MSMHC

MISSIONARY SISTERS OF MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS

The Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC), the first indigenous Congregation in North East India was founded on October 24, 1942, at Guwahati, Assam by His Excellency Stephen Ferrando, SDB, the then Bishop of Shillong. The Congregation has six provinces in India and a delegation in Italy. The provincial headquarters are at Bangalore, Guwahati, Kolkata, Shillong, Tinsukia and Tezpur and the delegation headquarter is at Africa and Italy. It has over 1410 members belonging to 75 ethnic groups working in 237 centres in India and 13 in other countries.

MSMHC - MOTTO 2025

REMAIN IN MY LOVE

JN 15:9

Mary Help of Christians

Bishop Stephen Ferrando

Sr. Christine Mynsong

Our Patron

Our Founder

Superior General

PROVINCES & DELEGATIONS

COUNTRIES

ETHNIC GROUPS

CENTRES

MEMBERS

RELIGIOUS & LAY PEOPLE INVOLVED

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From the Superior General's Desk

JUBILEE YEAR: Embarking on a Fresh Journey

As we embark upon an all-fresh journey, a pilgrimage of the Jubilee Year 2025, we are challenged to embrace a moment of profound reflection and spiritual renewal as pilgrims of hope. This year is a significant milestone for the Universal Church, as we are blessed with an opportunity to celebrate the unity, faith, and tireless spirit of every believer in Christ. The Jubilee Year invites us to pause, to reflect on the blessings we have received, and to look forward with renewed hope and commitment to the future.

Together, as the MSMHC and as members of the Church, we reflect on our past with gratitude, mindful of the countless ways God has led us thus far, and we step into the future with hearts full of trust and dedication. The Word of God calls us to recognize the moments of grace in our lives, and in this Jubilee Year, we are reminded of the call to “remember the former things of old” (Isaiah 46:9) while trusting that God is doing “a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19). That is hope. Though we are looking back on the blessings of the past, yet the call is not to live in the past alone, but to look forward with hope, for the Lord promises that His plans for us are filled with a future full of hope and prosperity (cf. Jeremiah
29:11).

The Jubilee Year offers us the grace to deepen our connection with God and one another. First of all, it is a pilgrimage: we are making a journey together, not m e r e l y a s u n c o n n e c t e d c o – passengers or tourists, but as persons of faith, as brothers and sisters of one family of God. Secondly, it is a journey of hope – a time to renew our hearts and minds in Christ, notwithstanding the n u m e r o u s c r i s e s t h a t c o u l d possibly be ravaging our world and our communities of faith. The programmes and events that will unfold across our communities this year are opportunities to bear witness to the strength of our shared faith. These efforts whether in prayer, community action, or service to others will not only bring us closer to one another but will extend the love of Christ to those in need, spreading hope around wherever we are. And as in the words of St. Paul, this “hope shall not deceive us” (Romans 5:5), and it is this love that forms the foundation of our mission.

As we celebrate this Jubilee Year, let us remember that the essence of a Jubilee is not only a celebration of the past 25 years or the 2025 years, but also a moment of renewal of our commitment to live the Gospel with a deeper sense. A pilgrimage of hope, is a call to a life of relationship with God, with each other, in service, sacrifice, and transformation. This pilgrimage is going to be a time for each of us to grow in love, compassion, and optimism. It is our time to extend our hands in communion to each other to form communities, true communities of faith and hope, to broaden our mission as we continue to walk the path of discipleship in hope. The Jubilee Year invites us to reawaken the gifts God has bestowed upon us, to embrace new opportunities for growth, and to contribute to the ever-expanding circle of love and support within our MSMHC communities.

Just as Jesus taught us to love not only in words but through action, let this year be a year of tangible expressions of hope. May this be a year where we seek to grow evermore like Christ, to renew our hearts, and to build up the Reign that Jesus wanted so much to be implanted on earth!

Together, let us enter this Jubilee Year with gratitude, joy, a renewed commitment to live our calling, and above all with hope that we have what it takes to live our call to the full. May it inspire each of us to embrace new opportunities for growth and transformation, as we work towards filling this world with hope! Through the grace of God, may we continue to strengthen the bonds that unite us, making this Jubilee Year a true witness to the enduring power of faith and the Gospel of hope.

Sr. Christine Mynsong
Superior General

Bishop Stephen Ferrando - Our Founder

“Rejoice always in the Lord and fear nothing”

