History of Pune Province

The Pune Province was constituted on 10th August 1996. The expanding Maharashtra-Goa Province was bifurcated into the Pune and Nagpur Province to enhance growth in personnel and apostolic effectiveness. The new Pune Province consists of the Dioceses of Belgaum, Goa, Pune, Bombay and the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Punjab. This Province which launched out with forty-eight priests, two brothers and a few scholastics and candidates, today has sixty-one priests, four brothers, sixty-six scholastics and around fifty fresh candidates.

The first Provincial, Fr. Jerson D'Souza, took charge of the administration on 10th August 1996. The initial difficulties did not deter the first Provincial Congress from accepting the task of consolidation of the mission at hand. With dedicated zeal and clarity of vision, Fr. Jerson, through his leadership of three consecutive terms of three years each was able to build up a fervent and energetic Province. A few rural missions were added and the existing ones were further stabilized.

The Province activities include areas of education, parish missions, preaching ministry, youth apostolate, literacy programme, rehabilitation of street children, ministry to the physically and partially mental handicapped children, empowerment programme for village women and other social apostolates as needed in the mission places and its people. Mission centres located in the remote rural areas of India and economically and socially backward are also under the purview of the Province.

The Province has signed new contracts for evangelizing work with Bishops, in the dioceses of Salem in Tamil Nadu, Ajmer-Jaipur in Rajasthan, Broken Bay, and Sydney, Australia. The province is also aware of the global mission of the Congregation and the Church. Hence it is committed to provide personnel assistance to missions in Chile and Brazil in South America.

Decree of Erection

The "Decree of Erection of Two Provinces from the Province of M-G promulgated by the Superior General, Rev. Fr. Emile Mayoraz, on 15th August 1995", states: (Number 10)

"All confreres of the undivided M-G Province are consulted by secret ballot for the appointment of the two Provincials. This process of consultation for appointment of Provincials should be completed by October-November 1995, so that the outgoing Provincial and the two Provincials can work together on the detailed modalities of the division of the Province, before the two Provinces come into existence, respectively on the 10th August 1996 and on the 15th August 1996"

Pune Province at a Glance