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History of the Province
History of India Central Province
A New Provincial House The continued growth of the Central province and in particular, the development of the RNDM presence in Kolkata, brought great pressure to look for new space for ministry and service. The Provincialate and a sizeable community of sisters continued to live at Our Lady Queen of the Missions at Park Circus, operating a fully fledged secondary school and a homeopathy dispensary. Despite an acute poverty of space, everyone survived and the all ministries were carried out with utmost dedication for 63 years. A search for a suitable piece of land to build a new provincialate resulted in an old building, not so far from Park Circus. At the end of 2008, the RNDM Central Province was blessed with “Amala Villa”, at 19 E Darga Road, the residence of Mr & Mrs Anthony, friends of the RNDM community. The price was reasonable though it needed repair and renovation. The sisters were happy to purchase it as the need was intense. After the refurbishment of the building, it now looks like a convent. The new Provincial House for the RNDM Central Province of India was blessed on 30th May 2009 on the eve of the two feasts of the congregation, Pentecost and Visitation. His Grace Archbishop Lucas Sirkar, the Archbishop of Kolkata, in the presence of Rev. S.Lobo, the Bishop of Baruipur, many priests, provincials, sisters and other friends, blessed the new provincialate. At long last a dream came true! The Convent of Our Lady Queen of the Missions (1946) The convent of Our Lady Queen of the Missions was established on 1st July 1946, when the struggle for Indian freedom from British rule was at its peak. The Kolkata of 1946 saw much violence and riots particularly the “Great Kolkata Killings”, which took eight to ten thousand lives in four days. It was in this environment of tension and political upheaval, that Archbishop F. Perier invited the sisters to Kolkata with a definite mission to care for the people of this city. The invitation was gladly accepted by Mother Mary Denis L’A, Superior General and Mother Dionysius Wills, Provincial. The 1st of July 1946 saw three brave hearted women, Sr. M Languida Dassier (Indian) Sr Mary St. Bonaventure Keith (Irish) and Sr Mary St. Amelia Aung Kiji ( Burmese) were sent from Bangladesh to begin this foundation. They found a temporary home (still in existence) at 14 Congress Exhibition Road, Kolkata. The parish priest, Fr. Kawen was delighted with the arrival of sisters to the parish and fascinatingly, he christened the new convent as ‘Our Lady Queen of the Missions’ to match the newly established parish ‘Christ the King’. The sisters settled down with the hospitality and kindness of the parish priest, the Loreto Sisters, the Little Sisters of the Poor, and the past pupils from Dacca, Akyab, who were settled in Calcutta . Imbued by the zeal of Euphrasie, the sisters opened a school for the girls of the Anglo-Indian Community on 1st August 1946. At the outset, they had just five students, but they took on other ministries including teaching catechism in the parish, visiting families and caring for the victims of the riots. Before long, more students began to enroll and the need for bigger space became urgent, in order to set up the school. The search was rewarded when they came upon a small piece of land with a two story mansion, consisting of 14 large marbled rooms. The building was owned by a Mrs. De, a Hindu woman who during the Hindu-Muslim riot decided she wished to leave the city. The price was high; however the property was purchased with the support of the Bishop, Monsignor Terrandy and financial aid from our Sisters in Akyab & Decca. The sisters saw that it would meet the increased needs of the school, and an appropriate dwelling for the sisters. Political turmoil continued to escalate in India at this time, resulting the creation of two countries i.e. Pakistan and India. The new property at Park Circus truly reflected the poverty of the sisters, yet there was a rare pride in educating what became thousands of students with Christian values, while preparing them for Cambridge Examination, London. Additional to the ministries undertaken by the community, the Queen of the Missions house welcomed RNDM travelers from Bangladesh, Shillong and other congregations like Salesians and Spanish Sisters on route to North Eastern part of India. By 1947, six more sisters joined the community. So the sisters opened the Little Flower Homeopathy dispensary in response to local needs. Also art and sewing classes for the poor. The school flourished with many Catholics girls from all cultural groups, and the education of these girls became the top priority of the sisters. However, Mother Marie Aime Hofostetter who joined the community in 1952, took charge of the Dispensary and played an active part in social service. God blessed her with many laurels and recognitions from the government and ordinary people for her outstanding service to the poor of Kolkata. In 1968, the community further extended its dedicated mission of education when they opened Free Hindi afternoon school for the underprivileged girls of this vicinity. Space was the greatest poverty of this community and yet in 1973 it gladly welcomed the transfer of the Provincialate from St.Joseph’s convent Shillong, for a variety of reasons. The convent and the school community developed a strong reputation for good education in Kolkata, serving the middle class and the poor of the city with education as its main concern. The alumni of the school now run the dispensary with the help of doctors who were once students of the school. The RNDMs are not as actively involved in the Parish Ministry today as we were earlier, but we have always been generous in meeting Parish requests and need for service and support. The RNDM community in Kolkata is blessed with many good friends and well wishers with their advice and support. [Back] |
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