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HISTORY OF FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF SAINT ALOYSIUS GONZAGA (FSAG) GENERALATE, PONDICHERRY

 “Every Moment is a Fresh beginning”

The First home for the Abandoned Children was established by Fr. Michael Ansaldo in the Central Street of Pondicherry. Due to the insufficiency of rooms for the inmates a House was rented on the way to Chennai, which is at present the street on which Petit Seminar Higher Secondary School is situated, and the inmates were shifted there. This House was located at the end of the Needarajapa Iyer Street and Fr. Michael Ansaldo bought the same House for 375 Pakodas. He bought it at his own expense and also maintained the same with his own effort, of course not without much difficulty.

We have already referred to the fact that the Convent that was started in the Central Street was shifted to Needarajapa Iyer Street. In due course of time even this House was not spacious enough. Since the Convent was located at the periphery of the city, the parents hesitated to send their Children to long distance. Besides, the place was insufficient both for the Sisters and the girls. Since the number of the children gradually increased, there arose a situation to start a School for the girls.

Fr. Lehodey, writes in his diary that he constantly prayed to God and Our Lady that he be able to find the suitable place. “By the Grace of God, The Government gave us a big building that was on the street that leads to the street where the white lived at the center of the city.” At present it is at the same place the Mother House is located on St. Ange Street.

The Building that was given to the Convent was damaged very much and it required repair works. They had to spend Rs. 400 to repair the House and to move into it. But water entered into most of the room due to the heavy rain that poured beyond control in 1853. In order to protect the further damage by rain water, they filled the floor with clay and small stones. The height of the building was also increased.   Those expenses for the repair work were met by the Foreign Mission Society. The people who lived in Puducherry and particularly Mr. Periyanayagam called the Cambron and Mr. Bartholomew Saveriakutty generously contributed to the repairing works of the House. With their help the alter and the other comic were set right. After having completed the necessary repair work in the House, on 1 March 1653, the women and the abandoned Children went live in that House.

When Mother Jean D’Arc was the Superior General, due to her tireless efforts the Street between the Generalate and Infant Jesus Convent was donated to the Congregation by Mr. Gubert who was the Mayor of the city of Puducherry.    

When the Mother Denis Mary was the Superior General of the Congregation, it was requirement demanded by the Government of India, that our Congregation should be registered under societies act, and it was done in 1973. The account of the communities was audited. The new way of maintaining the accounts were introduced. It was decided that 20% of the income from each community was to be given to the Generalate for the General Administration of the Congregation.

FIRST SUPERIORS GENERAL

  “Shoot for the Moon even if you miss, You will land among the Stars”

The Historical situations necessitated that Mother Clarammal, the first Superior General of the Congregation of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, was elected in the presence of Fr. Faure and Sr. Marie De Saint Joseph. This election was done duly according to the laws of the Church, on 19 March 1905 by the members of our Congregation. It is this event that paved the way for the present Electoral method that is being practiced till today.

SUPERIORS GENERAL

Mother Annammal

Place : Puducherry Date of Birth : 1816 First Vows : 1849 Final Vows : 1850 Tenure of Office : 1847 – 1851

Mother Arokiammal

Place : Puducherry Date of birth : 1802 First Vows : 1849 Final Vows : 1850 Tenure of Office : 1851 – 1850

Mother Susaiammal

Place : Puducherry Date of birth : 1800 First Vows : 1849 Final Vows : 1850 Tenure of Office : 1857 – 1859

Mother Rosammal

Place : Puducherry Date of birth : 1835 First Vows : 22.01.1858 Final Vows : 22.01.1860 Tenure of Office : 1860 – 1863

Mother Anna Maria

Place : Visagapattinam Date of birth : 1835 First Vows : 26.07.1859 Final Vows : 26.01.1864 Tenure of Office : 1864 - 1867

Mother Agnesammal

Place : Arani Date of birth : 1838 First Vows : 21.11.1859 Final Vows : 30.11.1861 Tenure of Office : 1868 – 1887

