URSULINE SISTERS OF TILDONK RANCHI INDIA
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URSULINE SISTERS OF TILDONK RANCHI INDIA |
"I Have come, that they may have life; and have it to the full." (Jn. 10:10)
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Reverend John Cornelius Martin Lambertz, a holy priest of Tildonk, Belgium, was a man of God who founded the Congregation of the Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk in a small village - "Tildonk", in Belgium, Europe in April 30, 1818. Background of the contemporary society At that time the Belgium Society had been shaken by successive wars, mainly by the French Revolution which brought much destruction everywhere. It was the period between 1789 and 1799. The Revolution broke out in 1799. Many Churches were destroyed, schools were closed down, public worship was prohibited, priests were exiled, religious houses were burnt down. The Church was openly persecuted and Churches were confiscated and used for secular and commercial purposes. France was made into a Republic. All traces of Catholic life had almost disappeared. In 1799, Narpoleon Bonaparte came into power. He made a Concordat in 1801 which guaranteed some measure of freedom and respect for the Church. Napoleon had imperial ambitions and he annexed also Belgium. But in 1815 Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo near Brussels and Belgium became subject to protestant Holland till it became independent in 1830. The Sect of the Stevenists set the people against the priests. Children grew up in the world of post-war immorality and religious ignorance. They heard their parents ridicule the Church and the priests. Tildonk and its surroundings were in a state of near hopeless spiritual destitution. The French Republic had almost ruined the country. Because of anti-Catholic propaganda, people had become hostile to the Church. John Lambertz's efforts to change society The old Parish Priest of Tildonk, Abbe Van Elder was no more able to cope with this difficult situation. Actually, Father John Lambertz was appointed assistant to the Parish Priest on March 20, 1812. The new curate was unwelcome. Catholic had become indifferent. The Parishioners did all they could, to lessen his influence on the people. But he began attracting young boys and girls of the village who were Catholics in name only. He combined Catechism classes with Sunday amusements. A few years later, Tildonk was a changed place. Sundays began to be observed, the Church filled, sermons and instructions attended, the Sacraments frequented, the heretics came back to the faith. In 1815, the old Parish Priest died and Rev. John Lambertz was appointed Parish Priest of Tildonk. It was during a visit to his friend, Abbe Golmart, the parish priest of Melsbroek that the idea of his foundations took shape. Father Golmart had a school helped by some ladies. Birth of the Ursuline community The village of Tildonk had no school. A young lady Anne Marie Van Groenderbeek living in Tildonk, had a great desire to enter religious life. There were very few Religious Communities in the country. Anne Marie approached the parish priest for advice inspired by Abbe Schuermans of Louvain, her confessor. She was ready to place herself at his disposal to teach the children. After having discussed the matter with her family and others, it was decided that a part of the presbytery be given for her use and the stable close by would serve as a class room. Another young woman, Marie Van Ackerbroeck asked to be allowed to join Anne Marie. A third lady, Catherine Van de Schrieck of Tildonk offered herself to help in teaching. Marie said she would cook and wash and do all the work when the other two gave lessons. Thus on April 30, 1818, the feast of the Ascension, God gave birth to the very fiest Ursuline Community and God's work began "in a stable". He suggested that the Trio should call themselves "Daughters of St. Ursula". The number of Sisters started increasing, so also did the number of pupils and boarders. Canon Van Billoen of Louvain interested in the Cure's work, offered to lend him the money. Close by, there was a large property belonging to two brothers who sold their property to the Cure. Work began at once, new foundations were laid. The new building included a convent and a boarding school. In 1821 the Sisters as well as the boarders occupied the building. On May 14, 1822, these first Statutes were sent to Francois Antoine, Prince de Mean, the Archbishop of Malines for approval and to present the same to the King so that the Sisters would be allowed to enjoy the status granted by law to religious engaged in teaching. Meanwhile the need of a chapel was felt and by August 1822, the construction was being roofed, when the Governor of Brabant passing by, stopped to enquire the purpose of this building. He was told by the work-men that it was a Convent Chapel. A few days later, the Cure received a Royal Decree ordering him to stop the building, disperse the sisters, send the boarders home and close down the school. It was an unexpected blow. Instant compliance with the mandate was the wisest course of action. He immediately