Ursuline Franciscan Sisters of North East Province celebrated 50 years of service in the region with a commemorative event held in Dimapur on November 17.
Dimapur, November 17 (MExN): The Ursuline Franciscan Sisters (UFS) of the North East Province celebrated 50 years of service in the region with a commemorative event held at the Assisi Higher Secondary School Auditorium, Dimapur on November 17.
The celebration began with a Thanksgiving Mass presided over by Most Rev Dr James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima, along with around 40 concelebrating priests.
The programme saw the participation of sisters and formees of the Province, guest sisters from other parts of India including Rev Sr Lydia Serrao, councillor General of UFC, special invitees, the pioneering missionaries who first began the mission in the North East, and a good number of lay faithful, stated a press release.
Bishop Thoppil acknowledged and appreciated the significant contributions of the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters to the Church and society in Nagaland and across the North East. Reflecting on the congregational mission, he highlighted their dedicated service in the fields of education, pastoral, health care, and social development over the past five decades.
Drawing a parallel with St Paul’s praise for the community of Philippi, he thanked the Sisters for their “tremendous service” and described them as “the hands and feet of the Lord,” allowing God to work through them. Their works of teaching children, healing the sick, and caring for the poor, he said, are not just social services but “a proclamation of God’s love that bears witness to His compassion.”
Rev Sr Milly Fernandes, Superior General of the congregation and president of the day’s event, highlighted the pioneering mission that began in 1975 at Meluri, Nagaland, with five courageous sisters. She noted with joy that the Province has now grown to 169 members, of whom 135 are daughters of the North East—“a great miracle and blessing of God.”
She affirmed that the Sisters continue to serve in some of the remotest villages of the region, staying true to the founding purpose of their mission. The event also showcased the rich cultural heritage of the seven North Eastern states.
Rev Sr Juliana Pereira, Provincial Superior of North East Province welcomed the dignitaries and acknowledged their invaluable support and collaboration in the missionary journey of the UFS.
A significant moment of the celebration was the honouring of the pioneering members, collaborators, benefactors, and heads of institutions, with special remembrance of Rev Sr Edilburga Monteiro, a daring missionary whose legacy continues to inspire. The occasion also marked the Golden Jubilee of Religious Profession of Sr Philomena Correa and Sr Alice Mary Rego, who have completed 50 years of dedicated service in the UFS family.
Today, the congregation serves in 12 dioceses with 169 sisters living in 30 communities, and has extended its missionary presence to Europe and the United States, it added.
