Informazione:
www.stpauls.in
Storia:
Brief History of Society of St
Paul
India-Nigeria Province
The first two Paulines, Fr
Domenico Ambrosio and Fr Guido Paganini arrived in
Bombay by the Italian liner Victoria on April 10, 1935. But they
could not stay long in Bombay as the Archdiocese was not open to
religious other than the Jesuits.
After several attempts to get
admitted into a diocese, they were allowed to stay in Delhi till
they are admitted into another diocese. Here they maintained
themselves by their hard work with a treadle machine. In
December 1936 Fr Paganini left for Japan. He was replaced with
Fr Vico Anselm who after a few months became sick and
returned to Italy.
On
August 2, 1937, Fr Alfonso Ferrero arrived in Bombay and
rushed to Delhi to meet Fr Ambrosio before he left for South
America. He found a new house in Court Road in the Civil Lines.
There was a garage which soon became our mini-press with a
treadle machine and a few sets of types. In October, 1937, two
more paulines arrived – Fr Gabriel Colasanto and Br
Bernardino Ruffoli.
In March 1938, Fr Alfonso Ferrero
visited several Bishops with the hope of finding a place to
settle down. Finally, Mons. Angelo Poli, the Bishop of
Allahabad, was willing to accept us on the recommendation of
Mons. De Vito, the then Rector of St Joseph’s Seminary,
Allahabad. Bishop Poli offered us the Mission at Fidelispur, now
known as Ranipur. However, Fr Ferrero was not impressed with the
offer. On 13th October in 1938, Archbishop Mullighan officially
admitted them into the diocese of Delhi.
Soon a difficulty arose: Italy
sided with Germany in the second world war and the British
authorities in Delhi began to grow suspicious of Italian
Missionaries. Finally, they accepted the offer of Bishop Poli
and moved to Allahabad on 21st June, 1939, and settled down at
Fidelispur. Soon they recruited the first batch of aspirants
from India.
In October 1939 Germany declared
war on England and later Italy joined Germany. On 14th June
1940, Fr Alfonso Ferrero, being an Italian citizen, was arrested
and brought to Agra, and later to Ahamednagar. Br Bernardino
lost contact with the aspirants who were in holidays. He could
not remain alone at Fidelispur. He became secretary to the
Bishop and stayed at the Bishop’s house. Soon, the Bishop too
was arrested along with Br Bernardino.
As the war got over in 1945,
Bishop Poli and Br Bernardino were freed. Fr Ferrero was
retained in the camp along with fifty other Missionaries for
another year.
When they returned after the war,
there was nothing left at Fidelispur. The house was occupied by
refugees from Burma. All our belongings, including the
mini-press, had disappeared.
In the winter of 1948-49 Fr
Colasanto returned after his treatment. In the beginning of 1948
Br Pio Rizzo came, followed by Fr Bellanzon. They
recruited a few aspirants, and thus once again we revived the
regular Pauline life. In 1949 our founder, Blessed Giacomo
Alberione (Primo Maestro) made his first visit to India. On 19
April, 1950 another member was added, Fr Ettore Diamantini.
In 1948 Mons. Valerian Gracias
was elected Archbishop of Bombay and he invited Paulines to
Bombay, requesting them to take over the Examiner Press Bookshop.
On 11th November, 1951, two more
members arrived – Frs Maurus Ferrero to Bombay and
Antonio Rossi to Allahabad. Fr Attilio Tempra came in
February 1952 and was stationed in Bombay.
In 1953 Fr Diamantini came
to Bombay to look after the formation of the aspirants. Around
Christmas Br Pio also came to Bombay to manage the Bookshop
which he did till he left for Ireland in 1981.
In 1955 Primo Maestro came on a
second visit to India and his last visit was in 1963.
On 20 October, 1959, the first
Indian Pauline Brothers (Timothy Tirkey, Angelo Pullokaran
and Thomas Cornelio) made their perpetual profession and
on 01 July, 1962 the first Indian Pauline priests (Albert
Rego and Paul Vechoor) were ordained.
On 30 June, 1965, Society of St
Paul, India, became a Province and Fr Alfonso Ferrero was
appointed the first Provincial.
Eventually, Society of St Paul
was spread to different parts of the country:
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New Delhi:
In 1964 Fr Tempra and Br Angelo
Pullokaran went to New Delhi.
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Bangalore (Karnataka):
In 1968, Fr Gabriel Colasanto and
Br Basil Chennamkulath were sent to pioneer the community of
Bangalore.
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Madras (Tamil Nadu):
In 1972 Fr Paul Maruthanakuzhy
and Br Carmel Kizhakel sowed the seed of the community of
Madras.
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Ernakulam (Kerala):
In 1976 Br Carmel Kizhakel and Fr
Abraham Nedumpuram pioneered the community of Ernakulam.
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Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu):
The community of Coimbatore was inaugurated on 20th August 1982,
with Fr Paul Maruthanakuzhy and Br Pancratius Tirkey as pioneers.
This community was closed down in 1992.
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Calicut (Kerala):
On 30 September, 1984, Fr
Augustine and Br Leo Kocheelath were sent to open the community.
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Eluru (Andhra Pradesh):
In December 1984, Fr Jose
Pottayil pioneered the community of Eluru, which was later
closed down on 9 June, 2001.
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Pune (Maharastra):
On 26 November, 1988, Fr Vincent
Gnarakatt, Fr Vincent Carmelbhavan pioneered the community of
Pune.
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Jorhat (Assam):
On 5 September, 1991 Br Jesudass
and Fr Joe Narivelil were sent to Jorhat.
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Ibadan (Nigeria):
On 6 October, 1991, Fr Renato
Perino sent Br Basil Chennamkulam and Fr Leo Botavara III to
Ibadan to initiate a new opening in Nigeria. The community was
formally opened on 26 November, 1991.
By a Decree dated 21 December 1995, Superior General Fr Silvio
Pignotti instructed that Nigeria be part of the Indian Province
with effect from 1 July 1996.
An extension to this community was inaugurated at
Enugu, on 3
November, 2007.
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Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh):
On 1 July, 1992, Fr Emmanuel
became the pioneer of Vijayawada.
-
Ranchi (Jharkhand):
On 26 September, 2004, the house
or Ranchi was blessed. Br Leo and Br Dungdung were the pioneers.
-
Guwahati (Assam):
On 22 October, 2006, the
community of Guwahati was erected. Fr Vincent Carmelbhavan
pioneered the project.
-
Jalandhar (Punjab):
The community was formally
erected by the decree of 25 January, 2008.
Today the Indian Province of the
Society of St Paul consists of 153 members in 14 communities and
overseas. We spread the message of Christ to the 103 crores of
God’s people spread in 33 states of the Indian subcontinent and
12 crores of Nigeria through:
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16 Book-Centres
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3 Mobile Book-Centres
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5 Whole-Sale Distribution Centres
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Book-fairs and Book Exhibitions
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An Outstanding Publishing House
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8 Regional Language Publications
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2 Modern Presses
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5 Periodicals
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Mini-Media Products
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Audio-Visual Products
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2 Parishes
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Members of Society of St Paul, India, also serve overseas in 7
countries (Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Italy, Nigeria
and
USA).
“The history of the
Society of St Paul in India is a history of hardships and
difficulties. But it is also a history of innumerable blessings
of God, who in spite of our many errors and evident limitations
has been very generous and merciful towards us. To Him be our
thanks, in all humility. In him we trust for the future”
(Fr Alfonso Ferrero).
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