(ANS - Guwahati) - The Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, also known as "Ferrandine", are the first religious family founded in North-Eastern India, and the eleventh group of the Salesian Family. The institute was founded on 24 October 1942 in Guwahati, in the State of Assam, by Bishop Stefano Ferrando SDB, of Shillong. It is dedicated to evangelization, health care and education in remote areas of the North-East of India.

Bishop Ferrando was deeply affected by the poverty, illiteracy and unsanitary conditions in which the people of that region lived. Their difficulties increased as a result of the devastation caused by World War II. The war prevented the missionaries, priests and religious working in the region, from moving freely to help local people who needed help. In that situation, nine girls manifested a vocation to the religious life and from that first group the congregation was born.

Bishop Ferrando imparted the Salesian spirit and spirituality to the new religious family. He entrusted the formation and administration of the new Congregation to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. In 1968, when Nellie Nunes, FMA, completed her mandate, Sister Magdalin Surin, Vicar General of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, led the congregation until the appointment of Sr. Mary Rose Thapa, who in 1970 became the first Mother General of the new Religious Family.

They were recognized as an Institute of Pontifical Right on 21 March 1977 and became part of the Salesian Family on 8 July 1986.

The congregation now has 5 provinces in India, a Delegation in Italy and a Vice-Delegation in Africa; It has 1,078 Sisters from 55 different ethnic groups, working in 194 centres distributed in 57 dioceses in India, Italy, Swaziland, Lesotho, South Sudan, South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia and the Hawaiian Islands.

Motivated by the Salesian spirit, the Sisters have chosen to adopt the educational methods of Don Bosco.

Published 22/1/2016