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| Vision | History | Apostolate | Patroness | Presences | Activities | Province Map | Contact Us | Feedback |
Apostolate
Introduction
The Church in Northeast India is relatively a young Church. It is about a hundred and thirteen years old. The Centenary (1890-1990) of the coming of the Faith was celebrated in 1990 in Shillong. In this short span of years the Church has grown by leaps and bounds and has been aptly termed as the Missionary Miracle! The Salesians of Don Bosco have had a lion’s share in this extraordinary growth. For about four decades they spearheaded the evangelizing mission of the Church making inroads into tribal cultures bringing about socio-cultural transformation.
Evangelizing mission
Since the arrival of the German Salvatorians (Society of the Divine Word – SVD) to the Northeast in 1890, the primary concern has been mission ad gentes. The first twenty-five years of the history of the Catholic Church in the Northeast may be termed as the Golden era of the Salvatorians. The “Sowers” (Salvatorians) came and sowed the tiny seed of the Kingdom in the virgin soils of Shillong. Their inexhaustible missionary zeal, indefatigable faith in Divine Providence and ardent love for the Word of God saw the establishment of a number of mission stations. Notwithstanding the loss of their pioneering leaders to the cruel angel of death within a few months, they forged ahead sowing seeds of faith relentlessly. The credit of having planted the Church on a firm foundation must go to the SVDs: They were the first to preach the Catholic Faith methodically and perseveringly; They were pioneers; they were trailblazers; they were the first to form Indian Christian Communities both in the hills and the plains. Indeed, the seeds had all fallen on good and fertile soil! The future looked bright. Unfortunately, the World War I of 1914 brought England and Germany into armed conflict. The German Missionaries were ordered out of India’s Northeast the very next year (1915), leaving the tiny flock shepherdless.
The Jesuits (1915-1922) from Calcutta were immediately rushed to Shillong to tend the flock. In the same year, the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions (RNDM) from Dhaka joined the Jesuit missions. Under the charismatic leadership of Fr. Paul Lefebvre, the missions continued to flourish. The Jesuits continued to water the nascent Church and God continued to give the growth.
In 1922, the Assam mission was entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco. They inherited a very fertile field of apostolate. For about four decades they spearheaded the evangelical mission in the region. That tiny Seed of Faith planted by the SVDs and watered by the Jesuits continued to be “planted and watered” by the Salesians. Gradually the Seed grew into a mighty tree. God generously blessed the land with plentiful harvest! The specific Salesian missionary methodology worked miracles and was rewarded with rich dividends: Every mission station was well established with Presbytery, School, Convent, Boarding for both boys and girls, etc. These were the real cradles of local Vocations. Little wonder, therefore, that the Church can today boast of eleven dioceses with six tribal bishops, which speak volumes about Church growth. Local lay leaders were given special attention and gradually there emerged leaders in public life too. Local catechists must be allotted a place of pride. These are the unsung heroes, foot soldiers as it were, the actual “frontline missionaries,” who must be credited with the spread of the Gospel. The pioneering foreign missionaries recruited local vocations from south India, especially from Kerala. This was a ‘Missionary boom’, which saw the Gospel spreading to every nook and corner of the Northeast. The founding of the first female indigenous Congregation – The Missionaries Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC) by Bishop Stephen Ferrando in 1942 gave a fillip to this vibrant Church.
The Province has always been committed to social transformation through education, health care, youth apostolate, etc. Though the tempo of mission ad gentes may have slowed down a bit but it has not altogether lost sight of its concern for Primary evangelization. Today efforts are on to strengthen Faith Communities through a systematic faith formation. The number of faith formators is on the rise.
