OUR HISTORY
The Religious Institute of the Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate constitutes the Missionary Branch of the Society of the Daughters of St. Francis de Sales. This Society was founded by Fr. Henri Chaumont, a priest from the Archdiocese of Paris and Mme Carre de Malberg on 15th October 1872. The members of the Society were women of all walks of life, single or married or widows. Rome granted the Society the final approbation on 26th April1911.
From the beginning of the Society, the Founder awakened in the members, a missionary enthusiasm which gradually evolved into a ‘Guild of fervent prayer’ for the conversion of non-Christian women. This was known as the ‘Association of Mary Immaculate’. The Founder had contact with many bishops in mission countries who narrated to him the difficulties of missionaries to evangelize the womenfolk. The need of women auxiliaries in the missions was keenly felt by them.
Some of the Bishops who visited Paris spoke at the meeting of the Association of Mary Immaculate. Inspired by it, the Founder and the pioneering members decided to send some of its members to the mission field to help the priests. Several members who were free from family obligations resolved to dedicate their lives entirely to the service of the missionary activity of the Church. These members were given a specific missionary formation in addition to their formation as Daughters of St. Francis de Sales. Four of them Mother Marie Gertrude, Mother Marie de Kostka, Sr. Madaleine and Sr. Joseph were chosen to be the first missionaries.
At the request of the Bishop of Nagpur, they left for India on 12th October 1889.
On 6th November the Bishop entrusted to them their first mission of
“Poor House ” . This was an asylum for the destitute and incurables, who were sheltered in the stable of the camels of Raja Bhonsle.
Mother’s heart overflowed with compassionate love of Jesus as she took care of them.
Along with the care of the inmates she also began to visit the homes in the neighborhood. Their only language was a look of love, Salesian smile and with few words in Marathi. Mother won the hearts of the children and women of the area. In those days Child marriage was prevalent in Maharashtra and many young women became widows and they lived in an inhuman condition. To empower them and restore their human dignity she opened a home for the widows and a dispensary in Tulsibag
Mother Marie Gertrude had great devotion to the Holy Eucharist and Our Lady of Lourdes. On 12th April 1890, this dream was realized and the first convent was opened in the town. On 8 June 1890 she received the first statue sent by Fr. Chaumont which was placed in the Grotto and it was open to all people of the neighhood. The missionary flame of our founders inspired them to send more missionaries to new frontiers. The mission of Madagascar was opened 4th November 1890, China on 8 November 1890 and Dacca in January 1896. In spite of her ill health and all other difficulties she responded to the call of the Bishop of Kumbakonam and this mission was opened on 25th March 1900 and another in Tranquebar on 25th March 1901.
To respond to the need of the people she took the initiative to begin the educational apostolate and a primary school in Marathi was began at Tulsibagh in Nagpur. In successive years many schools in local languages were opened to educate the poorest children of the locality different parts of India.
They were zealous missionaries and they gave great importance of faith formation of people. Sharing their God experience through visits to near and far villages. Those days it was not common for women religious to go to far away villages and spend days with the people while staying with them. Thus we can say Mother Marie Gertrude is a Pioneer in family visit and Village apostolate in central India. Faith formation was her a main concern and she took great care to the visit the sick and elderly in the families and give necessary medical care. As there was no means of transportation to go to the village they prepared a bull-cart and visited all the villages in the city of Nagpur.
With their perseverance and tireless efforts, they succeeded in their apostolate. Thus, in the course of years several houses sprang up in North and South India.
The Founders had the desire to accept young women to join the CMMI who will continue this mission in the future. Mother Marie Gertude responded to their desire and she received young girls in North and South part of India and gave them the missionary formation.
In 1934 the decree from the Holy See granted them the privilege of canonical vows. During the General Chapter in 1954 the name ‘Catechist Missionaries of Mary Immaculate’ was changed into ‘Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate’. The missionary branch of the daughters of St Francis de Sales became autonomous in 1968. It became an Institute of Pontifical Right on 26th April 1968 which remains as a part of the Society of Daughters of St. Francis de Sales.
The Institute of the Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate (SMMI), has its origin in the Society of the Daughters of Saint Francis de Sales of which it is the Missionary Branch.
This Society was founded in Paris on 15 October 1872, by Fr. Henri Chaumont and Madam Carre de Malberg, to live and spread the evangelical charity in the world. (Final approbation by Rome on 26 April 1911.)
From the first years of the Society, the Founder had enkindled missionary zeal in the members, which was expressed in a guild of prayer for non-Christian women.
Moved by the sharing of the missionary Bishops who came to Paris, some of the members, who were free from family, obligations, wanted to consecrate their entire life to the missionary activity of the Church.
Responding to the call of the Bishop of Nagpur, India, four among them were chosen: Mother Marie Gertrude, Sister Marie de Kostka, Sister Madeleine of the Blessed Sacrament and Sister Joseph of the Visitation. From France they embarked for Nagpur, on 12 October 1889 under the leadership of Mother Marie Gertrude.
These pioneer missionaries realized that religious life is more suitable to fulfill their mission. Animated by the evangelical spirit from the beginning they dedicated themselves to the service of women and the poorest of the poor in availability as total as possible to the needs and directives of each diocese. Their first aim was formation and evangelization of women, through visits to families and villages.
The apostolate began with small dispensaries, soon extended to Catechesis, educational, medical and social activities.
From the time of Foundation, wherever they were implanted, they did their best to form young girls to religious life.
The Missionary Branch of the Society of the Daughters of Saint Francis de Sales became autonomous in 1968. It then became an Institute of Pontifical Right, which remains a part of this Society.
Destined by the Founder to all countries all races, all social classes, the Institute has never ceased to grow. From the beginning specifically dedicated to the missionary apostolate for non-Christian countries, the Institute is fully available to the universal mission of the Church and to her calls in the world of today.
The Institute became multicultural; the Sisters live the experience of catholicity in their communities where they interact with diverse cultures witnessing to the vitality and diversity of the Church.