Mother Vijayagula Mariammal

Place : Puducherry Date of birth : 1841 First Vows : 21.6.1865 Final Vows : 23.10.1866 Tenure of Office : 1888 – 1898

Mother Kanikai Marriammal

Place : Marakkanam Date of birth : 1853 First Vows : 25.10.1875 Final Vows : 14.10.1877 Tenure of Office : 1899 – 1902 , 1912 – 1916, 1920 – 1922

Mother Clarammal

Place : Dharmapuri Date of birth : 1842 First Vows : 15.11.1858 Tenure of Office : 1903 – 1907

Mother Brigithammal

Place : Puducherry Date of birth : 1854 First Vows : 12.10.1873 Final Vows : 17.10.1875 Tenure of Office : 1908 – 1911

Mother Maria Susaiammal

Place : Dindigal Date of birth : 1844 First Vows : 21.06.1869 Final Vows : 13.10.1872 Tenure of Office : 1917 – 1919

Mother Arulananda Mariammal

Place : Puducherry Date of birth : 05.02.1874 First Vows : 04.09.1895 Final Vows : 16.11.1903 Tenure of Office : 1923 - 1925

Mother Emilie Marriammal

Place : Chennai Date of birth : 06.08.1873 First Vows : 31.08.1893 Final Vows : 04.09.1895 Tenure of Office : 1926 – 1928

Mother Beartrice Maria

Place : Uppalam, Puducherry Date of birth : 23.06.1884 First Vows : 23.06.1909 Final Vows :19.06.1910 Tenure of Office :1929 – 1931

Mother Camilie Maria

Place : Oulgaret, Puducherry Date of Birth : 22.11.1888 First Vows : 20.06.1907 Final Vows : 18.06.1908 Tenure of Office : 1932 – 1937 , 1944 – 1947

Mother Berchmans marie

Place : Kumakonam Date of Birth : 13.08.1894 First Vows : 03.02.1914 Final Vows : 04.02.1915 Tenure of Office : 1938 – 1943, 1948 – 1953, 1954 – 1958

Mother Jeanne De Arc

Place : Oulgaret, Puducherry Date of Birth :14.06.1904 First Vows : 26.01.1926 Final Vows : 09.02.1929 Tenure of Office :1959 – 1954

Mother Denis Mary

Place : Bangalore Date of Birth : 24.11.1912 First Vows : 15.02.1936 Final Vows : 09.02.1940 Tenure of Office : 1965 – 1970, 1971 – 1976

Mother Barbara Mary

Place : Kodaikanal Date of Birth : 13.09.1926 First Vows : 05.01.1951 Final Vows : 05.01.1954 Tenure of Office : 1977 – 1982

Mother Nambikai Mary

Place : Kolar Date of Birth : 23.03.1925 First Vows :26.01.1943 Final Vows :05.01.1947

Mother L.C Mariammal

Place : Ukkiriammankottai Date of Birth : 08.12.1951 First Vows : 28.05.1922 Final Vows : 24.05.1928 Tenure of Office :1995 – 2000

Mother C.Maria Noel Rani

Place : Thenkarikottai Date of Birth : 10.10.1956 First Vows : 23.05.1977 Final Vows : 20.05.1983 Tenure of Office : 2001 – 2006 , 2007 – 2012

Mother Mary Stella

Place : Mugaiyur Date of Birth : 21.05.1954 First Vows : 22.05.1979 Final Vows : 07.05.1985 Tenure of Office : 2013 - 2018

Mother G.Rajamani

Place : Michelpatti Date of Birth : 5.10.1959 First Vows : 18.05.1981 Final Vows : 20.05.1987 Tenure of Office : 2019 - 2024

FIRST COMMUNITY

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”

                                                                                          – Mother Teresa

  • Oulgaret is the first Community of our Congregation.

