THE JOURNEY OF THE CALABRIAN FAMILY IN INDIA
The Origins
The first missionaries of the Congregation worked for two years at Secunderabad in St Mary’s School, from 1934 till 1936. Then they were called back to Italy because of some inner problems of the young Congregation.
But the Congregation considered the mission in India a challenge still open. And the Providence gave the Poor Servants the possibility to return to India in 1994.
The occasion came from an Indian priest, Fr Abraham, who in 1986 went to Italy for health reasons. He knew the Congregation of Fr Calabria and was a guest for some months in a Calabrian community in the compound of the Hospital of the Congregation at Negrar (Verona). There he felt the call to join the Congregation of the Poor Servants. He went back to India, and after some years of preparation he got the permission from his Bishop John Baptist Thakur of the Diocese of Muzaffarpur (Bihar) to realize his new vocation. In 1990 Fr Abraham came to Italy to start the journey towards the religious life and he made the religious profession as Poor Servant in 1993.
After a visit to India with the Superior General Fr Peter Cunegatti, he had the task to open a small Calabrian community in India at Nagpur. On 23 July 1994 there was a day of Eucharistic Adoration in the mother house of Verona and on 24th July Fr Abraham left for India and reached Nagpur in the evening on the same day.
The indications were in line with the Calabrian life style:
-To live in prayer and simplicity,
-To be a symbolic presence of the spirit of the Congregation,
-To start a small activity with poor boys as the Providence would indicate,
-To be attentive to the signs of the Divine Providence,
-To be acculturated in order to witness God’s Paternity in the Indian context.
After the contact with the Bishop Mgr Leobard D’Souza (Bishop Bhai) and an agreement with the Diocese, Fr Abraham went to the Philippines to help that community for some months. He came back to Nagpur in October 1994, and was accommodated in the Bishop’s House. On 1 November, the name for the new Commemity was chosen ISH KRIPA SADAN”.
On 11 November, a new student came to join the community. Mathew John (later, Fr Mathew) who was sent to the Red Building to stay over there and join the diocesan minor seminary team, while another student was studying philosophy in St Churles Seminary
On 11th January 1995 Fr Abraham reached Mathew John into the Red Building, and the Calabrian Community started living there, with the hope to have a new house soon to develop the plan of the Congregation, according to the indications of the Divine Providence.
At the beginning of the new academic year, May-June 1995, some students of theology, philosophy and minor seminary came to join the Community of the Poor Servants; also three girls, candidates for the Sisters, were in contact. The academic year started on 6 June with 16 students.
During the academic year 1995-1996 the new house was built. Bishop Bai blessed the first foundation pillar of the B-block of Ish Kripa Sadan on 30 June 1995. With infinite gratitude to the Divine Providence, the new house was inaugurated on 26 November 1996. Besides being a Formation House of Minor and Major Seminary and the study of Theology, also with a simple service to the aged diocesan Priests, the Ish Kripa Sadan was for many years the Mother House of the Congregation of the Poor Servants of Divine Providence in India.
The Development
Nagpur
The first house of the Poor Servants in India was Ish Kripa Sadan.
On 19th November 1996 the first Community of Poor Servants, Sisters, began their mission in India, living for a while in a small house in the compound of Ish Kripa Sadan.
In 1999 the Sisters went to Shanti Niketan, where the candidates could continue their formation and studies.
Thana
In 1996 a new community of the Poor Servants, Brothers, was opened in the village of Thana (40 km from Nagpur), The first activity was to attend to the School for children of the village and nearby. Later, various other activities were developed: the Novitiate (1997), the Hostel for boys and girls (2000), the Medical Centre (2001), the House for the Aged people and the Parish. Today all these activities continue and the School is evolving from Hindi Medium to English Medium to offer a better service to the students.
In 1997, the Sisters moved to Thana, in the house of St. Theresa of Child Jesus, fit for their pastoral, social and vocational activity. Fetri
To give continuity to the Thana activity and to meet the needs of many poor families in Nagpur, a new Calabrian Home was opened in Fetri (2006) for boys and girls of 8-10 standards and Higher Secondary School.
Fetri
The Calabrian Home of Fetri is managed by a Board of Directors under the responsibility of the Poor Servants both Brothers and Sisters.
In Fetri the Poor Servants, Sisters, have also the Mother House of the Indian Territory, with a formation activity of “come and see”.
Mananthavady
In 2000 a Minor Seminary was opened in Mananthavady. Wayanad District (Kerala), in order to divide the various steps of formation, carried out entirely so far at the Ish Kripa Sadan, and to qualify better this important activity. Later, also the Novitiate from Thana was transferred to Mananthavady (2004). In 2005 a small Calabrian Home was opened for children with some difficulties.
On 1 July 2012 the Congregation assumed the Parish of Blessed Elias Chavara Church at Edayoorkunnu, Kartikulam.
Bangalore
In 2005 a new Community of Major Seminarians began their study of Theology in Bangalore.
Also after one year, in 2006, with some initial difficulties, a Hostel for children, was opened. And recently (2010) the Providence offered a very good and big house for the future development of these activities.
In 2010 also the Poor Servants, Sisters, started a formation activity for candidates to religious life.
Later in the year 2017 the formation house for philosophers was converted to a school in bangalure while the formation for the theologians continued for a while. With the grace of the divine providence of God the school flourished and in 2022 a new school building was constructed to extend the school on the request of the people in that locality.
Guwahati-Jagiroad
In December 2010, by the grace of God, a new community was opened at Jagiroad (Assam) with the task to start a small work among the poor and to know better the North Indian Region in order to establish there in the future a Calabrian Mission with various services for that Region.
Andhra Pradesh
On 21 July 2012 the Congregation resumed its ministry initiated by our venerable Fr Calabria in the year 1934 as we have already seen. At present we have the Sacred Heart Parish at Bhaskararaopeta in the Diocese of Vijayawada.
The journey of the Ishkripa delegation unfolds across the diverse landscapes of India, carrying with it a mission of spiritual nourishment and compassionate service. From the bustling streets of Maharashtra to the tranquil communities of Kerala, and from the vibrant towns of Telangana to the serene corners of Assam, the delegation’s pastoral ministry knows no bounds.
In Maharashtra, nestled within the Nagpur Diocese, the Thana Parish became the initial bastion of their service. As they traversed further, the echoes of their mission resonated in Telangana, where the Secunderabad Parish welcomed their presence with open arms.
Venturing southward, Kerala became a sacred ground for their endeavors. In the verdant hills of Mananthavady, the Edoyurkunnu Parish bore witness to their dedication. Meanwhile, in the northeastern reaches of Assam, the Hahim Parish stood as a beacon of hope amidst the challenges.
Yet, their journey did not end there. In Kerala once more, within the folds of the Thalassery Diocese, the Ishkripa delegation embraced the responsibility of the Arabi Parish. Here, amidst the coconut palms and serene backwaters, their mission found renewed vigor.
With unwavering dedication, their ministry extends beyond the spiritual realm, reaching out to meet the physical needs of the faithful. Their aim is not merely to tend to souls but to embody God’s providential care for all living beings on this earth.
As they tread the path laid before them, the Ishkripa delegation remains steadfast in their commitment to serve, guided by the light of divine love and compassion, enriching lives and nurturing spirits along the way.