The Origin

The Congregation of the Sisters of St.Charles Borromeo was founded on September 27, 1684 by Adrien Bresy, parish priest of Wez-Velvain, in the diocese Tournai, Belgium. Poverty, famine, illiteracy, sickness of all kinds was the aftermath of French revolution in 17th century.

To give the best primary education to girl children Fr. Adrien Bresy found five young ladies who were ready to help him in his noble enterprise: They were Marie- Catherine Warquain aged 25 years, Elisabeth Therese Lepe aged 25 years, Marie Marguerite Delure aged 24 and Marie –Barbe Delrue aged 22 years from Wez(Belgium). Adrien Bresy started a school and was inspired to constitute the first five teachers into a religious congregation.

Pioneers of Indian Mission

The Sisters of St.Charles Borromeo in India

The story of the Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo in India has for its beginning the proclamation of Pope Pius XI, made in the year 1927. He, by a decree declared, St .Therese the Little Flower as the Patroness of the Missions and the Holy See made frequent appeals to the Congregations in Europe to send labourers to the mission fields.

On December 31, 1929 with the blessing of Pope Pius XI and under the protection of St. Therese the first house in India was opened at Ranipet. They established a school and an orphanage for the girls. Also a dispensary was opened. This first set up in Ranipet became a strong foundation for our Mission in India.

Mother Marie Gerard

Pioneer

Mother Maria Brownsdon

Pioneer

Mother Marguerite Marie

Pioneer

Mother Virginie Amand

Pioneer

Growth and spread of the Congregation

The historical facts that precede its beginning enforce one to exclaim, ‘Great are the works of God!‘ The flourishing Congregation in India bears witness to God’s intricate ways. The unceasing grace of God has led the Congregation to spread and to give formation to the East, West and the North Provinces in India.

Today there are 64 houses in India, covering 12states serving the people through schools, hospitals, dispensaries, leprosaria, social work centers, homes for the aged, orphanages, boarding houses for the destitute children mid-day meal project for the poor school children, schools for the special children and so on.

The clarion call from overseas missions received a prompt reply from the Sisters. Today the Indian sisters are engaged in various ministries in Belgium, Argentina, Poland, Italy Tanzania, Uganda and Mexico. The remarkable change in the history of the congregation is that, India who was depending upon the foreign missionaries is sending her daughters to the overseas mission to serve.

Our Founder

Fr. Adrien was born at Mons, Belgium on January 29, 1649 of Augustine Bresy and Louise Berthault. He was baptized in the parish church of St. Germaine, Mons, on January 31, 1649. His Godfather was Adrien Lecrec, a lawyer; his godmother was Miss Anna Deprez.

Adrien Bresy obtained his degree of Bachelor in Theology in 1677 from the University of Louvain. To be a university graduate in theology earned him respect. After his ordination he served as the chaplain at Dottignies. Then was appointed parish priest of Wez on September 26, 1674 served the parish of Wez more than 25 years. For his parishioners, he was the image of Good Shepherd and a model of Christian. The historian Hoverlant writes, it is to this vigilant pastor that is due the foundation of a convent in Wez.

Fr. Adrien Bresy was active in his contemplation and a contemplative in his action, mystics are neither passive nor inactive, they are not far away from the real and tangible suffering of those around them. They strive to look beyond the mere appearance of things.

Fr. Adrien Bresy was sensitive to the suffering of the women, especially the widows and orphans, his heart was moved to compassion for the weak, the poor, the sad, the lonely and the oppressed.

Indefatigable as regards work, cherished and mourned by everyone, he died, to live eternally in heaven on the first day of June 1699 and to satisfy his humility, was buried in front of this portal.”

THE TOMBSTONE OF
"FR. ADRIEN BRESY" IS LAID IN THE REAR WALL OF THIS CHURCH

ST.CHARLES BORROMEO - Our patron

Fr. Adrien Bresy, our founder proposed St. Charles Borromeo as Patron of the Congregation as St. Charles’s death centenary was coincidingwith the foundation of the Congregation. Laying aside his desire for honour as John the Baptist said, “He must increase, I must decrease” Fr. Adrien chose St. Charles Borromeo the illustrious Cardinal of Milan as the Patron and Protector of the Congregation who had the same ideals and the spirit as his and whom he admired. Adrien Bresy wished the sisters to follow in his footsteps, to live up to his ideals and be guided by his way of life. Many of the traits found in St. Charles Borromeo were seen in Adrien Bresy. Jesus tells us that a tree is known by its fruits. A retrospective glance at the history of the Congregation, the life and work of the sisters confirms this teaching.

Charles Borromeo, Italian San Carlo Borromeo (born October 2, 1538, Arona, duchy of Milan died November 3,1584, Milan; canonized 1610 by Pope Paul V. He was the second of the two sons in a family of six children born to Count Gilbert Borromeo and Margaret de Medici, who’s younger brother Angelo later become Pope Pius IV.

