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Fransalian International

"Be what you are, Be at its best!"      - St. Francis de Sales

Editorial  Introducing the MSFS St. Francis de Sales  Fr. Peter Memier MSFS in St. Lucia  Fr. Louis Favre General Assembly 1997  Wellspring Fransalian Media Centre  Suvidya College     VISAKHAPATNAM PROVINCE Congress of the FRANCE-SWISS PROVINCE NAGPUR PROVINCE PUNE PROVINCE SOUTH-WEST PROVINCE NORTH-EAST INDIA TANZANIA Vol. 1  January 1999

Fransalian International

The Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales reached India in 1845. In the beginning Visakapatnam mission was only one region. In 1888, Vishakapatnam Mission was divided and the two dioceses of Visakapatnam and Nagpur were established. Then each diocese became a separate region of the MSFS with its own regional superior.

At the General Chapter of 1965, the region of Nagpur was raised to a Province. It assumed the name Maharashtra-Goa Province.

In 1996, the Maharashtra-Goa Province was divided into Nagpur and Pune Provinces. Thus Nagpur again became a Province comprising most of North-India stretching as far as Delhi and beyond.

The Opening in 1898:

St. Joseph's Technical School was opened in 1898 with about a score of destitute famine orphans, with a few tools, in a dilapidated veranda of St. Francis de Sales School dining room. It was a humble beginning meant to keep the famine-stricken boys occupied and doing something useful. Some who showed aptitude were trained to be masons, blacksmiths and carpenters. In a short time their number rose to 35.

1902 onwards:

Fr. Coppel, a member of the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales, who had started the St. Joseph's Technical School, tried to assist backward Anglo-Indian boys under him to train them in carpentry and fitter-work. Later, boys of higher standard of St. Francis de Sales School were regularly sent to the workshop for work experience. This programme had to be discontinued, as the academic curriculum became heavy and demanding.

In 1950, The Archbishop of Nagpur, Rt. Rev. Eugene D'souza, expressed the desire to have a Vocational School. To facilitate the implementation of this proposal, the present building of the Technical School in St. John's School Compound, with spacious workshops, administrative block, classroom and residence for the religious staff members was built in 1969. ITI courses were started to assist the boys not only to have practical training but also to have Diploma and a Certificate that would give them an advantage in the competitive world for jobs. The following ITI trades were started: (Fitter, Turner, Machinist, Electrician).

In 1995 the Institute opened its modern Gymnasium to the public.  In 1996 the department of Computers was inaugurated at the hands of Rev. Fr. Emile Mayoraz.  The Computer Department is one of the best in the town and offers the latest courses at reasonable fees.

In 1997 the Management of the Institute decided to close down the ITI sections of the technical School in a phased manner, following due procedures.

Resigning to the inevitable and learning from the past, the Institute rededicates itself to carry on its commitment to technical education through its various non-formal courses already conducted at the Institute.

As one enters the portals of St. Francis de Sales School at Janakpuri, one experiences an ambience of calm serenity, unthinkable in other – ‘modern day’ educational institutions.  The red brick edifice of the institution stands testimony to the vision of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (well rooted in Annecy, France) whose noble ideas of educating the masses in Janakpuri germinated about two decades ago.  Today this institute of Formal and Non-Formal Education beautifully synthesizes time-tested values with the spirit of social awareness and truly lives upto its motto of knowledge, service and charity.  No wonder the school is proud of the youngsters who reached out and fit into this prestigious niches in society with great aplomb.  The school also has the proud distinction of being the first co-ed missionary school of the capital that provides a launching pad for the interests of 3000 odd boys and girls through the CBSE pattern.

Activities Galore:  The variety of co-curricular and Extra-curricular activities that are planned before the commencement of the academic year, involve mass participa­tion. While inter-house competition, inter-school forays into competitions, quiz programmes, debates and seminars etc., have enriched and widened the horizons of the students besides their stellar achievements.

Values for Ever: The school lays utmost stress on Moral Education which involves one and all in the school through value based programmes like Monthly Themes, Bulletin Board displays, Class Assemblies and Prayer Services - to name a few, besides the regular Value Education Classes.

