Province of Karnataka - Capuchin Franciscans, Province of St. Mary

Province of Karnataka
Fifth Ordinary
Provincial Chapter
12-17 April 2010
INDIA
2010
The Holy Trinity
2 0 1 0 The Holy Trinity Province of Karnataka Fifth Ordinary Provincial Chapter 12‐17 April 2010 INDIA
A Brief History
Initial presence and attempts at the Implantation of the Order- The arrival of the
Capuchins in India dates back to the year 1632 when a band of foreign Capuchin
Missionaries landed in Pondicherry. Their intention was to extend their missionary thrust
to Tibet and Nepal; however it turned out that they continued their missionary ventures in
the Vicariate of Agra and Patna.
After slogging as missionaries for over two centuries, the idea of implanting the Order in
India was considered as a possibility. Hence in 1880 a novitiate house was opened in
Mussoorie. Just ten years later however this novitiate was closed down for want of
vocations.
A second attempt at beginning the Order in India was made on 26 February 1922, at the
instance of the then General Minister of the Order, Br. Joseph Anthony of Persiceto. He
inaugurated the novitiate personally at Sardhana, which could be said as the cradle of the
Capuchin Order in India for many years to come. Two Indian novices were vested on this
occasion in the novitiate named after St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen.
The Superiors Regular of Agra, Ajmer, Allahabad and Lahore were jointly responsible for
the success of this venture. Vocations to the Order came from many dioceses of India but
more from the South than the North. To overcome many of the initial teething troubles in
the area of formation, the novitiate was later placed under the care of the Superior Regular
of Ajmer and to continue the post-novitiate formation, a study house was started at St.
Francis, Mussoorie.
The early Capuchins were then sent to Europe to pursue their further studies with the
French friars at Breust, Tours and Nantes. The first batch of 12 clerics had left India on 22
June 1927, Br. Marie Egide Uhlennuth of Ajmer leading them.
Movement towards South and Rapid growth- The absence of a strong, vibrant and
populous Christian community in North India, as well as the extreme weather conditions of
the place called for a transfer of the novitiate from North to a more favorable location in the
South. The Province of Paris was called upon to undertake this venture. The Capuchins
were offered a little hill at Farangipet, called Monte Mariano, in the diocese of Mangalore
and hence the decision to shift the novitiate was carried out in May 1930. Monte Mariano
therefore can well be called the second cradle of the Capuchins in India.
From then on the growth of the Capuchins was rapid and already in 1932 a study house was
set up in Quilon and most of the students who had not yet finished their studies abroad
were brought back to continue their studies there.
Naming of Br. Guido Le Floch as the General Commissary in 1933 marked the next phase of
the growth of the Order in India. The influx of candidates was unabated and the Order grew
from strength to strength. From 1948 to 1954, Br. Richard Brunner from Calvary Province
of USA was put in charge of the Indian Capuchin Mission. He was made Commissary
Provincial in 1951. But already by 1954 the hands at the helms were changed and Br. Cyril
Andrade became the first Indian to head the unit as Commissary Provincial.
In 1956 the Agra Archdiocese was entrusted to the Order and Br. Dominic Athaide was
consecrated as the first Indian Capuchin Bishop of Agra. In 1957, Br. Cassian Timmins, a
Canadian Missionary from Gorakhpur was appointed to guide the destiny of the
Commissariat and he guided it during the next 6 years. The number of Capuchins by now
had grown from 41 in 1933 to almost two hundred in 1960.
Valerian D’Silva, Claver Anthony D’Souza, Johnson D’Souza, Maxim D’Souza, Alexander Daniel, Denis Fernandes, Edwin Monis & Henry Vas
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The decree to this effect, signed on 9 May 1972, was
promulgated at St. Joseph's Friary, Kotagiri, on 17 May by
Br. Aloysius Ward, along with the names of the new
Provincial Superiors and their Definitory.
Holy Trinity Province, K. G. M.- The new Province of
KGM was carved out of the former Indian Province of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. The three states of Karnataka,
Goa and Maharashtra were indicated as its geographical
territory. Br. Remigius Sequeira was appointed as the first
Provincial Minister of the new province.
The General Minister and his definitory also entrusted the
Agra - Lucknow - Ranchi mission to the new province as a
good number of its friars were working in the mission. On
17th May 1972, the new Provincial Minister and his
definitory assumed charge and on that day the Province of
Karnataka-Goa and Maharashtra officially came into
existence. It had strength of 100 friars. The first Chapter of
the Province held at Monte de Guirim in 1973 decided to
dedicate the Province to the Most Holy Trinity.
The second ordinary Chapter of the province, held in March
1975, re-elected Br. Remigius Sequeira as Provincial
Minister. On the whole, this initial period was directly
concerned with the recognition of the new identity and
establishment of a stable provincial fraternity.