Charles Borromeo, a cardinal and Archbishop who was one of the most important figures of the Counter-Reformation in Italy. He is the patron saint of bishops, cardinals seminarians, and spiritual leaders. Borromeo received a doctorate in civil and canon law from the university of Pavia in 1559. The following year his uncle, Pope Pius IV, appointed him a cardinal and archbishop of Milan. Chief among his curial functions was heading the Consulta, a position that made him secretary of state to Pius IV. St.Charles directed the third convocation of the Council of Trent (1562–63).
When the council closed, Borromeo served in executing its decrees and was largely instrumental in bringing out the Roman catechism in 1566. Upon the death of his uncle, Borromeo took part in the conclave that elected Pius V (1566).

St.Charles fostered clerical education to combat the threat of Protestantism and established seminaries and colleges at Milan and in the Italian cities of Inverigo and Celano. Borromeo’s heroic behaviour during the plague of 1576–78 won him much respect, and he gave away much of his wealth to feed the hungry and care for the sick in Milan.

In 1584, during his annual retreat at Monte Varallo, he fell ill with “intermittent fever and ague”, and on returning to Milan grew rapidly worse. After receiving the Last Sacraments, he died quietly on 4 November at the age of 46.

What We Do?

We’re On A Mission To Solve
The Problems

Commission for Spirituality and Formation

Spirituality and formation is a process of ongoing conversion and transformation. Listening to and contemplation on the word of God will make us heralds of the good news in word and action.

What can touch the hearts of people is the transforming presence of God which happens within a community where life with its joys and pains is shared, where songs are sung, where hearts are raised in prayer and where doors are open to welcome the homeless and the needy.

Mission of Education

To educate the marginalized and to enable them to take their rightful place in society
To promote Faith formation that leads to holistic integral education.
To foster a total development of physical, moral & social integration through value oriented education.
To enable every person to become an agent of transformation for the promotion of justice, peace and love in today’s society.

Medico–Socio-Pastoral

To help in uplifting the poor and marginalized families
To promote developmental programme through community participation for sustainability.
To encourage and guide the disadvantaged rural and urban youth to take up alternative livelihoods.
To educate the general public on the prevention and mitigation of HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases such as Malaria, T.B, ect.

Finance Advisory

Stewardship is accountability – let us look at the stewardship from the point of Gospel way of life – which includes a Vision & Mission of our institute.
Our accountability should be clear, should be understood by the other, should be relevant and a free flow of information from top to the grass root and vice versa on various levels of the organization

Generalate Mission

Transferring the St. Charles Generalate to India closes a long era of 326 years in the West and ushers in a new era in the history of the Congregation. The inspiration emerged at the General Chapter of January 2006 when the Superior General and the General Councillors were all Indians. This inspiration was carried forward by Mother Benedicta, the Superior General supported by the Congregation. During the transition period we were privileged to be at Majiwada, Thane in the parish of Our Lady of Fatima Church from June 1, 2006, the death anniversary of our Founder, Rev. Fr. Adrien Bresy. We owe a debt of gratitude to Mrs. Judith Andrade Mital for welcoming us and introducing us to Fr. Peter D’Cunha, the then Priest-in-charge.

The land at Kamba was blessed on July 4, 2009 by Fr. Andrew Mukadham, priest-in-charge of Our Lady of Fatima Church and Fr. Barthol Machado, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Kalyan West. On August 3, 2009, Mother Benedicta, Superior General laid the foundation stone for the construction of the compound wall. Blessing of the Foundation Stone for St. Charles Home was on February 6, 2010, feast of Gonsalo Garcias, patron of the Archdiocese of Bombay. St. Charles Home at Kamba Village was blessed by Bishop Agnelo Gracias and inaugurated by Mother Benedicta on September 25, 2011. This building will accommodate the Generalate of the Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo (formerly at Belgium) and the Home for Senior Citizens. Application for admission to the Home for Senior Citizens could be forwarded, those interested may write to the Sister-in-charge: St. Charles Home for Senior Citizens, Kalyan -Murbad Road, Opposite Royal Gardens, Green Valley Road, Kamba Village, Kalyan, 421 301, Thane District, Maharashtra Tel. No. 8976587778.

On November 4, we celebrate the feast of St. Charles Borromeo, who had great love for the Church and the poor. It was these values that inspired our Founder to choose him as the Patron of the Congregation. St. Charles was a great pioneer of Christian education in the diocese of Milan, he is the patron of seminaries and catechists. The clarion call from overseas missions received a prompt reply from the Sisters. Today the Indian sisters are engaged in various ministries in Belgium, Italy, Poland, Argentina, Tanzania and Mexico. One of the remarkable changes in the history of the congregation is that, Mother India who was depending upon the foreign missionaries, is today sending her daughters to the foreign lands to serve in the Lord’s vineyard. ‘Go and teach all nations”.

Sisters in the community involve in social work, giving tuition for the village children and tailoring section to the young girls and widows of our village. we visit the catholic families of our Zone and pray with them and involve in prison ministry.