Diocese: Mysore

Pioneers : Sisters Apoline Goveas, Servella Rodrigues and Cecilia D’Souza

The Christu Raj Convent at Hanur was one more added to several others established in 1970s. It was also the last in the series of thirty-one convents established during the tenure of Sr Ernestine D’Almeida (1968-1971) as Superior General. As in the case of convents established during this epoch, Hanur too had its share of affliction. Unmitigated poverty, rampant caste system and its consequences, as well as ethnic conflicts had been common elements of the region. In order to confront these crucial challenges Fr Henry Monteiro, parish priest of Kamagere, with the recommendation of Bishop Mathias Fernandes of Mysore Diocese, invited the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters to Hanur. Kamagere is situated ten kilometres away from Hanur. Perpetual Succour Convent established in 1961 at PG Palayam in Kollegal, lying 27 kilometres away from Hanur is the immediate Ursuline Franciscan neighbouring house to Hanur.

Hanur had been a substation of Kamagere at the arrival of the Sisters at the place. A steady growth in the number of Catholic population, namely 150 over the years due mainly to the evangelizing mission of the Sisters, led to the elevation of the substation into Our Lady of Velankani parish church in 1989. The Sisters render pastoral service in the parish as well as in two substations of the parish, i.e., Chikkamalapura and Gundapura situated at a distance of eight kilometres from Christu Raj. Pastoral activities of the Sisters are similar to those of their Sisters elsewhere like catechizing, liturgy, and preparing children for reception of the sacraments. They visit families, pray with them, and reach out to them as and when necessary.

Ever since 1979, the education ministry of the Sisters has made amazing progress at Hanur. The Lower Primary Christu Raj School started in 1980, after the arrival of the Sisters has reached to the level of class XII. The Chirstu Raj English Medium School started in June 1981 has achieved the height of Class XII as well. The Sisters teach in both the schools. On June 6, 2008, the Christu Raj Convent started a pre-primary section in a separate block constructed for the purpose. The Angela Play Home caters to 25 tiny tots of the locality.

The town of Hanur has developed significantly. It was constituted into a town Panchayat in 2002 and declared the head office of the Kollegal taluk in 2003. The town is the wealthiest in the district of Chamrajnagar. Business settlers in the town have repainted the face of Hanur as an affluent city. This reality stresses two factors. The first is that the progress of Hanur is limited to its township; the second is that the basis of progress to a large extent is the quality education along with accompaniment at all levels offered by the Sisters to their pupils and the people of the village. It ought to be noted that the surrounding villages of Hanur continue to reel under poverty and wretchedness. The Sisters need to brave a number of obstacles in assisting the people living in rural areas to realize their dignity as the children of God, for “obstacles are those frightful things one sees when one takes one’s eyes off the goal”– Henry Ford.