Congregations
Congregation for Men
1. The Order of the Friars Minor Capuchins (OFM Cap.)
Prior to the partition of the Indian subcontinent into India and Pakistan, the territory of the present Diocese of Jalandhar was under the jurisdiction of Lahore Diocese, now in Pakistan. This Diocese was looked after by the Belgian Capuchin missionaries. After the partition, the areas of Lahore Diocese that were in India were brought together and constituted as the Prefecture Apostolic of Jullundur and was entrusted to the care of the British Capuchins, with Msgr. Alban Swarbrick OFM Cap., as the Apostolic Prefect, in 1952. They nurtured the growth and development of this prefecture for two decades. In 1972, it was raised to the status of a diocese and was entrusted to the Capuchins of the Indian Province with Bishop Symphorian Keeprath OFM Cap. as its first Bishop. Bishop Symphorian, after dynamically leading the Diocese for 35 years, retired in April 2007.
At present the Capuchins exercise their ministry in the civil districts of Jalandhar, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Moga and Chamba and have fifteen Priests in this mission. They have six monasteries namely: (1) Alverna Friary, Dalhousie; (2) St. Francis Friary, Batala; (3) St. Francis Friary, Kartarpur; (4) San Thome Friary, Kalanur; (5) St. Joseph’s Friary, Bharariwal, Amritsar, (6) St. Francis Ashram, Masthkot, and (7) Shanti Bhawan, Dayalgarh.
Website: https://www.kristjyoticap.org/
2. Congregation of St. Therese of Child Jesus (CST)
The members of this Congregation, commonly called CST Fathers were initially known as Little Flower Brotherhood. This Diocesan Congregation was founded by Rev. Fr. Basilius Panatt on March 19, 1931, at Mookannur in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam in Kerala. In 1978, this Congregation was divided into two autonomous Congregation of Priests and Brothers. According to the charism envisioned by the Founder, the members of the Congregation are involved in missionary apostolate and pastoral ministry, youth guidance and social developmental projects.
The CST Fathers took up mission work in the Diocese of Jalandher in 1973. According to the contracts entered upon by the Diocese and the Congregation in 1973, the civil districts of Faridkot and Ferozepur, in the southern part of the Diocese, were entrusted to them for apostolic and other development activities. The contract was revised and renewed in 1986. Over the years, the CST Fathers have been able to organize various activities in this part of the Diocese. They have opened schools and dispensaries in different places. A hospital with 25 bed facility at Muktsar in the district of Ferozepur, renders medical help to the people of the locality. They also serve the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages through the mobile dispensary scheme kept active by the above-mentioned hospital. St. Antony’s boarding for Catholic boys, which already existed in Ferozepur Cantonment, is maintained by the CST Fathers. The CST Congregation has four monasteries of its own in this area at Faridkot, Muktsar, Malout and Danewala which are recognized by the Bishop.
The Contract with the CST Fathers was terminated in the year 2016 as the effort to revise and renew the agreement did not reach any conclusion – there were serious differences in the fulfillment of the terms of the previous contract. While the Diocese objected to the non-fulfillment of the terms of Agreement by the CST, the CST Fathers too objected to the non-fulfillment of the Agreement, in the sense that they were not yet granted a separate Diocese which was the understanding when they were entrusted with the area. The CST Fathers now also serve the Faridabad Diocese of the Syro-Malabar rite in the same area. While they continue to serve the Parishes they have been serving they are freely expanding their activities under the Syro-Malabar rite. On the other hand, Jalandhar Diocese has speeded up the expansion of stations in the area which was neglected due to the contract made with the CST Congregation.
Website: http://kjcst.com/
3. Order of the Discalced Carmelites (OCD)
Two of the missionaries of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites (OCD) arrived in this Diocese in 1976, on a fact-finding mission. Their stay and experience in this mission seemed to have impressed them, because, on their report, the Malabar Province of the Discalced Carmelites decided to formally commence their work as a group in this Diocese. Accordingly, a contract between the Diocese of Jalandhar and their Provincial was drawn up. They were entrusted with the northern part of the Diocese comprising parts of the civil districts of Hoshiarpur in Himachal Pradesh.
These zealous missionaries lost no time in organizing the work of evangelization. Basing themselves in the already evangelized areas of the Diocese in the district of Hoshiarpur, they concentrated their attention and invested their resources in the practically un-evangelized virgin lands in Himachal Pradesh. It is to the credit of these missionaries that they have broken the hard ground in this area to sow the seed of the Word of God.
Besides preaching the Word of God directly, they have been witnessing to the presence and activity of Jesus through the educational, health and social development centres they opened in the different parts of the districts entrusted to their care. The urgency and enthusiasm with which they have built up Mass centres and mission stations is appreciated by all. There are eighteen zealous priests of this Order currently in the Diocese in the four religious houses looking after thirteen stations in the Hoshiarpur Deanery and only just one diocesan priest looking after a station.
Website: https://www.ocddelhiprovince.com/
4. The Society of St. Francis Xavier (SFX)
The Society of St. Francis Xavier, known as Society of Pilar, is an indigenous Apostolic Society of Pontifical Right with the headquarters in Goa. It has been assisting in pastoral and catechetical work in the border districts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur since 1996. After a gap of three years they have begun their pastoral and missionary activities again from 2008. Presently there are seven priests working in the Diocese. They look after four parishes in the Gurdaspur district. The Society after purchasing a plot of land at Satkoha, in Gurdaspur district, has established their first house in the Diocese of Jalandhar with an educational institution for the benefit of the people of the area. They are engaged in missionary and catechetical work in the Diocese. An agreement regarding their services in the diocese was drawn up on May 21, 2011.
