HISTORY OF THE CONGREGATION:
Franciscan sisters of our lady of Bon Secours Congregation, is one of the first indigenous Congregations in India and has a fascinating prehistory and its origin’s in Pondicherry under an extraordinary situation. In the middle of the 18th century, a young Jesuit, Fr.Gaston Laurence Coeurdon was traveling by boat from France to India. Our Congregation takes its origin from the heart of this zealous Jesuit. Caught up in the middle of his journey by a strong tempest he made a vow to God to establish a Carmel Convent and a Refuge Home, if he were saved from the tempest. On reaching the shore safely, he established a Carmel Convent and developed it. Before he could fulfill his vow fully the Lord called him to eternal rest and Fr.MichaelAnsaldo, S.J. his successor established the Refuge home and called it Bon Secours Convent.
The Refuge Home took care of the poor abandoned women who had no where to go. It should be noted that it also took care of the sick and the old. Hence health care ministry of the Bon Secours Congregation is in its very roots. As a miraculous turn the convent was handed over to the care of MEP Priests from the Jesuits. After years of ups and downs the tiny care home took different shapes and forms, before it settled as a Congregation.
Launey the Historian in his document writes that between 1840 – 1843 there were 23 women in Bon Secours Convent and in their small dispensary 20 to 22 patients were given treatment. This clearly explains that the soul aim of Bon Secours was to care for the sick, the orphans, the abandoned and the destitute. This further strengthens the Medical Mission of the Bon Secours Congregation.
In 1858 Fr.Julian Charles Lehodey MEP, gave a clear shape to the Bon Secours Congregation. He gathered some young girls from the Refuge home, trained them and helped them to pronounce their vows on 17th September 1858. Thus he became the founder and the date became the foundation day of the Bon Secours Congregation.
The founding charism of the congregation was the work of charity exhibited in the caring of orphans, widows, fallen women, old and sick. Thus the Health care and Education ministry of the Bon Secours were interlinked, overlapping, inseparable and partition of the two were impossible. Hence the Health Care Ministry forms an integral part of the founding charism of the Bon Secours Congregation.
After the Congregation was refounded in the Arch-Diocese of Madras Mylapore in 1894, the health care ministry continued in the form of old age homes in kovalam and Perumpannaiyur. The modern medical mission was rejuvenated with the birth of the official health care centre at Dindigul in 1954. More number of personal were allotted for this ministry with training and modern technologies. Health ministry was extended to northern parts of India and abroad like Italy and Germany. At present numerous dispensaries, hospitals and health care centers function in Bon Secours Congregation. Numerous doctors, Nurses and Para-medical staff devote their life to the cause of this noble mission. Now the Ministry has spread its wings to reach great heights.
CHARISM of our congregation: The Charism of our congregation is to be the refuge and support of all those who seek protection and need succor, who are poor, helpless, forsaken and marginalized.
AIM of our congregation: Our aim is the total liberation of the forsaken. In this our lady of Bon Secours remains our model. Imitating her life we seek the downtrodden, the orphans, the abandoned women who have nowhere to go and to empower them through spiritual, social, health care, education and other welfare apostolates.
CHARACTER: In our life we excel in the three fold mission of witnessing, fraternity and service. Thus we become replicas of Our Lady of Bon Secours, serving in accordance with our traditional character to help all who seek and need our help and take refuge, depending on their needs.
OUR SPIRITUALITY consists in living our father St. Francis’ burning love for God, the poverty of the Gospel, his respect for manual labour and his love for creation.
Religious life is a special gift given to us by God. By accepting and living this way of life we dedicate our whole lives to God’s service.
APOSTOLIC ACTION is the very nature of our Congregation. We dedicate ourselves to the service of the poor and destitute. We do concentrate on the apostolate of people’s health care and we show interest in the total welfare of the human person.