Stephen Ferrando was born as the second of the three children to Mrs. Josephine Salvi and Mr. Augustine Ferrando on 28th September 1895 at Rossiglione in the Province of Genova, Italy. He had an elder sister named Maria who was two years older than him and a younger brother John Baptist who was three years younger to him. Born and brought up in a pious and hardworking middle class family Stephen Ferrando acquired those traits in his life. He said “From my family I received a rich heritage; a great love for God and Madonna, spirit of sacrifice and a temperament inclined for joy”. Being very simple and serene, though smart Stephen was a victim of the pranks of his companions who loved to make fun of him in his childhood days. He was able to laugh at his own follies and never took offence when he was laughed at. Often he sought to be alone and reflective. He appeared to be an ordinary boy that no one speculated on what he would become in the future. He did his early schooling in his own village, Rossiglione. On 9 October 1904 he was admitted to Salesian boarding school at Fossano. He was enrolled to Don Bosco’s own Oratory, at Valdocco, Turin for the Middle School Education. He was admitted to the Salesian School at Valdocco on 24 October 1907 and remained there till 24 July 1909. He was a person of great discipline and etiquette. His teachers loved him for his calm and simple nature and for his obedience and cheerful disposition. He was much sought after by his companions for fun and humour. While at Valdocco he had the opportunity of knowing personally some of the outstanding Salesians like, Fr. Paul Albera, Fr. Philip Rinaldi. Here he entered cheerfully and generously into the round of the various activities that bound him and his companions together. His close contact with the Salesians at Valdocco most of whom personally knew Don Bosco, possessed the warmth and love infused by Don Bosco and enthused by the challenging motto of Don Bosco “Give me souls and take away the rest” he expressed to his superiors his desire to become a Salesian priest. Later when he went home he expressed his desire to his parents too who were very happy to support their beloved son to pursue his desire and encouraged him in his studies. Though they had to put up with financial constrains and make lot of sacrifices…

Pope Francis - Our Holiness

On Prayer: “Christ is not far away but is always in relationship with us“.

“We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.” “We will never be disillusioned or lose our way if we are guided by God.”

OVERSEAS MISSION HIGHLIGHTS

FERRANDO DELEGATION - AFRICA

ITALIAN DELEGATION

NEWS AND EVENTS - AT A GLANCE

SERVICES WE PROVIDE

EVANGELIZATION

HEALTH CARE

SOCIAL APOSTOLATE

Being true to the vision and mission of our Founder and the congregation as a whole the sisters engage themselves in various ministries and reach out to people of all walks of life irrespective of caste, creed, age, gender and linguistic barriers and notwithstanding the heat and cold, oppositions and rejections, with the sole aim of spreading the Word of God and His Kingdom. In collaboration with the parish priests, the Sisters visit the families and bring solace to the people.

Following the exhortation of our Founder, “care of sick is the ‘fifth Gospel’ we engage ourselves in holistic healing through health centres, dispensaries and mobile clinics. Attention is given to preventive measures through immunization and awareness programmes on health and hygiene and encourage the use of herbal home grown medicines. We extend our service to the remotest areas, where no access to primary health centres, and reach out whenever emergency calls.

Social Apostolate is to make Healing Ministry and Social Action creative and effective. The role of Social Apostolate in the Mission of Evangelization is that, we are evangelizing persons, who are subject to social and economic condition. We have Dispensaries, Vocational Training Centre, Rehabilitation Centre for the physically challenged, Rehabilitation Centre for the Drug Addicts, Women Development Centre and we are dynamically involved in the Domestic Workers Movement.

PUT GOD FIRST (PROV.3:6)

EDUCATION

CARE FOR DISABLED

YOUTH MINISTRY

Through the apostolate of education the Congregation aims at imparting value- based education for the harmonious development of the physical, moral and intellectual endowments of the children, forming them to be integrated persons to emulate in every strata of life. The students are given quality education irrespective of their caste, creed and economic background so that they can become a better person in their future.

We give special care for the differently abled – providing educative, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services to persons with various disabilities. At present, we have two schools meant for the hearing impaired. The extra love and care the children receive help them bloom beautifully despite their physical disabilities. The children are also trained with vocational skills to help them stand on their own.

The YAC Movement plays a vital role in the life of a young student where students from our schools enroll themselves in the Movement. The YAC under the guidance of the Animators share much in our mission of evangelization by attending and conducting prayer services, participating church Choir, play the role of leaders in schools, tour villages, visit families and even get involved in preaching.

RESOURCE CENTRES

BETHEL PRAYER CENTRE

Bethel Prayer Centre, established on 16 February 2006 is run by the MSMHC. It is located in the beautiful bank of the Umiam Lake in Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya. The Centre has a wonderful ambience for prayer and reflection. Constructed amidst the awe-inspiring environment, the Centre has pleasantly fashioned rooms with balconies, porches and walkways. It provides facilities for organizing prayer services, retreats, workshops and seminars. The Centre is set up mainly to meet the spiritual and faith education needs of the religious and lay people of the region.

CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES (CDI)

The Centre for Development Initiatives (CDI) is a social wing of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC) committed to empower the marginalised communities of the society, especially women and children. The task of CDI is to act as the co-ordinating body in the social and development work of the entire Congregation, providing expertise, guidance and facilitation to the Provinces and Delegation. Registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860, it works for the development of the exploited and voiceless women, girls and children, that it bases its activities on the foundation of human and social values.

FERRANDO INSTITUTE OF SPIRITUALITY (FIS)

Ferrando Institute of Spirituality (FIS), founded on 20 June 2009, a daring venture of the Congregation is the first of its kind in Northeast India. Its first Director was Sr. Philomena Mathew. It has a programme of studies meant mainly to prepare missionaries, Formators, educators and leaders. It also provide opportunities for the on-going formation of the sisters.
Ferrando Institute of Spirituality consists of the following five departments: Department of Diploma in MSMHC Spirituality, Department of Master’s Degree in MSMHC Spirituality, Department of History, Department of on-going Formation, Department of Publication