Diocese: Mysore
Pioneers: Sisters Gemma Pinto and Colette Vas
As has been noted already, most of the houses of the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters in the province of Mysore are based in rural areas. The Sisters have been on the lookout to establish a house in the vicinity of the city of Mysore which would serve as a transit house as well as an administrative base of the Province. However, they had to be satisfied with yet another rural area – Bogadi. Bogadi is a village of Mysore Taluk in Mysore District of Karnataka State. It belongs to Mysore Division. It is located six kms towards west from the district headquarters of Mysore. The land comprising a total six acres and thirty eight guntas was bought by Sr Severine Barrows, Superior of St Joseph’s Convent, Hunsur. The Capuchin Friars of Kripalya were a great help and inspiration in the process of buying the land and taking up apostolic activities. Thanks are due to Capuchin Friars for offering spiritual service to the formees and Sisters.
Maria Niketan, Bogadi is a Convent very dear to every Sister in the Province. Being one of the oldest and spacious houses within the city limits of Mysore it accommodates Sisters who visit Mysore on various occasions. It is the Mother House of the Province where most of the spiritual activities, seminars and celebrations of the Province are held. The main purpose and vision of having this house is to educate the poor, to provide health care to the people as well as to organize the religious formation of the candidates. The canonical erection of the new community was on June 20, 1985. Sisters Gemma Pinto and Collette Vas were the pioneers who resided there in the small farm house which came with the property.
As there were a number of convents established in the Mysore, Chikmagalur and Shimoga Dioceses, there was a great need to have the headquarters for networking their services and for better functioning. The first East Karnataka Regional House was inaugurated on October 20, 1992 and Sr Gertrude D’Sa was the first Regional Superior who was succeeded by Sr Irene D’Souza and Sr Jyothi Fernandes respectively. Subsequently, this house was made Provincial House for better administration. In 2003 the Province administration was shifted to Tilak Nagar, Mysore.
Maria Niketan has secured under her wings various formation programmes of the Province such as candidacy programme (1992-1995) and programme of novices (1995-1997). Sr Juliana Pinto was the first Candidate Directress and Sr Severine Crasta the first Novice Directress. On January 3, 1998 the novitiate programme was shifted to a separate block constructed for the purpose in the same campus. Underdeveloped surroundings of Bogadi have proved themselves a good ground for the formees to do fruitful ministry. Maria Niketan has been a beneficiary of the intercession of the Congregation’s deceased members. Sr Redempta Francis, a Sri Lankan had worked as a committed missionary at Doddagajanur for 32 years. Now she lies buried at Maria Niketan following her death on April 8, 2002. She heads the long list of the Province’s stalwarts who have come or will come to rest at this spot. Sr Collette suffering from cancer, shifted from Kengeri to Maria Niketan breathed her last on March 9, 2003. Sr Rosalia who expired at Jompanahalli on March 28, 2004, Sr Winnifred Pinto suffering from cancer who flew to heaven on June 17, 2004, Sr Frances D’Souza who succumbed to cardiac arrest on December 30, 2004 at her residence in Goa, gone there for vacation, Sr Wenscy D’Souza who passed away on May 19, 2009 at Mission Hospital; Mysore, Sr Jude D’Souza who died on January 15, 2011, Sr Severine Barrows on October 7, 2011, and Sr Raphael Pinto September 7, 2012 have been also buried at Maria Niketan.
On the occasion of the feast of Maria Niketan on December 8, 2001, a grotto was inugurated in honour of our Mother. She seems to be beckoning everyone who comes in to imitate her Son Jesus. A number of events must be recorded in the annals of Maria Niketan: The Kannada medium school started in 1988 was upgraded to high school in 2002. On April 25, 2006 Sisters Fridesville Menezes, Blean Costa, Wenscy D’Souza and on May 20, 2008 Sisters Severine Barrows, Raphael Pinto, Placid Saldanha, Aloysia D’Souza, Jacintha Pinto and Beatrice D’Silva celebrated the golden jubilee of their religious profession. On November 30, 2006 the Chief Minister of Karnataka Mr Kumarswamy paid a visit to Maria Niketan. On September 2, 2009 Maria Niketan Higher Primary School obtained the benefit of government grant-in-aid. The hard work of Sisters Flavia Fernandes and Pushpa D’Souza is worth more than a passing mention in this regard. The documents related to the land of Maria Niketan were obtained on September 4, 2009; the Province is indebted to Sr Olinda and her team for their strenuous efforts. On December 8, 2010 Maria Niketan celebrated its silver jubilee.
Maria Niketan Health Centre was opened in June, 1991. Sr Irene Veigas was appointed person in charge of the Health Centre. Maria Niketan Community Health Centre, which is situated in the rural settings in the most backward area of Mysore District takes care of the patients, especially women and children who come to the Centre with common ailments and also provides gynaecological care. Besides, regular village visits have been carried on to educate the villagers about hygiene, organized health camps and medical check-ups. Now in keeping with the government rules the Health Centre cannot run without a registered Doctor. The Maria Niketan Health Centre has been officially closed in 2012 except RNTCP (Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme).
Until 2000 the Maria Niketan Community belonged to Perpetual Succour Church, Kuvempunagar which is 9 kms from Bogadi. Since the Sisters found it difficult to attend to any parish activities at Kuvempunagar, they started attending Sunday Mass either at Kripalya (Capuchin Friary) or Cloistered Convent. In 2000 a new temporary church building was constructed at Bogadi and dedicated to St Peter the Apostle. This new Church was blessed on February 16, 2009 by Pedro López Quintana, Nuncio of India. With the new Church at Bogadi, the Sisters have been engaged in catechizing, preparing First Communicants and altar servers, attending parish council meetings and activities, maintenance of the church and sacristy, house visits and prayers in the families and visit to the sick.