Immaculate Heart of Mary- Patroness of the Province

The Servant of God, Raymond Mascarenhas, our Founder under the powerful guidance of the Spirit was led to take up the challenge of preaching the Gospel to the poor in the missions around Belagavi in 1939 thus laying the foundation for the present Western Province at Dharwad.

In the second decade of its existence, Bethany launched out into the Belagavi missions. The Founder acceded to the invitation of the late Bishop H. Doering of Pune. He went with a band of nine sisters, and set up on 4 November 1939, Presentation Convent, Dharwad the cradle and the nucleus of the Western Province.

The rich black soil of Belgaum and the nearby areas, and the rain-fed, coffee growing regions of the Western Ghats, presented a picture of plentiful harvest. However in these areas the rural folk and the poor labor class had no one to attend to their uplift- spiritual, intellectual, cultural and socio-economic needs. The harvest indeed was plenty, but the labourers were few. In the arid and unproductive areas of the Deccan, too Fr. Founder discovered the possibility of mining a rich spiritual wealth. He took the “ROAD LESS TRAVELLED,” blazing trails into the mission territories coming under the purview of the Western Province.

GROWTH AND EXTENT OF WESTERN PROVINCE

Bethany’s evangelizing ministry begun in the thirties in Belgaum missions has borne abundant fruit. Having spread its missionary activities over a large area, it has become presently an independent administrative unit of the Congregation. It has been carved out of Bangalore Province on 24th May 2006 and was dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  The installation and erection of the Western Province was done by Sr M Jyoti BS the Superior General on the 24 May 2006 at Dharwad as its headquarters where the first house of undivided Bangalore Province was founded in 1939. The Eucharistic celebration was officiated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Peter Machado, the newly ordained Bishop of the Diocese of Belgaum. Sr Wilberta the Assistant Superior General and Sr Assumpta the General Councillors and many Sisters from all over the Province were present to witness the joys of this day. Sr Rose Ann was installed as the first Provincial Superior for a term of 4 years, with Sr Shanthi Priya, Sr Prima, Sr Pierine and Sr Simplina as the Provincial Councillors and Aileen as the Provincial Procurator.

The Provincial headquarters were shifted to the new building ‘Maria Nivas’ at 10th Cross in Kalyan Nagar, Dharwad city, in the vicinity of Karnataka University campus on March 4, 2013. Sr Wilberta, the Superior General inaugurated it and Rt Rev. Peter Machado the Bishop of Belgaum blessed the building and reserved the Blessed sacrament. Sr Rose Ann the Provincial Superior unveiled the plaque.

Western Province covers the areas, coming under the states of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. There are 23 Convents, established in the Archdioceses of Goa, Mumbai and the dioceses of Belgaum, Kalaburagi and Karwar. May the Immaculate Heart of Mary in whose heart our Founder Servant of God RFC Mascarenhas founded this Congregation of the Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany and to whom the Western Province is dedicated, enable every member of the Western province to grow in holiness through ‘Fiat’ for a prophetic witness in these challenging times, by making the charism relevant to the needs of present day society.

On April 10 2016, Sr Assumpta, was installed as the III Provincial Superior by the newly Superior General Sr Rose Celine and Sr Rose Ann Asst.Provincial Superior, Sr Pierine, Sr Sylvie Rodrigues and Sr Veronita the Provincial Councillors. Sr Sneha was installed as the Provincial Procurator on June 2, 2016.

Membership: The Province has a total of 196 Sisters rendering service in the Province, Central Delegation and in the Delegation Abroad. We have 6-Novices; 4- Pre-novices;  4-Student Candidates studying in Classes XI and XII and 2 candidates in ‘Come and See’ stage of formation.

 Provincial and Councillors 2016-20

 Bethany Provincial House , Dharwad

Provincial and team
Left : Sr Sylvie BS, Sr Rose Ann BS, Sr Assumpta BS, Sr Pierine BS, Sr Veronita BS

Provincialate community

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 Provincial and Councillors 2020-2024

Sr Sally BS Provincial Superior 2020-2024	Sr Rose Ann BS Asst Provincial 2020-2024	Sr.Shalet Mendonca BS II Councillor 2020-2024
Sr Michelle BS III Councillor 2020-2024	Sr Veronita BS IV Councillor 2020-2024	Sr Violet L D'Souza BS Province Procurator 2020-2021
Sr Precilla Braggs BS Province Procurator 2021-

 Provincial and Councillors 2024-2028

From Left: Sr Michelle BS, Sr Shalet Mendonca BS, Sr Sally BS, Sr Anitha Shanthi BS, Sr Assumpta BS