Education
Evangelization and Education, we may note, are two sides of the same coin. They go hand in hand. We evangelize as we educate, we educate as we evangelize! As mentioned earlier, this has been part of our missionary methodology. Since the beginning of our Missions, education played a great role in the development of our peoples. The history of the missions saw the simultaneous growth of both evangelisation and that of education. Education has always been a progressive process seeking the all-round development of the educand: intellectual, physical, moral/religious, social, psychological, aesthetic, etc. Schools (Primary, Middle, Secondary, Higher Secondary) and Colleges (Junior) have been at the vanguard of intellectual activity. A network of Schools (of both mediums - English and Vernacular) throughout the province caters to about 30,000 students or so. The two degree colleges and a Junior college cater to about five thousand students. The introduction of a B.Ed College marks the beginning of another phase of educational initiative.
We have made a mark in the field of education. And the mark is got to do with teacher-student relationships, parent-teacher relationships, the student-parent relationships, the management-society partnership, etc. Herein comes the role of the Salesian Educative Community. Education therefore becomes the activity of a ‘community’ i.e., it involves people: the management, the headmaster, the teachers, the parents/guardians, the pupils, the social milieu (environment) and the school curriculum.
The preference for education in Christian schools is not only for general discipline but also and most importantly, because of the conducive atmosphere wherein teaching-learning takes place. In the context of the Northeast, every Christian school is a Don Bosco school for the general public. It has a tradition of excellence, commitment and success.
In the field of Non Formal Education (NFE), too, efforts have not been spared. Presently we run six NFE centres catering especially to the deprived rural youth. The skills they learn enable them to make a new beginning.
Vocational Training: These are carried out in the two Technical schools (Guwahati and Shillong) of the province. The Don Bosco Institute at Kharghuli offers various Computer Courses, which are skill-based and life-enhancing.
Youth Pastoral Ministry
Youth Ministry has occupied a pride of place in the overall apostolate of the Province. Linguistic and cultural pluralism calls for training of personnel from different cultural background as there are people. Through the Youth Pastoral Team, a commendable apostolate is being carried reaching out to as many youths as possible. A systematic Youth Ministry began with Don Bosco Youth Mission (DBYM) in the late 80s. In the early nineties, this was re-christened as the present Don Bosco Youth Mission and Educational Services (DBYES).
In the past decade, DBYES has carries forward youth services to a wider horizon. In the process it has also consolidated itself greatly. As the consolidation continues, its services too are on the increase. To quite a large ‘professionalism’, expertise and efficiency has been injected into it. Experience is the best teacher. DBYES has been its own teacher. It has learnt from its own experiences. The moment one stops learning from his/her own experiences, one stops growing! The short history of DBYES is that it has never stopped learning! It continues “growing” by the day. In the current year, DBYES has been shifted to the new and sprawling complex at Kharghuli, Guwahati.
Don Bosco Institute (which houses the DBYES), perched on a little hillock overlooking the picturesque Brahmaputra is a catalyst in the youth development scenario of the Northeast. With its vision of Building Dreams, Shaping Lives of the young, it hopes to lure the unemployed youth to a life of dignity, self-respect and self-employment. It is committed to giving them a bright and blissful future they can call their own! The Institute offers both short and long term Computer Courses as part of its Vocational training programme. However, the predilection is for the poorer tribal youths of the entire Northeast. Initiation of different departments are in the offing: Education, YouthCare, Management, Teacher Training, Research, Consultancy, Coaching for Civil Services (IAS, IPS), CAT, MAT, JAT, AIEEE, P.O/BANKING, etc.
Besides the above-mentioned services, the Institute facilitates the gathering of the ‘think-tank’ through symposiums, seminars, colloquiums, etc. It is a perfect ‘getaway’ for the intelligentsia who are interested in making a tangible contribution towards social transformation. Its networking with the Government agencies, the NGOs, and like-minded organizations make it an enviable NGO.
The YouthCare department caters to both urban and rural youth. The target group are the youth: urban, rural, literate, illiterate, boys and girls irrespective of any consideration of religion, language, tribe, etc. A series of youth programmes have been designed to reach out to the rural youth. The rural Youth Development Centres (YDCs) are the nodal agencies for mobilising and implementing the programmes. Hence, school/college going youth as well as those in the villages do benefit from these services.
