BETHANY SILCHAR PROVINCE
6 August 2020
Silchar Province carved out of North East Province, canonically erected on August 6, 2020, on the solemnity of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, is dedicated to the Holy Spirit and is a gift of the Centenary year of Bethany. It bears testimony to the fact that Bethany has Grown, Blossomed and Borne Fruit in the Hills and Valleys of North East India and elsewhere.
On August 6, 2020, during a meaningful Eucharistic celebration at 10 am, Sr Lucious BS was solemnly installed as the first Provincial Superior of Silchar Province and her councillors Sr Clara Mendonca BS, Sr Surekha BS, Sr Harsha BS and Sr Mary Naulak BS took the oath of office as the Provincial Councillors. They were installed by Sr Joy BS, the Delegate of the Superior General, Sr Rose Celine.
New Provincial Team
Silchar Province comprises of 18 communities spread across the states of Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, parts of Assam and Meghalaya. The main apostolates are education, social work, medical and pastoral care services.
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.
Year of Establishment of the Province: 06.08.2020