communicated the news to the sisters. Sorrowfully, they prepared to carry out the orders. The boarders, now numbering 28 were sent to thier homes, the school was closed and the sisters with heavy hearts dispersed to their homes and friends. Re-starting and formal recognition The decree having been obeyed, the Cure set to get the orders reversed. The inhabitants of Tildonk sent a petition to the King and the Archbishop wrote a personal letter to His Majesty. For five months, nothing was heard. On March 20, 1823, eve of the feast of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, he received permission to reopen the school and re-assemble the sisters, but only as a lay association, on condition that they present themselves for examination and obtain a Teacher's Diploma. They could live in community, but no actual religious habit was to be worn. Two days later, all the 12 sisters were reunited in Tildonk and in thanksgiving, they made a penitential pilgrimage on foot to the miraculous shrine of Our Lady of Montagu (Scherpenheuvel). The custom of celebrating the feast of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows has been faithfully handed down to every Ursuline Community. According to the conditions laid down by the Government, the very next day, 3 sisters presented themselves before a Board of Examiners at Brussels. They had no preparation at all for the examination but they obeyed. They passed the examination and were congratulated by the examiners. The President told them that they could return to Tildonk as recognized and certified teachers. The news of the re-opening of the school was soon known by the public. Requests for admissions of pupils and boarders came from far and wide. The sisters ardently desired to wear the habit and make the three vows, but the Government would allow neither favour. There were no Constitutions and no definite Rules. The Cure decided to remedy this secretly. On March 4, 1825, the first 12 Sisters pronounced their First Vows for 5 years. A novena was made in preparation for the election of a Superior. On March 13, 1825, Laetare Sunday, Sister Felicite Tourbeau was elected first Superior. It would not have been prudent to do more than this at that time. It was all done in secret. The Chapel was completed with permission and was blessed on December 27, 1825. As it was the feast of Saint John the Evangelist, the Chapel was dedicated to him. William I, King of the Netherlands was firmly opposed to Catholicism. He forbade new sisters to be received without a royal assent for each one. Their occupation was to be written down, signed and sent to the Government and no change in the work of a sister might be made without prior permission from the King. This tyranny could not be endured much longer. The people were angry. There was an unexpected Revolution. Belgium gained its freedom from Holland in 1830. Leopold I was appointed King of the Belgians. Belgium returned to peace enjoying its independence. Progress in the changed environment A new era opened for the "Daughters of Saint Ursula". The Catholic Government encouraged them in every possible way. Sisters were free to wear the religious habit and to pronounce religious vows openly. Under the protection of the ecclesiastical authorities, the Cure obtained on May 1, 1832 the Rule of St. Augustine and the Constitutions of the Ursuline Order of Bordeaux, (France), originally approved by Pope Paul V with modifications and adaptations made under the direction of Cardinal Sterckx who had been appointed Archbishop of Malines on April 4 and approved by him. Thus a new branch of the "Ursulines of Tildonk" was created. Both decided to unite the small association to the great Ursuline Order. The Ursuline Convent in Manur, a dependent house of Bordeaux, was one of the few convents that survived the French Revolution. They initiated their Sisters of Tildonk into their new way of life. As for the details concerning the habit, they received these from an elderly nun of the Ursuline Convent of Malines. When her convent had been suppressed during the Revolution, she had carefully kept her habit. In this way the Institute of Tildonk grafted on that of Bordeaux, acquired an exalted place in the great family of Saint Angela Merici. Since then, all the convents founded from Tildonk considered Saint Angela Merici as their Mother, and tried in their spiritual life as in their apostolate, to draw inspiration from the principles of religious life which animate thousands of Ursulines throughout the world. On May 1, 1832, the first 18 sisters pronounced their Final Vows in the presence of His Excellency, Msgr. Stercks, Archbishop of Malines and 3 Novices received the religious habit. Mother Felicite was confirmed in her office as Superior. The Congregation founded new houses, even outside the Belgian borders, at the pressing request of Bishops and parish priests in those places where the need for Christian education was the greatest. At the death of Father John Lambertz on May 12, 1869, the Congregation consisted of 43 convents, 40 founded by him and 3 affiliated. These foundations were spread over Belgium, Holland, England, Germany and Indonesia. The