Tacanitas

The Taañitas village is situated 230 km far from the provine of Santiago del Estero nd 30 Km. far from Añatuya city. It is a pakka village founded in the year 1905. Most of the people were working in the railway and in preparing charcol. Few material houses and many were small mud houses. Many peope were going to the secta (other doctrines preached by some lay people).

The idea of starting the 2nd house in Argentina (Tacañitas) was expressed by the Bishop Jorge Gottau to Sr. Andrea when she went with the sisters to visit the pilmage place of “Señor de los milagros de Mailin” on a feast day which is situated 50km. from Añatuya city. He expressed his preocupatin and pity for those people, Since many years a lay misionary was attending the social and spiritual needs of those people and suddenly due to health condition she was leaving the place. Mother Andrea the vice general of that time accepted the project and consulted to the mother General Marie Henriette. She approves the project since Srs. Mariamma Joseph and Bridget D´Souza were arriving to the country as missionaries in March 1985. Since then two sisters among the six started to do a week mission once a monthover here. Srs. Mariamma Joseph and Bridget D’souza were preparing for their perpetual vows for this occasion M. Marie Henriette the superior general arrives to Argentina in the month of August 1985. She was very much moved seeing the poverty and the misery of these people so she promised the help from abraod for the construccion of the sisters house in Tacañitas.

The construccion work was finished in 1986. On 24/2/1986 Srs. Andrea and Bridget arrived to see the construccion and for their surprise it was fineshed. Bishops house purchased all that was needed to equip the house. On 3rd March 1986 Srs.Andrea D’Souza, Mariamma Joseph and Bridget D´Souza started to live in this community and started their apostolate. On 8th June the house was inaugurated and since sr. Andrea had to leave for Belgium and Sr. Benedicta arrived to the country the new transfers took place. Srs. Anacletus, Alice and Mariamma Joseph formed the community of Tacañitas and Srs.Elizabeth, Benedicta and Bridget formed the community of El Colorado the first house.

Finally, the long-awaited day arrived, September 12, when the blessing of the Regional House, which is also a house of formation, took place. It began with the Eucharistic celebration in the San Jose Chapel, during which the taking of the habit of SisterOlga del Valle Truccone was celebrated. The first vocation of the congregation in Argentina. After the celebration of the Mass presided by Bishop Ramon Artemio Staffolani, Bishop of Rio Cuarto, the blessing of the house was performed. Srs. Ignatious and Bernadine did the ribbon cutting. On this occasion priests, religious, friends, architects, workers and neighbors accompanied us.

In the begining srs. Were dedicating in teaching the catechism, visiting the families and teach the people stiching and knitting etc. As well giving formation to the youth, to a group of charity fund members and to the catequists. As the year passed we started to visit the sub stations primary schools and prepared the children for Baptism, communion and confirmation. We also started taking the image of our lady to visit the houses, praying the rosary and giving them a word of God. Since there was no priest in the place people used to have a mass only on Sunday. Priest used to come from Añatuya city. Thus people cultivated their own devotion and sprituality such as cult to the saints and organizing pilgrimages to different places to visit our lady and saints too.

In Tacañitas they had a small image of our Lady of Mercy and all the people had great devotion towards her. Every year on 23rd September all the substation people as well all the sorrounding places people gather together in Tacañitas to give honour to our lady of Mercy during whole night by prayng the rosary, dancing and eating in open area where they used to have this festival. Many priests and lay misionary groups had been accompanying these people and keeping alive their faith by being here a week or so during the year.

With the help of the Bishops house we started to have midday meal programme for the poor children, built wells to collect the roof water, irradicated most of the ranchos (mud houses) and built matrial houses, and gradually in 2000 we started a secondary school with much difficultes and sacrifices. Sr.Theresa D’Silva takes inicative of starting the secondary school when the government said that no more we can continue the knitting and stiching centers. She had been the first headmistress of this sschool in Tacañitas. Our thanks go to our many benefactors of Germany, Belgium and Argenina. We started the school with 35 children and today by Gods blessing we have 145 children and 23 staff members, it is a rcognized secondary school by the Government. We maintainance of the school is done by organizing lucky dip and so on with the colaboration of the professors and children.

When we reached this village there were only 900 people and today it is 3500 people are living in this village. Now there is electricity, playgrounds, shops, public transport, butchers shop, super markets and it is progressed a lot. All people have a good house aequipped with modern technology and majority are self sufficient since the Government helps every family and every child. Now there are roads to reach each house and many people are wanting to come and live in this village since there is a secondary college and other benefits. Parents want to educate their children and they know the value of it.

Our presence is highly appriciated by all the people. Apart from teaching in the college We do the funeral ceremoney, give Baptimal talks, conduct procesions and able to do all kinds of apostolate with the people. We are in charge of the parish, school and everything.

We have a lot of struggle to bring back the peole to the church because day by day the sectas (other religion) are increasing. We go through a great challage to educate the children in our school because the children donot receive anything in their families. Still we have few families who are very poor and they need all kinds of help. We thank God for all He has been to us and to our congregation. Praise the Lord. Our work goes according to our charism.

The Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo

Belgium Region

Argentina Region

Tanzania Region

East

West

North

The Sisters of
St Charles of Borromeo

Faith, Toil, Progress