Congregation of the Mission in India is celebrating the Centenary of the arrival of the first four Spanish Vincentians missionaries on Indian soil (10th January 1922-10th January 2022). At the request MSFS Fathers working in the then Visakh (Visakhapatnam) Diocese, Congregation for the Propagation of Faith erected “Cuttack Mission” comprising the Southern districts of the state of Orissa and requested the Vincentians to take it up. At the request of the Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission, in June 1921 the Provincial Superior of the Madrid Province very Rev. Fr. Atienza CM, and his council agreed to accept the new and challenging Indian Mission. Accordingly four Vincentian Priests of Madrid Province, namely, Fr. Jose Maria Fernandez CM, Fr. Ramon Ferrer, CM, Fr. Valerian Guemes, CM and Fr. Manuel Coello. CM, travelled to India and reached Berhampur (Orissa) on 10^th January 1922 and assumed the charge of the mission after a period of cultural integration.

Fifty-five Spanish Vincentians missionaries ministered in the Cuttack Mission with great zeal and dedication. From 1960 onwards Indian Vincentian missionaries joined hand with the pioneering Spanish Vincentian missionaries. Initially Vincentians concentrated their evangelization work among ‘Dalits’ the economically and socially underprivileged groups of the society. Later, they expanded their missionary activities among the tribal of Orissa often travelling on foot for miles to reach their habitation in the interior forests. The Vincentian Missionaries worked for the integral developments of these people through their education (establishing schools & providing hostel facilities) and social (social developmental projects and self-empowerment programs) ministries.  The gradual and steady growth of Indian Vincentian Mission is the evident testimony of God’s abundant blessings on Vincentian Mission and Missionary activities started by the Madrid Province.

On 22^nd April 2021, Southern Indian Province inaugurated the centenary celebration with a solemn Eucharistic celebration at the Priests’ Home Mysore, presided over by Rt. Rev. Bp. William, Bishop of Mysore. Around thirty confreres concelebrated the solemn Eucharist, our seminarians and Daughters of Charity from Mysore participated in the Eucharist. After the Eucharistic celebration a short cultural gathering was organised to mark 100 years of Vincentian legacy in India, to recommit ourselves to our mission and charism and to felicitate the confreres going to Mission ad Gentes and International Missions in the centenary year.

Therefore, this celebration is intended to foster three aspects Vincentian Presence in India, namely to appreciate the Vincentian legacy began by the confreres from the Madrid Province with a deep sense of gratitude, to inflame our hearts with a contagious passion for the mission and to inspire every Vincentian to embrace their Vincentian Missionary Vocation with a great sense of hope, especially their call to go on ‘Mission ad Gentes’.

With deep sense of humility, acknowledging God’s wonders in our midst, we raise our hearts in gratitude to Almighty God for the manifold blessings and God’s graciousness in making the Vincentians the channels of God’s Good News and blessing to people of India. With great reverence and gratitude we remember fifty five Spanish Vincentian Missionaries, forty Indian Vincentians, many diocesan clergy, Daughters of Charities, consecrated persons from several communities, lay catechists and benefactors who collaborated with Vincentian Missions and have been called to their eternal reward. May the Lord reward them and we seek their prayers. The reassessing of Vincentian legacy and history can become truly meaningful, when it makes positive ripples in the hearts of Vincentian missionaries of today.

We believe, the centenary celebration will revitalize our passion in following Christ the evangelizer of the poor, after the example St. Vincent and deeply appreciate the universality of our missionary vocation as envisaged by St. Vincent: “How happy, oh! how happy is the state of a missionary whose missions and labours for Jesus Christ know no other bounds than the entire world in which men live. Why then should we restrict ourselves to one place and set limits, when God has given us such an expanse in which to exercise our zeal?”.

The pioneering Spanish Vincentian missionaries landed on Indian soil generously offering the ‘Good News’ and ‘hope’ to many people especially the poor. In November 1997, the fascinating history of the undivided Indian Province of the Congregation of the Mission ended with the division of the Indian Province into Southern and Northern provinces. Southern Indian province always took care to keep alive its missionary vitality and spirit by expanding its mission and sending missionaries to different places. In 2002 it assumed the independent responsibility of Tanzania Mission and erected it as a region of the province in 2015. In 2020 three young confreres joined the Tanzanian mission, raising the number of Indian confreres working in Tanzania to nine. The Southern Indian Province continues to strengthen the Tanzanian mission with personal and resources. As we celebrate the centenary of the arrival Spanish Vincentian Missionaries to India and as we are at the threshold of silver jubilee year of Southern Indian Province, we raise our hearts in gratitude to God for the manifold blessings and God’s graciousness in making the Vincentians the channels of God’s blessing to many.

The celebration of the landmark event of Vincentian history goes a long way to inflame the hearts of every Vincentians for Mission ad Gentes’ through personal voluntaries and prayers to become dispenser of hope. Foreign Mission especially Mission ad Gentes was very close to the heart of St. Vincent de Paul. Resonating the heart beats of St. Vincent and the pioneering Vincentians missionaries from Spain, seven of our confreres offered themselves for Mission ad Gentes and foreign mission in this centenary year. Fr. George Kannamkulam, Fr. Fredy Michaelpilla, Fr. Makesh Shaik and Fr. Sojan John to Malawi Mission and Fr. Thomas Enchakal (Ukraine), Fr. Suresh Praban (Angola) and Fr. Sujesh Das (Taiwan). Let their dedicated missionary endures may bring glory to God and to His name.

We hope that the one year of Centenary celebrations may enable us to “revitalise our Vincentian Missionary identity” and live it according to the mind of St. Vincent de Paul. At the beginning of the celebration, Fr. Joy Thuruthel introduced the triple theme of the celebration and welcomed everyone. Fr. Anil Thomas Karackavayalil, the visitor, delivered the message and felicitated the missionaries. Bishop K. A. William extended his blessings and presented the missionaries with the Mission Cross. Brothers from De Paul Seminary, Belwadi presented cultural programs. A short video depicting the Vincentian presence and mission was prepared for the occasion by Fr. Rajeev Peter and Fr. Shijoy Thykkalaparambil. Fr. Baiju Chittooparamban, the Assistant Visitor, proposed the vote of thanks to everyone, especially to the confreres and brothers who organised the celebrations in a meaningful manner following the Covid-19 protocol.

Fr. Anil Thomas Karackavayalil CM
Visitor, Southern Indian Province