Formation of an Autonomous Indian Province- Clement
of Milwaukee, the General Minister, who had known the growth
of the Capuchin jurisdiction in India already at the time of his
first visit. In 1962 during his second term as General Minister
paid a second visit, expressly for the purpose of constituting the
Indian unit into a full-pledged Capuchin Province. Br. John
Berchmans Puthuparambil was appointed as its first Provincial
Minister and he was re-elected as Provincial Minister at the first
elective Provincial Chapter, in 1966.
Next in 1969 Br. Jacob Acharuparambil was elected as the
Provincial Minister. He was also the last of Provincial Ministers
of the united Indian Province as the jurisdiction had grown too
big and as such stood in great need of a division, if only for the
sake of sheer good administration. Meanwhile in December 1971,
Br. Symphorian Keeprath was nominated Bishop of Jalandhar
Diocese and a whole civil State of Punjab was thus entrusted to
the care of the Capuchins in India.
Division of the Indian Province- Ever since the novitiate was
shifted to Monte Mariano, the Province had seen nothing but
steady and rapid growth, so much so, by the year 1967, just forty
years after migrating to the South, it could count about 500 friars
distributed among 40 houses in the five states of Karnataka, Goa,
Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Besides they were also
working in many other States of northern India as missionaries
and even in some foreign countries like Indonesia, Philippines,
and Tanzania as Formators. Some had reached as far as Malaysia
with a view to implanting the Order.
In these circumstances, the need of creating smaller jurisdictions
for the sake of greater efficiency and a better implantation of the
Order in the various regions in India became not only apparent
but also urgent. The first discussion to this effect took place
during the Provincial Chapter of 1969. The General Minister and
his Definitory, having taken note of the situation sent Br.
Aloysius Ward to conduct an on the spot and a thorough study of
the state of affairs prevailing in the Province during the visitation
from November 1971 to February 1972. It was then followed up
by the then General Minister, Br. Paschal Rywalski, himself. As a
result at the end of March 1972, the General Minister and his
Definitory took the important but necessary decision to divide
the Province into four units, namely Province of St. Joseph,
Kerala, Province of Holy Trinity, Karnataka-Goa-Maharashtra
(KGM), Province of Amala Annai, Tamil Nadu and the Vice
Province of St. Francis, Kerala.
In March 1978, at the third ordinary Chapter, Br. Vincent
Lobo became the Provincial Minister with a fresh team of
Definitors. The fourth ordinary Chapter held in April 1981,
reelected him once again as Provincial Minister. During
second term the major study houses of philosophy and
theology were established at Bangalore and thus the entire
formation program began to function within the province
itself.
Br. Liguory Noronha was elected as the Provincial Minister
in the fifth ordinary Chapter, held in May 1984. He was reelected in the sixth ordinary Chapter held in April 1987 but
was provided with entirely a new team of definitors.
Responding positively to the call given by the General
Minister and his definitory, the province accepted for the
first time a mission abroad and four brothers entered
Uganda in October 1988. The new administration had to
make some immediate provision to separate the two stages
of philosophical and theological formation as the number of
brothers in formation at Bangalore had substantially
increased. Hence the study of theology was shifted to the
newly acquired place at Mysore.
On 28 March 1990 during the seventh ordinary Chapter Br.
Patrick Crasta was elected as Provincial Minister. Heeding
the urgent request, the province accepted to send a few
brothers to assist the Capuchin mission of Papua New
Guinea.
The eight ordinary Chapter elected on the 14 April 1993 Br.
Andrew Anil Sequeira as the Provincial Minister. The
General Chapter of the Order held in June - July 1994 at the
International College, Rome, however retained Br. Andrew
Anil Sequeira back in Rome as the General Definitor and
hence Br. Remigius Sequeira who was the Provincial Vicar
succeeded him by nomination. While the Ugandan mission
saw a further consolidation, the province realized a long
cherished dream of having an independent house for
provincial administration at Rajajinagar, Bangalore.
The ninth ordinary chapter was held from May the 1, 1996
at which Br. Vincent G. Furtado was chosen as the
Provincial Minister. The province took up the mission of
North-East India, comprising the four states of Nagaland,
Manipur, Tripura and Mizoram and also began a
collaborative venture with the Capuchin province of New
York to develop the custody of Japan.
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Provincial History Continues…
Province of Karnataka
Fifth Ordinary
Provincial Chapter
12-17 April 2010
INDIA
2010
The Holy Trinity
Holy Trinity Province of Karnataka- On 8
December 1998 the General Definitory by its
Decree Prot. No. 00999/98 constituted and
declared established the Most Holy Trinity
Province of Karnataka. By the same Decree the
General Definitory appointed Br. Vincent Gabriel
Furtado as the new Provincial Minister. The
inauguration of the new province took place at St.
