BY FR SALVADOR FERNANDES, MSFS
PANJIM: “Our ministry demands that we offer ourselves to the people, to the society, like St Francis de Sales, totally disinterested, full of compassion ” told Fr Mermier to his MSFS confreres. The MSFS are today in 26 countries of the world most of whom are in India and few in Goa at Bastora, Aldona, Siolim, Fatorpa and Valpoi.
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The mortal relics of Fr Peter Marie Mermier, the founder of the MSFS and of Saint Francis de Sales, the patron of the MSFS are lying today in the Basilica of the Visitation at Annecy, France.
It was the work of Fr Pierre Marie Mermier (1790-1862) a zealous priest of the Diocese of Annecy, in France, who founded the Congregation of the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales (MSFS) in 1838, aftermath the French revolution, to bring about the renewal of Christian life by preaching parish missions, to evangelize people and to educate the youth.
At that time, the congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in the Vatican, entrusted the Vicariate of Visakhapatnam to the MSFS on 2 May 1848. Though they were very few at the beginning in 1838, still like the ‘medecins sans frontieres’ 4 MSFS Fathers Jacques Martin, Joseph Lavorel, Jean Marie Tissot, Jean Thevenet and 2 brothers Pierre carton, and Sulpice Fontanel landed in Pondicherry on 8 September 1845 and moved to Visakhapatnam on 19 February 1846. The flow of hundreds of French MSFS missionaries to India continued till the end of the 20th century, Fr Francois Moget of the Pune Province was one of the last French missionary in India who died in 2005 at Ucheaon in Belgaum. From the vast Indian territory entrusted to it, within the history of 1 75 years, the Congregation sowed efforts that have borne fruits by way of establishment of at least 12 local churches (Dioceses) in India and more than 150 formal and non-formal schools besides other social centers. The effort was sworn in sweat and blood, in courage and daring, in hope and in joy, in total disinvestment and utter generosity.
The diminishing Priestly vocations in Europe left no choice for this French congregation, but to look for young boys in India and in the English speaking world to continue the good work in different parts of the world. It is evident from the fact that the congregation today works mainly in India and Fr Agnelo Fernandas MSFS, the first Indian from Aldona, Goa, became the 13th superior General of the MSFS in the year 2001 and continues in office till today. The Mother house of the congregation continues to be at Annecy in France but its Generalate is shifted to Rome closer to the Vatican, from where the Superior General and its curia functions. The congregation has grown in number and area; and thus for administrative purpose, it is divided into 10 provinces, regions and mission centers.
The celebration of the 175th year of the MSFS (1838-2013) coincides with the 150 years of the death of its founder Fr Peter Mermier. In Goa, a celebration is planned on the Feast day of Saint Francis de Sales, 24 January 2013, at the St Francis de Sales seminary, in Bastora for the local communities of Goa in the distinguished presence of the Archbishop Philip Neri Ferrao and the friends of the MSFS.
