History of India Central Province
Our Lady Queen of the Missions, the Provincial House
Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of West Bengal. It is located in Eastern part of India on the banks of River Hooghly. The metropolitan city has a population over 18 millon people drawn from every cultural group of India. It is noted for its revolutionary history, ranging from the Indian struggle for independence to the Leftist and Trade Union Movements. This vibrant city with its distinct socio-political culture is considered to be the cultural capital of India, a “City of Joy”.
India’s struggle for freedom is a well-known story and to understand the history of the Indian Province it is worth looking at the political history of the country. The RNDM presence began in an undivided India, in Calcutta, in 1946, when the country was gradually becoming drawn into a battle for independence. Massacres took place and killings were frequent, yet freedom was the buzz word of the people of the time. The pioneering RNDM sisters became not just witnesses, but also part of the struggle for freedom.
In 1883, Euphraise laid the foundation in Chittagong which eventually grew into a province which became part of India and Burma. Independence further divided India into three different countries; Pakistan, Burma and India. In 1962, long after independence, a war broke out between India and China, with the Himalayan border in contention. The Chinese Invasion of North East India led to a period of violence and unrest, which encouraged the return of some European sisters to their home provinces. This atmosphere of continued political tension and unrest contributed largely to the establishment of the RNDM Indian province. It became necessary for the RNDM Superior General Mother Mary St.Dominic Savio to make a crucial decision for the Indian RNDM community. Three new separate RNDM regions were therefore created in 1962; East Pakistan, India, and Burma. This new structure allowed manageable country-level RNDM governance in the three regions, yet retained one province with its head quarters in St.Scholastica’s Convent Chittagong, East Pakistan. Mother Mary Desmond, the Provincial at this time made arrangements to set up three regions for improved communication and administration.
Sister Mary Philomena Mahon was appointed as the first regional Superior of the RNDM Indian region in 1964 with the regional house at St. Joseph’s Convent Shillong, in North East India. The political situation in India remained difficult and uncertain, and in 1966 the Government denied the renewal of residence visas for the Indian Sisters working and living in East Pakistan, compelling them to leave the country.
The conclusion of Vatican II generated new change for the worldwide church, including the missionary congregations. A special RNDM General Chapter was therefore convened in 1969 to renew and re-order religious life, honoring the mandate of the church. During this Chapter, an additional decision was made for the three RNDM regions to become autonomous provinces. Sr. Mary Languida Dassier was appointed as the first Provincial of the RNDM Indian Province with St. Joseph’s Convent, Shillong, North East India, as its Provincial house.
During this time, following the war with China in 1962, and the rise of insurgency in North East India in particular, national security sensitivity dramatically increased. Indian immigration and residence policies therefore denied entry for foreign national access to this part of India without special permits from the Central Government of India, regardless of possession of a visa to the country. At this time, the RNDM province continued to progress, new foundations in other parts of India. A new RNDM Chapter held in 1972, proposed to move the provincialate from St.Josephs’s convent, Shillong, to Our Lady Queen of the Missions Convent, Park Circus, Kolkata. The proposal was carried out in the same year by Sister Mary Henrietta Kunnanka, Provincial, and her team. Our Lady Queen of the Missions continued to be the Provincialate until June 2009.
The development of Indian Province from North to South India continued from the 1970’s to the 1990’s with the establishment of several new RNDM communities. This generated a need for a further structural change and reorganization in the 1990’s, with a view to fostering further growth. Following a period of discernment and a series of assemblies which included the entire province, a renewed structure of the province into three new Indian Vice- Provinces took place in January, 1995. Sr. Smitha Thomas Thuppalangiyil became the first Vice Provincial for the Central Indian Province for a five year term of office (without repeat), but formation and finance held in common. In the year 2000, Sr. Deepthi Mathew Malickal was appointed as the provincial for another unrepeatable five years. During the course of her administration, the Vice Province was recognized as an autonomous province. On 1st January 2005, Sr. Anita Moolan was appointed as the provincial for a period of three years. The General Chapter which followed in 2008 elected her as a member to the CLT and then Sr. Smitha Thomas Thuppalangiyil was appointed as the Provincial in 2008.
[Top] [Page 2 »]