Fidelis Friary, Farangipet. The first Provincial
Chapter of the new Province was held at Shanthi
Sadhana, FISI, [Bangalore] from May 24-29,
1999. At this Chapter provincial Statutes were
formulated and approved ad experimentum.
The year 2001 saw the celebration of the second
ordinary Chapter of the province. It voted Br.
Andrew Anil Sequeira once again as the provincial
Minister. The very first act of the new team was to
launch the Capuchin presence in Sri Lanka with
the express intention of the implantation of the
Order and that of opening a novitiate house to
form brothers hailing from Pakistan.
The year 2004 saw the celebration of the third ordinary Chapter of the
province and elected Br. Antony Jossy Fernandes as the Provincial
Minister. During this triennium the Province took up ministerial
collaboration with St. Mary's Province, New York and a new mission station
in Manipur State.
The Fourth Provincial Chapter was celebrated at Kripalaya, Mysore from
16- 21, April 2007 during which Br. Vincent Gabriel Furtado was elected
Provincial Minister. The Chapter decided to request the General Definitory
to erect St. Bonaventure Vice Province of Maharashtra as a full-fledged
Province and to raise the mission of North East India to the status of
custody.
The brothers of the Holy Trinity Province of Karnataka gathered Monday, 12
April –Saturday, 17 April 2010 for their Fifth Ordinary Provincial Chapter at the
Darshan Institute of Theology in Bangalore, India.
On Wednesday, 14 April 2010, the brothers elected their new provincial
leadership in the presence of general definitor John Antony, president of the
assembly.
Newly elected included above: Leo Chetan Lobo, 3rd definitor; Peter Cyprian
D’Souza, 2nd definitor; Vincent Gabriel Furtado, provincial minister; Joseph
Dolphy Pais, vicar provincial; and Joe Francis, 4th definitor.
Trinity Central School
Blessed and Inaugurated
Sunday 11 April 2010
Coverage begins on following page
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Sunday, 11 April 2010
In Celebration
Trinity Central School, sponsored by
the Capuchin of the Province of the Holy Trinity of
Karnataka, located at Shivalli, was inaugurated on
Sunday, 11 April 2010.
Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza of Mangalore diocese
celebrated the thanksgiving Holy Mass on Sunday
morning along with Fr. Vincent Gabriel Furtado,
provincial minister of Holy Trinity, Fr. Mathew P Vas,
vicar of Udupi deanery, Fr. John P. McHugh, vicar
provincial of Saint Mary’s Province, New York and New
England USA, Fr. Sweebert D’Silva, principal of Saint
Aloysius College, Mangalore, Fr. Frederick Mascarenhas,
principal of Milagres College, Kallianpur, Fr. Romeo
Lewis, parish priest of Perampally, and Fr. Peter Cyprian
D’Souza, superior of St Anne’s Friary, Mangalore.
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Our Lady of Fatima Church Community—Perampally
Eucharistic Celebration
Bishop D'Souza and other priests were
welcomed by the parishioners of Our Lady
of Fatima Parish, Perampally, India at the
entrance to the church.
During the Eucharistic Celebration Bishop
D'Souza congratulated the Capuchin friars
for their noble task in a establishing the
new facility.
Bishop D’Souza laid emphasis on quality
education which is the greatest milestone
of Christian schools.
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Presentations
Acknowledgements
Provincial minister Vincent Gabriel Furtado presided over the
Inauguration ceremonies and Fr Richard Quadros, principal of
Trinity Central School welcomed the large gathering.
Vincent thanked all those who contributed to the successful
execution of the project. He acknowledged the support of
Perampally parish priest Fr. Romeo Lewis throughout the work.
Our brother John McHugh also had the opportunity to address
the gathered assembly.
In his presentation, taped by India T.V. Daijiworld, John McHugh
expressed his delight in being part of the Inauguration festivities.
Representing John Gallagher and the brothers of the St. Mary
Province, John thanked Bishop D’Souza, Romeo Lewis, Richard
Quadros and most especially Vincent Furtado for their hospitality
and their dedication to the ministry of Catholic education.
John acknowledged the many benefactors who have contributed
their time and resources to the successful realization of this
worthwhile endeavor. In conclusion, John assured the prayerful
support of all the brothers of the Province of Saint Mary.
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Entertainment
Inauguration of the School Facility
Representing the Province of Saint
Mary, John McHugh, inaugurated
the new school.
Fr Sweebert D'Silva, principal of
Saint Aloysius College, Mangalore,
inaugurated the computer facility.
Fr Mathew P. Vas, Udupi deanery
vicar, inaugurated the library.
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