Audio-Visual Invasion: St. Francis de Sales School has the proud distinction of being the first school in the capital to have a close-circuit T.V. Network in the institution, where beside supplementing the regular teaching of prescribed syllabus, the students are also provided an opportunity to produce direct, act and present their own programmes.

Non Formal Education: The School has a regular Non-Formal Department, which provides training in tailoring, textile design­ing, embroidery, typing and stenography.  It also runs an extension centre in Sitapuri where regular coaching classes for about seventy government school students are conducted. The NFE students, belonging to the lower economic group of Janakpuri are offered exemptions from school fees and other monetary concessions, besides arrangements for various job oriented courses.

Social Service and Literacy Mission: With a view to inculcate social awareness, visits to slums, homes for the aged and the sick are an integral part of the school calendar. SFS has also been in the forefront in working towards the success of 'Literacy Mission' and has been actively sponsoring these activities since its inception.

National Open School: SFS is also an accredited Centre for the National Open School for West Delhi and has registered thousands if students in the past 7 years. The centre provides for facilities of distribu­tion of study materials, marks sheets and certificates while facilitating for the Personal Contact Programme.

Newspaper In Education: SFS is one of the premier institutions where NIE programme of the Times of India started a decade ago with only 15 student members. Today, all the students of High School Section are members of this innovative programme whereby, the students not only get the daily newspaper at concessional rates, but also participate in a number of creative workshops and inter school compe­titions, besides voicing their opinions through the "Times Offspring".

The school strives to achieve its aims through keeping the students physically fit, morally upright, spiritually oriented, emotionally balanced, intellectually in­formed, culturally oriented and socially aware.

What makes the school different is that actually practises what it preaches!

Rita Sawhney (Teacher)

The Inter-religious Satsang, Khamgaon

Dialogue is one of the best means to make Evangelisation a reality.

We went into the Inter-religious dialogue fulfilling the urgent need of the place.  We answer the call:

to ease the tension that exists in Khamgaon by promoting better understanding of various religious traditions to remove the ignorance, suspicions and misunderstanding about the other religions to break up the ghetto mentality of the followers of various religions to promote interaction to usher in peace, love, unity, brotherhood and national integration

The Inter-religious Satsang, Khamgaon is a member of the World Federation of Inter-Religious Council (WFIRC.

Our functioning is on a three-tiered basis:

1. Activities among the adults: Yearly Satsang and Live Together for three days. Experts deliver lectures, moderate workshops and preside over deliberations.  Besides from Khamgaon town people come in large numbers from villages too.  Regular village visits establish and keep contact with core groups in villages.  Common Celebration of feasts help to remove suspicions.  Attending orientation programmes, seminars and conferences on regional and national level are very useful for information and experience.

Regular prayer meetings and study classes are a great power to unite people. Our boarding meant for the village children help us to get and keep in contact with the villagers far and wide. The Inter-religious Housing Colony of fifty families show everyone how to live in harmony. Also we save the poor from the exploiting money lenders by giving interest free loans at the time of sowing.  We have a public library, to promote scientific study of religious.  Already three inter-religious books are published from our centre.

2. Activities among the youth: Training sessions, guidance seminars.  ‘Youth Mahotsav’ and monthly youth gatherings are all annual features.  The youth-students of our hostel get opportunities for inter-religious practices.  Street plays, skits, songs and dances along with video screenings make the activities interesting and inspiring.

3.  Activities among the Children:  Children’s Cultural Mahotsav is ever looked forward to. 

The Great Discovery

"Jai Jesu, Father".  With this solemn greetings the two strangers stood before me and one of them began to tell their story. "We are Adivasis from Rajura in Jalgaon Jamod. We are originally from Khargaon district in M.P.  From there our parents migrated to Rajura. We moved to Jagaon Jamod side in search of agricultural land in the mountain area.  Originally we are Catholics from Pendarna parish in Khandua Diocese. Since twenty two years we have not seen a priest. Our children have never seen a priest - We were eagerly searching for a priest and finally we could reach you".