Snehalayas: A network of Snehalayas (houses of love) caters to the youth on the street! These are the most in need of any service that any government agency or any NGO can offer! The opening of Snehalaya Auxilium and Snehalaya Jyoti in collaboration with the members of the Salesian Family, offers solace to the girls. Though this venture is still at the initial stage, nonetheless, it has already acquired a base at Dhirenpara, from where to branch out in search of needy youth.
Developmental Activities
Bosco Reach-Out (BRO) as the name suggests tries to “reach out” to the most needy portion of society at large. It is the social work wing of the Province. Since its inception it has involved itself whole-heartedly in the field of social activity especially in the rural areas. BRO is headquartered at Ulubari in the heart of Guwahati city. But it has branch offices all over the province.
BRO’s social involvement is as varied as there are situations. It is an NGO of repute, which spearheads People’s Movements by initiating Self Help Groups (SHGs), Women’s Empowerment, Conflict Resolution, Cooperatives, Saving Schemes, etc. In times of emergencies like floods, it rushes relief to the affected.
However, the hub of activity is the Rural Research and Training Centre (RRTC) at Umran, which is about 40 Kilometres before Shillong. It is an idyllic location surrounded by the evergreen pine forests typical of Meghalaya. Its sprawling farm, which comprises a few hundred acres, is an ideal training ground any organization would vie for. Some of the trainings imparted include Agricultural produce, Livestock management (Piggery, Poultry, Rabbitry, Duckery, Cattle farm), Fishery (induced breeding, hatchery), Gardening, Vermi-compost, Mushroom cultivation, Bee-Keeping, etc. To satisfy the taste buds, a variety of pickles are also being bottled and marketed.
The training programmes have caught the imagination of people all over. Hence, there is a rush of people to undergo trainings throughout the year. The government agencies and other NGOs too are entering into partnership with BRO in bringing about innovative ideas to effect change in people’s lives. These programmes instil self-confidence, build up skills, empower the weak and enable people to stand on their own feet.
Conclusion: We can conclude with certainty that in every sphere of human development, the province is ever committed to bringing about far reaching changes for the better. It is in the for front of progress when it comes to better the lot of those in need: the young, the marginalized, those in need.
The Church in Northeast India is relatively a young Church. It is about a hundred and thirteen years old. The Centenary (1890-1990) of the coming of the Faith was celebrated in 1990 in Shillong. In this short span of years the Church has grown by leaps and bounds and has been aptly termed as the Missionary Miracle! The Salesians of Don Bosco have had a lion’s share in this extraordinary growth. For about four decades they spearheaded the evangelizing mission of the Church making inroads into tribal cultures bringing about socio-cultural transformation.
Evangelizing mission
Since the arrival of the German Salvatorians (Society of the Divine Word – SVD) to the Northeast in 1890, the primary concern has been mission ad gentes. The first twenty-five years of the history of the Catholic Church in the Northeast may be termed as the Golden era of the Salvatorians. The “Sowers” (Salvatorians) came and sowed the tiny seed of the Kingdom in the virgin soils of Shillong. Their inexhaustible missionary zeal, indefatigable faith in Divine Providence and ardent love for the Word of God saw the establishment of a number of mission stations. Notwithstanding the loss of their pioneering leaders to the cruel angel of death within a few months, they forged ahead sowing seeds of faith relentlessly. The credit of having planted the Church on a firm foundation must go to the SVDs: They were the first to preach the Catholic Faith methodically and perseveringly; They were pioneers; they were trailblazers; they were the first to form Indian Christian Communities both in the hills and the plains. Indeed, the seeds had all fallen on good and fertile soil! The future looked bright. Unfortunately, the World War I of 1914 brought England and Germany into armed conflict. The German Missionaries were ordered out of India’s Northeast the very next year (1915), leaving the tiny flock shepherdless.
The Jesuits (1915-1922) from Calcutta were immediately rushed to Shillong to tend the flock. In the same year, the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions (RNDM) from Dhaka joined the Jesuit missions. Under the charismatic leadership of Fr. Paul Lefebvre, the missions continued to flourish. The Jesuits continued to water the nascent Church and God continued to give the growth.
