The Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo

Kamba village, Varap post, shahad, Kalyan west,
Thane Dist, Maharashtra, India - 421103

Crusinallo 2004

Crusinallo is a beautiful city situated in the diocese of Novara, surrounded by valleys and hills and a beautiful lake called Lago D’orta. The meaning of the word Crusinallo is “Cross on the top”, in fact above the city on the top of the mountain there is a cross guarding and protecting the whole area. Crusinallo is a second spreading branch of Italian mission. The project was studied, accepted and given green signal by Rev. Mother Benedicta Lobo, the Superior General.

Don. Arturo Melloni the parish priest of Crusinallo was in search of sisters for his parish. In the year 2003  he had been to Assisi, Italy  for his annual retreat, there he meets Don. Franco Avignono, expresses  his need to have sisters in his parish. Don. Franco  is a friend of Monsg. Moretti and through the latter’s mediation, the sisters of St. Charles Borromeo got established the second foundation in Crusinallo, Italy.  

Mother Benedicta on her canonical visit to Meina, along with Sr. Alex had the occasion to visit and study the new invitation to Crusinallo and permit sisters to take up this new project to work in the parish. On 30 of May 2004 Crusinallo parish welcomed the pioneers Srs. Ephrezina and Mary john accompanied by Rev. Mother Benedicta Lobo and our sisters of Meina community- Srs. Lillian, Hazel and Severine.

Initially the sisters were involved in the  pastoral activities such as catechism, visiting and distributing  communion to the sick and the aged. The pre-primary school is managed by a family and they requested  sisters to superivise the children before and after the school hours.in the  Sisters apartment is above the school building and the management provides the accommodation, lunch and other provision to the sisters. As the sisters became  fluent with Italian, they were asked to teach English to the kids and put in eight hours of service in the school. Since last  7 years Crusinallo parish is no more an independent parish but belongs to the pastoral unit of five parishes functioning  together. Hence the sisters have to extend their services to the surrounding parishes as well including liturgical activities, youth animation, summer camp etc.

Omegna is the center of our pastoral unit, this pastoral unit is rich with two monasteries and shrines which are called the spiritual treasures of the diocese of Novara. Our presence is well accepted and appreciated in the territory. We complete 16 years over here. At present Srs. Roopa, Reema and Catherine constitute the community and Sr. Reema is pursuing a catechetical course at the Diocesan center to upgrade and be qualified to teach catechism in the schools.