francis and St. Angela Merici. To mark the occasion of the Golden Jubilee, a dance drama ‘Kusumanajali’ was staged depicting the scene of the context of the Franciscan Affiliation. The new Generalate is God’s gift of love to the Congregation made through our benefactor and friend Fr. Francesco Saverio Bazzoffi. Through it the Superior General and her councilors will be facilitating the administration and the animation of their Sisters. On this occasion the Ursuline Franciscans pray for greater dedication and zeal towards the mission entrusted to them by virtue of their call to live the charism of St. Francis and St. Angela Merici in the Church. |
