URSULINE SISTERS OF TILDONK RANCHI INDIA

Centenary Celebrations
1903 - 2003

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Arrival of the Pioneers and Missionaries

CHRISTIAN MISSION IN CHOTANAGPUR
AND THE CALL FOR THE URSULINES

Chotanagpur belongs to the heart-land of India. It is an extension of the great Deccan Plateau.  The early British administrators knew the Region as "Nagpur" but it came to be called "Chota Nagpur" to distinguish it from "Nagpur" of the Central Provinces.

The Region of "Chota Nagpur" consists of a series of Plateaux, from two to three thousand feet above the sea level, separated by mountain chains.  It is an undulating land dotted with small hills covered with forests where wild animals like tigers, leopards, bears, elephants, jackals etc. abound.  One finds long and broad rivers swelling in the monsoon season barring road communications.

Chota Nagpur, "then" was divided into five Districts - Hazaribag on the North, Ranchi in the Centre, Singhbhum on the South, Manbhum on the East and Palamau on the West; and is as large as England without Wales.  Chota Nagpur is not precisely defined.  Popularly Chota Nagpur includes also some neighbouring parts of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

Here, from time immemorial, have dwelt races, classed as aborigines who were pushed back by Aryans on to the forested areas.  The main concentration of the tribals is in Chota Nagpur.  The tribal population consists mainly of the Mundas, Santhals, Hos, Birhors, Bhumijs, Kharias, Oraons, Juangs, Saurtas, and Savars with above 90% of the tribal population of Bihar.

Arrival of the first Christian Missionaries

This land of the tribals, may have had no important role to play in the Indian history.  Yet in the history of the Christian Mission, its role has been glorious.

Ranchi is the Head-quarters of Chotanagpur.  It has been the headquarters of every Missionary Society, working among the aboriginal tribes of Chota Nagpur.

"The Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Mission" was established in Ranchi in 1845; the "Anglicans" in 1869.  The "Catholics" were the last in the field and settled down in Ranchi in 1885, but they have gone far ahead of their predecessors in every respect.

The Jesuit Mission

The early history of the Catholic Church in Chota Nagpur is related to the history of the Jesuit Mission in Bengal, belonging to the Jesuits of the "English Province" until 1946.  Later, the Jesuits of the "Belgian Province" took up the work in 1859. 

Chota Nagpur came in the picture only in 1869 when Fr. Augustus Stockman S.J. settled at Chaibasa, the headquarters of Singhbhum District.  The first Converts in 1873 were from village Khurpam, 6 to 7 families of very poor Mundas.

His Holiness had ordered Msgr. Steins, the then Archbishop in charge of the Bengal Mission to establish mission stations in the non-Christian areas.  He was inspired to direct Fr. Augustus Stockman to go to Chaibasa to work among the people of the interior.  Fr. Stockman went to Midnapur in February 1868 and moved to Chota Nagpur, a promising field of activity.  The Hos were the attraction for Fr. Stockman.

On May 3, 1874, the two Daughters of the Cross, of Liege (Belgium), Sister Electa and Sister Berchmans arrived at Chaibasa from Calcutta for the education of the converts.  During the next 15 years, the mission of Chota Nagpur slowly moved Northwards among the Mundas and in 1885 there were 4 stations - Sarwada, Dolda, Burudi and Bandgaon (the Quadrilateral as it was called).  It was only with the arrival of Fr. Constant Lievens in Chota Nagpur in 1885 that an unprecedented expansion began.

Father Constant Lievens, a Great Missionary 

It all began on March 19, 1885 when Fr. Lievens, a 30 year old saintly and zealous man of wonderful personality and capacity, thin but tough and of robust constitution, moved to Torpa to connect it with the Quadrilateral to continue his mission.

Fr. Lievens started studying the laws and customs of the country, the law governing the land tenure, the extent of the rights of the land owners and also the limits to these rights.  He consulted the magistrates and lawyers and mastered the duties and rights of the poor aboriginals in relation to their oppressors.  He was able to give them effective advice and helped them to stand up against the oppressors in the court of law.  Thus Lievens became their Protector and Saviour.

