About – FIHSISTERS

OUR FOUNDER

Louis savinien dupuis

Servant of God Louis Savinien Dupuis ,MEP, was a French missionary of profound faith and dedication. He was born on August 18 , 1806 ,in the city of Sens, France. His father was Etheme Louis Dupuis , and his mother was Vithnar Remi . Dupuis was the family name .

After completing his education, he was ordained as a priest on April 25 th ,1829 ,and subsequently joined the congregation of MEP (Missions Etrangeres de Paris ) on May 25, 1831. He was a fervent and zealous priest , a man of heroic faith and seraphic charity. Father Dupuis exemplified unwavering faith and boundless compassion. He devoted himself entirely to the service of the church, tirelessly working to restore moral integrity.

On July 7,1831, he embarked on a missionary journey to India ,arriving on April 9,1832, to begin his ministry. He initiated a divinely –inspired missionary effort, dedicating himself to the empowerment of women through proper education.

INCEPTION of F I H

The Congregation of the Franciscan sisters of the immaculate Heart of Mary ,Quilon, is the first indigenous women’s congregation on the continent of Asia. In the middle of the 19 th century ,society’s attitude towards women and their educational opportunities was dismal. Women were often treated as slaves. This was a serious issue at the time,highlighting the need to promote the dignity of women and raise the standard of family life.

At this juncture, the synod of Pondicherry ,held from January 18 to February 13 ,1844 during the tenure of Mgr. Clement Bonnand ,the Bishop of the Pondicherry Mission,addressed these concerns.the key topic of discussion at the synod was the education of female children and their upliftment.father Dupuis was assigned three important tasks during the synod.

To develop the Printing Press
. To establish a new Indigenous Religious Congregation with the main aim of educating the girl children and.
To start Schools for the girl children

The very zealous man of God’s providence ,Servant of God Louis Savinien Dupuis ,MEP founded the congregation of the Franciscan sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 16 th 1844 , with the blessing and consent of His Holiness Pope Gregory XVI and His Grace Clement Bonnand , the Vicar Apostolic of Pondicherry. The founder himself looked after the young congregation to ensure its growth.

On July 26, 1907 ,Rt.Rev. Dr. Aloysius Maria Benziger OCD Bishop of Quilon brought a community of sisters from Pondicherry to Kanjiracode in the Diocese of Quilon ,Kerala . On March 7, 1947 ,His Excellency ,Most Rev. Leo P. Kierkels ,CSP the Apostolic Delegate of the East –Indies ,effected the bifurcation of the congregation ,separating the kerala region from the rest.

In the year 1947, His Excellency Rt. Rev. Dr. Jerome M Fernandez Bishop of Quilon inaugurated and declared the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as an independent Diocesan Congregation and started to flourish according to the values of the founder under the divine providence.