Convents were independent of one another. Every year the Superiors gathered for a few days under the guidance of the Founder. After his death, Cardinal Deschamps, Archbishop of Malines, appointed Canon De Meulder, to care for the Ursulines. In 1893, a General Novitiate was opened at Haacht. To have a General Novitiate in order to preserve the unity of the spirit of the Congregation was at the heart of the Founder. In 1895, the Convents started to group themselves around the Mother House of Tildonk. The first "grouping" was approved on January 15, 1895 by His Eminence Cardinal Goossens, the then Archbishop of Malines. On January 29, 1895, "The first General Superior, Mother Mary Ignace van den Borre" was elected. She placed the Congregation under the protection of Our Lady of Sorrows. The Convents outside the Diocese of Mechelen (Malines) were grouped according to the desire of the Bishops, mostly around their respective Bishops, and formed Diocesan Congregations. Others joined the Roman Union later on. The adapted, revised and modified Constitutions were approved by H.E. Cardinal Goossens in 1898. After 1900, new foundations were established in India (1903), Canada (1914), The United States of America (1924). With Belgium as Headquarters, they form the Provinces of the Congregation. The Houses in Zaire (Congo-Africa), opened in 1955, first formed a Sub-Region of Belgium, then a District in 1978 under the jurisdiction of the Belgian Province and a Vice Province since 1997. The General Superior was being elected every 9 years. In 1945, in consequence of the growth of the overseas foundations, a Vicar was appointed in those places. She represented the General Superior there. The Constitutions were again revised, modified and approved by H.E. Cardinal Van Roey, Archbishop of Malines in 1948 and 1953. On December 22, 1953, the houses became for a greater part, centralized. Until 1969, the Congregation of Tildonk was governed by a General Superior of the Belgian groups of local communities. A new form of General Government, the Praesidium was formed during the General Chapter of 1969. The Congregation was divided into 4 Regions of Belgium, Canada, India and the U.S.A. The Regional Superiors with their assistants and a representative of Zaire formed the Praesidium with the Regional Superior of Belgium as President. This Chapter proposed the Interim-Constitutions, "Along New Paths". From 1969 to 1974 the General Superior elected at the General Chapter of Elections held in 1968, presided over the Collegial Praesidium. From 1974 to 1978, the Praesidium elected its own President. The Government of the Congregation by the Praesidium (1969-1978), which met once a year, fostered Unity and Internationality on the level of the Congregation and a great deal of autonomy and diversity on the part of the various Regions. The General Chapter of 1978 saw the necessity of establishing a General Government with central authority for the over-all governing of the Congregation. Accordingly, it chose a General Superior and two General Assistants as its new form of Congregational Government. For the first time in its history, the Congregation of Tildonk had an International General Government. The General Government was conceived as the ordinary, over-all Governing Body of the Congregation. Together with the 4 Provincial Superiors of Belgium, Canada, India and the U.S.A. and the District Superior of Zaire, the General Government formed the Extended Council which is a Consultative Body which meets every year to provide on-going direction for the Congregation between General Chapters. On October 18, 1982, the Ursuline Congregation of Tildonk was granted Pontifical Status by the Holy See. Its General Constitutions and Directives, "Fullness in the Life of Christ", were given approval by the Sacred Congregation for Religious and Secular Institutes on September 15, 1983 feast of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, who is honoured as Queen and Mother of the Congregation of Tildonk. Since the General Chapter of 1984, the General Government of the Congregation comprises a General Superior and three General Assistants. The Indian Province had grown vast extending into 22 Dioceses. The General Chapter of 1996 ratified the petition of the Province to create 3 Provinces and one District. The Indian Province Chapter of 1997 endorsed the creation of 3 Provinces - Ambikapur Province in Madhya Pradesh, (the newly created State of Chattisgarh), Gumla Province and Ranchi Province in Jharkhand. The District of North-East comprising Assam, West Bengal and Mizoram under the jurisdiction of Ranchi Province was created at the continued Ranchi Province Chapter held in October, the same year. A Co-ordinating Body comprising the 3 Provincials and their assistants, the District Superior and her first Councillor was mandated by the Province Chapter of November 1995 for the implementation, follow up and evaluation of the 5 year plan on Initial Formation, On-going Formation, Personnel, Finance and New Alternatives for Mission. This proposal was also ratified by the General Chapter of 1996.
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