In 1888, Archbishop Goethals appointed Fr. Lievens "Director of the Mission".  Fr. Lievens took up his residence in Ranchi, the headquarters of the whole of Chota Nagpur.  Thousands and thousands flocked from all parts to the liberator and saviour of their race.  Working hard with no proper comfort for sleeping or eating, and moving about the whole day for his people, Fr. Lievens' health broke down completely.  He had to leave his beloved Ranchi and Chotanagpur on August 26, 1892 to return to Belgium.  Though in Belgium, his heart longed for his beloved mission, India and its people whom he loved from the core of his heart.  His health, instead of improving, showed signs of deterioration.  His hopes to go back to India, seemed to be shattered.  The Lord whom he served so lovingly and faithfully called him to His Eternal Kingdom rather than to the Indian mission, on November 7, 1893 at Louvain, when he was barely 37 years and 6 months old and after being a mere 7 years in Chota Nagpur Mission, India.

Arrival of the Loreto Nuns

It was March 21, 1890.  At the request of Archbishop Goethals of Calcutta, Mother Teresa Bonner, Mother Gertrude O'Relly with 2 companions arrived at Ranchi.  The need for religious sisters was strongly felt to impart education in order to establishChristian families.  They resided in the "Red Lodge" in the Ursuline campus, Purulia Road and opened their door to girls who hailed from Ranchi, Dighia, Torpa, Khunti, Noatoli and Biru.

Education in the early stages might not include much more than learning to recite prayers, the contents of catechism, the 3 R's and some basic hygiene and house keeping.  But it was a sure foundation on which has grown up the flourishing Christianity of Chota Nagpur today, with its own priests, religious and laity.

Founding of the Daughters of St. Anne's

God's ways are mysterious!  On July 20, 1897, the Indigenous Religious Congregation.  "The Daughters of St. Anne" was by Archbishop Goethals in answer to the situation and needs of the local church.  The four girls, Bernadette, Cecilia, Veronica and Mary were the founders of their Congregation.  They received their preliminary education from the Loreto nuns; embraced the Catholic faith, were inspired by the life and works of the Loreto Sisters, and decided to be religious to work for the uplift of their own tribal people.  They underwent endless struggles before they responded to God's call.  They received their formation of the initial stages from the Loreto Sisters who were their Superiors and Formators to begin with.  They in turn collaborated closely with them in their various apostolic works of education, healing and serving the poor

On February 6, 1899, the first vestition ceremony of these native sisters of Chota Nagpur was witnessed by their relatives.  In April 1901, these first four Daughters of Saint Anne pronounced their First Vows.

On the same day, four Bengali girls from Morapai, a little village to the south of Calcutta in the District known as 24 Parganas, were admitted to the new Congregation of St. Anne, Ranchi.  Later, these four sisters went to work among their own people at Morapai.  In this way, another branch of the Daughters of Saint Anne of Morapai was founded.

Soon, it was clear that the "Red Lodge" would be much too small for the inmates of the convent with two religious communities, the orphans, boarders and girls preparing themselves for marriage.  By 1898, new classrooms and dormitories were begun.  A new convent for the Loreto nuns was built in 1899, in the same campus leaving the "Red Lodge" to the Daughters of St. Anne, with a chapel in a central position for both.

By 1902, it became clearly evident that more Convent boarding Schools were urgently needed to meet the fast growing needs of a solid Christian education for girls.  Msgr. Meulemans wanted to push forward his project of Evangelization in Chota Nagpur.  He requested the Loreto Sisters to establish 3 or 4 convents in Ranchi District.  He wanted schools for girls to keep pace with those for boys.  Saint John Berchmans' School, (the present St. John's School), Ranchi, had already 800 students, so the need was to multiply schools for girls.  As this was not possible for them due to lack of personnel, they prepared to hand over their beloved Ranchi of personnel, they prepared to hand over their beloved Ranchi Mission to their successors. "The Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk."