DEVELOPMENT WORK

  • When Mother Denis Mary was the Superior General, the new Novitiate building was opened in Tindivanam on 4 October 1976.
  • When Mother Noel Rani was the Superior General, she renovated the Chapel at the Novitiate and built the Grotto of Our Lady.
  • A home was built with the required facilities at Edaiyarpalayam known as Sugantham, to take care of the Aged and the Ailing Sisters.
  • For the development of young women, a College of Education was constructed at Chetpet in the Diocese of Vellore in 2005.
  • A Convent for the Sisters at Pagalpatty was constructed and was inaugurated on 19 April 2009.
  •  In the same year, Gonzaga Arts and Science College was constructed at Kathanpallam in the District of Krishnagiri for the upliftment of the Higher Education of the Young  Women.

PRESENT COMMUNITIES

At present our sisters render their valuable service altogether in 37 places in  19  Dioceses.

COMMUNITIES  UNDER  THE  GENERALATE

  1. Generalate            – Puducherry
  2. Blumen house      – Museum, Puducherry
  3. Tindivanam          – Novitiate
  4. Edaiyarpalaiyam  – Sugantham
  5. Edaiyarpalaiyam  – Geriatric Home
  6. Edaiyarpalaiyam  – Gonzaga Animation Centre
  7. Kathampallam     – Gonzaga Convent
  8. Kathampallam     – Maghizham Hostel
  9. Pagalpatti             – Joseph Convent
  10. Pagalpatti             – Aloysius  Convent
  11. Chetpet                 – Ansaldo Convent
  12. Pattinapakkam    – Fathima Convent
  13. Vakkampatti        – Vazhvagam      

ST. ALOYSIUS GONZAGA REGION – NORTH  INDIA

  1. Ahmedpur   – West Bengal
  2. Basauni       –  Patna
  3. Bhopal         – Madhya Pradesh
  4. Delhi            – Jhajjar, Haryana
  5. Dudhi          – Uttar Pradesh
  6. Dumka        – Jharkhand
  7. Dungarpur – Rajasthan
  8. Kazhipur    – Allahabad
  9. Kiraoli        – Agra
  10. Kodhur      – Allhabad
  11. Kurji Holy Family Hospital   – Patna
  12. Mehsana    – Gujarath
  13. Pahadia      – Gujarath
  14. Linch          – Gujarath
  15. Nanisngloti – Gujarath

COMMUNITIES IN EUROPE

  1. Germering             –  Germany
  2. Soll’n                      –  Germany
  3. Prien                      –  Bauernberger, Germany
  4. Prien                      –  Ernsdorfer, Germany
  5. Dillenburg            –  Germany
  6. Wuerzburg           –  Germany
  7. Benediktbeuern  –  Germany
  8. Erfurt                    – Germany
  9. Borchen                – Germany
  10. Wien                     – Austria
  11. Roma                    – Italy
  12. Padova                 – Italy
  13. Mantova              – Italy
  14. Castronovo         – Italy
  15. Messina               – Italy
  16. Israel                    – Emmaus, Jerusalem

AT THE TIME OF ERECTION OF THE GENERALATE

“My Mission in Life is not merely to Survive, but to Thrive and to do. so with Some Passion, Some Compassion , Some humour and Some Style.”

                                                                                                                                                                                       – Maya Angelou.

Administration

The General Administration decentralized its administrative power by establishing many Commissions each of which will coordinate both at the General and the Province levels. The Councillors took charge of the ministries of Formation, Education, Evangelization and Social Action.

THE GENERALATE COMMUNITY SISTERS RENDER THEIR SERVICE IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS. 

  • Ongoing Formation
  • Assistance in the Cathedral Church
  • Singing / Choir
  • Participating at the Small Basic Christian Communities (Anbiyam)
  • Hospitality to the Aged and Ailing Sisters

FSAG GENERALATE, PONDICHERRY AT PRESENT

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Address

Call: 8098530506

FSAG Generalate,

N0.6 St.Ange Street, Puducherry – 605001

Communities

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