In 1922, the Assam mission was entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco. They inherited a very fertile field of apostolate. For about four decades they spearheaded the evangelical mission in the region. That tiny Seed of Faith planted by the SVDs and watered by the Jesuits continued to be “planted and watered” by the Salesians. Gradually the Seed grew into a mighty tree. God generously blessed the land with plentiful harvest! The specific Salesian missionary methodology worked miracles and was rewarded with rich dividends: Every mission station was well established with Presbytery, School, Convent, Boarding for both boys and girls, etc. These were the real cradles of local Vocations. Little wonder, therefore, that the Church can today boast of eleven dioceses with six tribal bishops, which speak volumes about Church growth. Local lay leaders were given special attention and gradually there emerged leaders in public life too. Local catechists must be allotted a place of pride. These are the unsung heroes, foot soldiers as it were, the actual “frontline missionaries,” who must be credited with the spread of the Gospel. The pioneering foreign missionaries recruited local vocations from south India, especially from Kerala. This was a ‘Missionary boom’, which saw the Gospel spreading to every nook and corner of the Northeast. The founding of the first female indigenous Congregation – The Missionaries Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC) by Bishop Stephen Ferrando in 1942 gave a fillip to this vibrant Church.
The Province has always been committed to social transformation through education, health care, youth apostolate, etc. Though the tempo of mission ad gentes may have slowed down a bit but it has not altogether lost sight of its concern for Primary evangelization. Today efforts are on to strengthen Faith Communities through a systematic faith formation. The number of faith formators is on the rise.
Education
Evangelization and Education, we may note, are two sides of the same coin. They go hand in hand. We evangelize as we educate, we educate as we evangelize! As mentioned earlier, this has been part of our missionary methodology. Since the beginning of our Missions, education played a great role in the development of our peoples. The history of the missions saw the simultaneous growth of both evangelisation and that of education. Education has always been a progressive process seeking the all-round development of the educand: intellectual, physical, moral/religious, social, psychological, aesthetic, etc. Schools (Primary, Middle, Secondary, Higher Secondary) and Colleges (Junior) have been at the vanguard of intellectual activity. A network of Schools (of both mediums - English and Vernacular) throughout the province caters to about 30,000 students or so. The two degree colleges and a Junior college cater to about five thousand students. The introduction of a B.Ed College marks the beginning of another phase of educational initiative.
We have made a mark in the field of education. And the mark is got to do with teacher-student relationships, parent-teacher relationships, the student-parent relationships, the management-society partnership, etc. Herein comes the role of the Salesian Educative Community. Education therefore becomes the activity of a ‘community’ i.e., it involves people: the management, the headmaster, the teachers, the parents/guardians, the pupils, the social milieu (environment) and the school curriculum.
The preference for education in Christian schools is not only for general discipline but also and most importantly, because of the conducive atmosphere wherein teaching-learning takes place. In the context of the Northeast, every Christian school is a Don Bosco school for the general public. It has a tradition of excellence, commitment and success.
In the field of Non Formal Education (NFE), too, efforts have not been spared. Presently we run six NFE centres catering especially to the deprived rural youth. The skills they learn enable them to make a new beginning.
Vocational Training: These are carried out in the two Technical schools (Guwahati and Shillong) of the province. The Don Bosco Institute at Kharghuli offers various Computer Courses, which are skill-based and life-enhancing.
Youth Pastoral Ministry
Youth Ministry has occupied a pride of place in the overall apostolate of the Province. Linguistic and cultural pluralism calls for training of personnel from different cultural background as there are people. Through the Youth Pastoral Team, a commendable apostolate is being carried reaching out to as many youths as possible. A systematic Youth Ministry began with Don Bosco Youth Mission (DBYM) in the late 80s. In the early nineties, this was re-christened as the present Don Bosco Youth Mission and Educational Services (DBYES).