Invitation to Chotanagpur for

In 1902 Rev. Father Sylvanus Grosjean S.J., the Superior of the Bengal Mission approached Rev. Mother General Ignace Van Den Borre, the Superior of the Ursulines of Tildonk with an urgent request for Sisters.  Rev. Mother Ignace welcomed him warmly but she had no sisters to spare.  She acted with prudence and in all simplicity, made a pact with God.  She said she would agree to send sisters to India if the Lord sent sisters to replace them in Tildonk.  God took her at her word.

A novena was started and on the last day, October 21, feast of Saint Ursula, Mother Ignace received the sign she wanted from Divine Providence.  That day she received a letter from the Ursulines of Quintine in France, who were on the point of being exiled from their country.  They asked Mother Ignace whether she would kindly give hospitality to a few of their sisters.  This was the sign asked for, and the Mission in Chota Nagpur was definitely accepted.  The chosen ones for the Indian Mission were Mother Gonzaga the Superior, Mother Anthony, Mother Ursula of the Ursuline Convent at Upton, England and Sister Sabina.

On November 25, Sister Sabina pronounced her First Vows.  On December 4 the Four Missionaries were presented to His Eminence Cardinal Goossens at Malines (Belgium), who had already approved of the project and blessed it.  He gave each one a crucifix, and a beautiful photograph - souvenir which he had autographed and to which he had added a few lines in his own hand.

Farewell of the Missionaries in Belgium

The families of the Four Missionaries were invited to Tildonk to bid farewell to the Sisters as they preferred not to go home.  In the evening, they assisted at the performance given by the pupils in their honour.  The next day, in the Holy Eucharist concelebrated by the 2 uncles of Mother Anthony, the families could participate for the last time, with their Missionaries.  At noon, the Missionaries were allowed to have dinner with their respective families.  The farewell ceremony was held in the Convent Chapel on Sunday December 4, Msgr. Bonne, the Diocesan Visitor presided.  There was a magnificent Benediction with appropriate hymns.

The Chaplain, Fr. Holemans gave a stirring homily which caused a deep emotion among the audience.  He paraphrased the canticle of Zechariah, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because today He has visited and redeemed His people."  After the homily the Sisters renewed their Vows to be strengthened like the apostles.  After the blessing with the Blessed Sacrament, the Diocesan Visitor gave the missionary-crucifix to each Sister and the choir sang the "Itinerarium", the 'Hymn of the Travellers'.  During that time all gave the Missionaries the Kiss of Peace while tears flowed copiously.

Final Arrival to Destination

The Four Missionaries arrived at Bombay on January 5, 1903 and together with Rev. Fr. D'Hoop who had made the voyage with them, went to greet the Archbishop of Bombay and they visited several Catholic Religious Institutions there.  The following day, 6th January, they had their First Holy Mass on Indian soil.  The Missionaries had seen the "Star in the East" and like the "Magi" had come to adore Christ Jesus on an alien land.

They left Bombay on 8th January and reached Calcutta, the following day 9th January and presented themselves to Archbishop, Msgr. Meulemans.  He received them with paternal affection and they were taken to the Loreto Sisters at Entally who gave them a heart-warming welcome.  Two of the Loreto nuns took them round the city and the Churches in Calcutta.  These marks of attention and kind hospitality greatly edified the Pioneer Ursuline Missionaries.

On 12th January, they left Calcutta via Asansol.  There too, the Loreto nuns received the Missionaries with the same greatness of soul.  After having spent a few hours with them, they took the train for Purulia (West Bengal) where transport awaited them to begin their historic trip to their future mission.

They travelled in a couple of 'PUSH-PUSH', a cart pulled and pushed by men.  It was to be a long journey, starting at 9.00 p.m. to arrive the following evening of January 13 at 9.00 p.m.  Fortunately, it was full moon and the journey passed without any untoward incidents, but with plenty of laughter.  They were accompanied by Miss Hablet, who acted as interpreter and Rev. Ford S.J., a Missionary for Soso, in Gumla.