Website: https://www.delhiprovincesfx.com/
5. The Society of St. Paul (SSP)
The Society of St. Paul (SSP) is an international Society of Pontifical Right catering to the Communication Media Apostolate. The Society made their first house at Jalandhar in 2005. After residing in a flat provided by the Diocese for two years they have been able to establish their own house at Maqsudan, in Jalandhar. The newly furnished house and Jyothi Book Centre and Media House at Surya Vihar, Jalandhar was blessed in 2008. One priest and two brothers are working in the Diocese. They visit the schools in Punjab with their bus carrying value education books and audio and video productions dealing with moral values and evangelical stories. The staff and students of our schools are thus enabled to have good resources for reading. The Society members deal exclusively with communication materials and do not engage in any pastoral responsibilities. A proposal to engage them in parish and pastoral services has not found favour with the Society as it is not its charism. However, the Fathers offer assistance at the parish of their residence as and when required.
Website: https://stpauls.in/
6. Franciscan Missionaries of Jesus (FMJ)
Special mention must be made of the Franciscan Missionaries of Jesus since it is a Pious Society founded on October 4, 2015 in Jalandhar by its Bishop, Franco Mulakkal, in view of eventually forming it as a full-fledged Missionary Congregation or Missionary Society of Apostolic Life.
Every Congregation in the Church comes as a response to a felt need. Despite the huge amount of Mission work carried out by the three sui iuris Churches, the Church’s impact on the Indian mind is still little. Even though the caste system has been abolished in India, the caste mind-set is still surviving and the Church community is looked down as a poor working class or low caste community. Even though the Church runs prestigious educational institutions all over India, the Gospel message has not make such a decisive impact to inspire and convert the educated and cultured society. The Church failed in developing contact and communication with the elite of society.
This is the context wherein Bishop Franco Mulakkal received what he perceived as an inspiring vision and inner call to live the mission of St. Francis to “Rebuild My Church” in a different form. With tremendous zeal and daring to serve the Master, he decided to found a new Congregation to cater to this need. The language and the style to be used in addressing the elite community are quite different from that of the poor. The present context in India is threatening and powerfully challenging. So the vision of Rebuilding must be intellectually supported, culturally amplified, spiritually motivated and personally realized in the members of the new Congregation who will have to take up this challenge in the style of Jesus’ preaching of the Word of God directly to the masses, both poor and rich. Public Relations exercises and leadership promotions among the elite like Doctors, Engineers, Civil Service officers and cultural leadership are the need of the hour. With this insight, Bishop Franco Mulakkal got convinced of his inner call to Rebuild My Church in the Indian context with Gospel Simplicity, Franciscan Spirituality and Ecclesial Openness.
With this in mind, Bishop Franco Mulakkal founded the Franciscan Missionaries of Jesus. It was erected on October 4, 2015, with three priests, Fr. Antony Madassery, Fr. Sibi Puthenpura and Fr. Jaimon Kandarappallil as the first followers. They started to live according to The Rules and Life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Assisi. Within a period of four months Fr. Agin Edakkalathur from the Capuchin order, who came to know about the Charism of the Founder joined the Congregation and was included into the forming community by the Founder. Bro. Antony Irudayaraj, who had completed his theological studies, was another aspirant, who had received his diaconate and became the first deacon of the FMJ Congregation and was ordained priest on 14th April 2018. This was the first Ordination of a Franciscan Missionary of Jesus.
The FMJ Generalate was inaugurated on 3rd October 2016. Since the community is meant to have an experience of Gospel Simplicity and Divine Care for the unwanted and the sick, the Generalate community thought of taking care of nine people who do not have a home, parents or relatives to look after them. They live in the Generalate house, living under the same roof, having same facilities and same food. This is to promote the basic self-emptying experience of Jesus as followed by the St. Francis of Assisi accepting poverty (following the crucified Lord Jesus Christ who emptied himself on the cross) as the one of the basic virtues.
Apostolic Nuncio in his response to Bishop Agnelo asked him not to recruit any more students for the same congregation till the case against the founder is not resolved. The priests of the congregation work in different parishes of the diocese.
7. Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (CMF)
With the words “Today a great work begins,” pronounced by Mosén Antonio Claret, gathered with five young priests in a small room of the Seminary of Vic, on July 16, 1849, the life of the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary takes off. The Congregation began its apostolic work in Jalandhar diocese in 2018. The members assist the parish priests to carry out the pastoral activities of the parish. An agreement has been signed with the Congregation detailing the works expected of them in the Diocese.
Website: https://claretiansbangalore.com/
8. Society of St. Eugene de Mazenod (SDM)
The Society of St. Eugene de Mazenod was started by Rev. Fr. Gerard Francis, OMI and is a Diocesan Right Clerical Institute. The Society started doing mission work in Jalandhar diocese from the year 2017 when it sent one priest as an assistant at the Cathedral. Presently he is serving as a Parish Priest. More members are expected to arrive to engage in pastoral and missionary activities in future. Formal Agreement is yet to be signed.
9. Heralds of Good News (HGN)
The Heralds of Good News was erected by Bishop John Mulagada as a clerical missionary association of apostolic life. This missionary society started their ministry in Jalandhar diocese from the year 2017 onwards after entering into agreement with the Diocese with regard to the apostolate. After one year of service as Assistant Parish Priests and learning the local language two priests are working as full time Parish Priests and two as Assistant Parish Priests in three stations. They are expected to establish their own house and community in the near future.
Website: https://heraldsofgoodnews.org/