In the past decade, DBYES has carries forward youth services to a wider horizon. In the process it has also consolidated itself greatly. As the consolidation continues, its services too are on the increase. To quite a large ‘professionalism’, expertise and efficiency has been injected into it. Experience is the best teacher. DBYES has been its own teacher. It has learnt from its own experiences. The moment one stops learning from his/her own experiences, one stops growing! The short history of DBYES is that it has never stopped learning! It continues “growing” by the day. In the current year, DBYES has been shifted to the new and sprawling complex at Kharghuli, Guwahati.
Don Bosco Institute (which houses the DBYES), perched on a little hillock overlooking the picturesque Brahmaputra is a catalyst in the youth development scenario of the Northeast. With its vision of Building Dreams, Shaping Lives of the young, it hopes to lure the unemployed youth to a life of dignity, self-respect and self-employment. It is committed to giving them a bright and blissful future they can call their own! The Institute offers both short and long term Computer Courses as part of its Vocational training programme. However, the predilection is for the poorer tribal youths of the entire Northeast. Initiation of different departments are in the offing: Education, YouthCare, Management, Teacher Training, Research, Consultancy, Coaching for Civil Services (IAS, IPS), CAT, MAT, JAT, AIEEE, P.O/BANKING, etc.
Besides the above-mentioned services, the Institute facilitates the gathering of the ‘think-tank’ through symposiums, seminars, colloquiums, etc. It is a perfect ‘getaway’ for the intelligentsia who are interested in making a tangible contribution towards social transformation. Its networking with the Government agencies, the NGOs, and like-minded organizations make it an enviable NGO.
The YouthCare department caters to both urban and rural youth. The target group are the youth: urban, rural, literate, illiterate, boys and girls irrespective of any consideration of religion, language, tribe, etc. A series of youth programmes have been designed to reach out to the rural youth. The rural Youth Development Centres (YDCs) are the nodal agencies for mobilising and implementing the programmes. Hence, school/college going youth as well as those in the villages do benefit from these services.
Snehalayas: A network of Snehalayas (houses of love) caters to the youth on the street! These are the most in need of any service that any government agency or any NGO can offer! The opening of Snehalaya Auxilium and Snehalaya Jyoti in collaboration with the members of the Salesian Family, offers solace to the girls. Though this venture is still at the initial stage, nonetheless, it has already acquired a base at Dhirenpara, from where to branch out in search of needy youth.
Developmental Activities
Bosco Reach-Out (BRO) as the name suggests tries to “reach out” to the most needy portion of society at large. It is the social work wing of the Province. Since its inception it has involved itself whole-heartedly in the field of social activity especially in the rural areas. BRO is headquartered at Ulubari in the heart of Guwahati city. But it has branch offices all over the province.
BRO’s social involvement is as varied as there are situations. It is an NGO of repute, which spearheads People’s Movements by initiating Self Help Groups (SHGs), Women’s Empowerment, Conflict Resolution, Cooperatives, Saving Schemes, etc. In times of emergencies like floods, it rushes relief to the affected.
However, the hub of activity is the Rural Research and Training Centre (RRTC) at Umran, which is about 40 Kilometres before Shillong. It is an idyllic location surrounded by the evergreen pine forests typical of Meghalaya. Its sprawling farm, which comprises a few hundred acres, is an ideal training ground any organization would vie for. Some of the trainings imparted include Agricultural produce, Livestock management (Piggery, Poultry, Rabbitry, Duckery, Cattle farm), Fishery (induced breeding, hatchery), Gardening, Vermi-compost, Mushroom cultivation, Bee-Keeping, etc. To satisfy the taste buds, a variety of pickles are also being bottled and marketed.
The training programmes have caught the imagination of people all over. Hence, there is a rush of people to undergo trainings throughout the year. The government agencies and other NGOs too are entering into partnership with BRO in bringing about innovative ideas to effect change in people’s lives. These programmes instil self-confidence, build up skills, empower the weak and enable people to stand on their own feet.
Conclusion: We can conclude with certainty that in every sphere of human development, the province is ever committed to bringing about far reaching changes for the better. It is in the for front of progress when it comes to better the lot of those in need: the young, the marginalized, those in need.