Guwahati Province
29 July 2020
St Therese of Child Jesus - Patroness of the Province
North East Province renamed as Guwahati Province on 29 July 2020 is dedicated to St Therese of Child Jesus is a gift in the Centenary year of Bethany. Bethany has Grown, Blossomed and Borne Fruit in the Hills and Valleys of North East India and elsewhere.
The first Provincial Team of Guwahati Province was installed by Sr Joy, Provincial Superior of North East Province, delegated by Sr Rose Celine, Superior General on 29 July 2020, on the Feast day of St Martha, celebrated as Bethany Saints’ day.
L to R: Sr Janet Mendonca, Sr Benedicta Aranha, Sr Sandhya (Provincial Superior), Sr Ruth Mao, Sr Shwetha
Sr Sandhya being elected to the General Council in the XVII General Chapter of the Congregation without having completed her term left the void of leadership in Guwahati Province. However it is filled up by the appointments of the new Team for the Province being installed by Sr Rose Celine, Superior General on 04.04.2022. Sr Benedicta Aranha the Provincial Superior and Sr Shwetha, Sr Ruth, Sr Janet Sylvia and Sr Mable D'Silva Provincial Councillors. The new team has begun their work with right earnest and certainly they will measure up to the big task ahead.
Second Provincial Team of Guwahati Province:04.04.2022
The story of Guwahati Province will not be complete without the story of North East Province. Guided by the Spirit of God the Prefect Apostolic Mgr George Breen CSC of Haflong Prefecture approached Most Rev James Knox, the then Apostolic Inter-Nuncio to India, and expressed his desire to have a Religious Congregation in Mizoram in his prefecture. Because of his acquaintance with Mother Macrina BS the Superior General Apostolic Inter-Nuncio requested her to open a Convent at Kolasib in Mizoram to collaborate with Holy Cross Fathers.
Filled with true missionary spirit the first batch of four daring Sisters namely Sr Misericors, Sr Dolora, Sr Sylvine and Sr Inviolata left Mangalore for North East India on June 6th 1962 and arrived in Kolasib on June 28th 1962. Though strategically important to India, Assam which includes most of the present North Eastern States and Mizoram was economically and educationally backward and more significantly it was in turmoil. Kolasib was a small developing village with education as its prime need. So the Sisters were invited to assist Holy Cross Fathers in St John’s High School in Kolasib, as well as to start a primary School and to open a Hostel for the Girls’. Within a short time the Sisters endeared themselves to the children they cared for, built an affinity with the Mizo community and won the hearts of all. This was the beginning of the mission of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany in Mizoram, which later on extended to Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Karnataka.
They led the way : Regional and Provincial Superiors:
Sr Sylvine who guided the Sisters right from its inception, was appointed Regional Superior in 1969 and continued till 1980. North East Region was combined with Northern Region with its headquarters at the Sacred Heart Convent, Ludhiana from 1980-1986 and Sr Canice was the Regional Superior of the combined region.
On 30 April 1986, the North East Region was raised to the status of a Vice – Province with its Headquarters at Silchar, Assam and Sr Lillis was appointed the first Provincial Superior. In the subsequent years Sr Canisia, Sr Edleburgh, Sr Noeline and Sr Joy were appointed Provincial Superiors of North East Province.
Each Provincial Superior with her broad vision for the Church of North East trained the sisters in different fields and made Bethany relevant in the service of the Kingdom. Efforts were made to purchase land for the Provincial House in Guwahati as it is convenient to reach out to all the houses from Guwahati. Hence, with the help of Guwahati diocesan personnel, about two acres of land was purchased at Garchuk in Guwahati in 1996 and the construction of the Provincial house began in the year 2000. In 1999 the Provincial house from Silchar was shifted to Kharguli in Guwahati, to the former Archbishop’s house as Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil generously offered it till the new Provincial House was ready. On 25 March 2004, the newly constructed Provincial House at Garchuk which is 15 kms away from the city of Guwahati was blessed by his Grace Thomas Menamparampil and inaugurated by Sr Canisia the Provincial Superior.
NEP Provincial House with Junior Sisters
It was an extraordinary journey for Bethany in the North East. Bethany is proud of being the first women Religious to enter Mizoram and Tripura. Owing to its hazardous geographical set up, lack of communication and means of travel, North East India was nearly isolated from the rest of India. Bethany’s arrival widened their horizon of hope. Besides, Sisters had to learn the new languages, get acclimatized to the culture, extreme climatic conditions and face a series of challenges in their apostolates. Sisters followed in the footsteps of their Founder who took the road less travelled by and that has made all the difference today. All this was possible because of their unwavering faith in God and in themselves as well as the support of the Congregation.
Growth into two Province: The second community opened at Silchar in 1966, paved the way for the growth and expansion. Eventually as the communities kept increasing, North East group of communities was made into a Region in 1969 and in 1986 into a Province with just 10 communities. Since then the Province grew steadily spreading its branches far and wide covering the length and breadth, hills and valleys of all 7 States of North East India, West Bengal and beyond. In the year 2020 when the Congregation stepped into the Centenary year of its Foundation, Bethany North East Province had established 31 communities in North East India (NEI), West Bengal, Nepal and one in Mangalore, Karnataka.
Last Provincial Team of North East Province 2016 - 2020
R to L : Sr Mary Laldikzuali, Sr Edleburgh, Sr Joy ( Provincial Superior), Sr Sandhya, Sr Lucious, Sr Carmine Lobo (Province Procurator)
Map above:Green Area – Guwahati Province; Red area-Silchar Province
The faith-life coupled with religious commitment and vibrancy of missionary endeavours of the Sisters, bore fruits in plenty. The native recruits began to blossom from the states of North East India and yielded a rich harvest of vocations numbering over 100 professed Sisters. With 215 Sisters, the Province is celebrating the Centenary year of Bethany’s Foundation, with a new Province as a befitting sign of Centenary motto. The Superior General in her Council decided to install a second Province by carving out 17 communities in the Eastern part of North East Region naming it ‘Silchar Province’ and the 14 houses of North East Province renaming ‘Guwahati Province’.
Gratitude overflows and hope rises to start afresh offering witness of life and witness of service to the people of colourful North East India. Grow Blossom Bear Fruit.
Date of Canonical Erection of the Province: 29 July 2020