Marymatha Province
St. Paul Mission, Ahmednagar
The Vincentian Fathers of the Marymatha Province stepped to the Diocese of Kalyan on 27th January 1991, accepting the Ahmednagar Revenue District of Central Maharashtra and ventured into Mission, presently known as St. Paul Mission, Ahmednagar. The territory was received by Rev. Fr. Joseph Kavalakkattu VC from Rev. Fr. Sebastian Vazhappilly, visiting missionary from Jalgaon in the presence of Bishop Paul Chittilappally and the parishioners of Ahmednagar. An agreement signed on 03rd July 1991 between the Bishop of Kalyan Mar Paul Chittilappally and Very Rev Fr. George Kammattil VC, then Provincial Superior of the Marymatha Province highlighted the purpose of the mission for the intensive and extensive Evangelization of the Ahmednagar District. The missionaries working in this mission wanted to strengthen the communities present by the intensive evangelization and to reach out to the interior, remote and underdeveloped villages of Ahmednagar District through the extensive evangelization.
The newly appointed Mission Superior Fr Joseph Kavalakkattu VC and the new priest Fr. Thomas Mullenmadackal VC were residing in a rented building at C.23, Shah Colony, Govindapura, Ahmednagar from 28 January 1991 to 07th May 1991. On 08th May 1991 they shifted the residence to another rented building with more space, convenience and accessibility, bungalow No. 7, Bhujbhal Colony, Mukundnagar, Ahmednagar till 7th December 1992. From 08th December 1992 to 10 November 1996 the residence was in 107, Bhushan Nagar, Kedgaon. From there finally shifted to the present Mission House in Kedgaon link road on 11th November 1996. On 21st May 1992 CMC sisters of Vimala Province, Ernakulam began to stay in a rented building in Bhushan Nagar, Kedgaon and rendered their service in the St. Paul Mission Ahmednagar.
In the mission area accepted, there were 3 Mass centers, namely Ahmednagar St. Ann’s Church, Shrirampur Loyola Sadan and Kopergaon in one of the families, where Holy Mass was offered once a month on weekdays by Fr Sebastian from Jalgaon. Down the years all those centers were made residential centers with our own infrastructure. Vincentian House Shrirampur was blessed on 3rd July 1992, CMC sisters of Vimala Province Ernakulam, extended their service to Shrirampur also. Moreover Mass centers were started at Rahuri Factory where the Vincentian house was established in 1993 with an English medium school. Sisters of the Congregation of the Franciscan Handmaids of the Good Shepherd joined the Mission. In June 1994, Loni, Shirdi, Yeola, Sangamner, Bhandaradhara were the mass centers.
Since July 1992 Fr. Thomas Mullenmadackal was providing spiritual services from De Paul Center, Shrirampur in Kopergaon on every Saturday. In the beginning Holy mass was offered every week in different houses. With the view to concentrate more on intensive and extensive evangelization a new residence was started in Kopergaon and Fr. Paul Tharakan VC was the first resident priest-in-charge. In 2001 a flat was hired as the priest residence and the chapel. A plot of land was purchased in Samata Nagar and parish church was constructed.
The first step in extensive evangelization was undertaken by Rev. Fr. Thomas Mullenmadackal to reach to the very remote, inaccessible and underdeveloped village of Rahuri Taluka, called Vavarath on 8th August 1999 and establishing a centre and a village school there on 03rd December 2001. From 8th December 2001, CMC sisters of the Vimala Province, Ernakulam extended their service to Vavarath also.
In a situation where pastoral care was not available from the Nasik Zone which is 85 kms away, the faithful of Yeola requested pastoral care from Fr. Thomas at Shrirampur, as he used to go up to Kopergaon about 20 kms away. Seeing their zeal, at the request of Nasik Zonal Vicar Fr. Peter Kavumpuram MST and Bishop Paul Chittilappilly, Fr. Thomas Mullenmadackal took up the pastoral care of the faithful of Yeola. Later we purchased land opposite Yeola Railway Station and started a school and Sisters of the Adorers of Precious Blood joined the mission.
To prepare our own missionaries we started the De Paul Minor Seminary 25th June 2013.
In 2013 DM Sisters in Hanga near Supa started a convent and a CBSE school and they serve in Ahmednagar parish and in village mission. Franciscan Sisters of Sacred Hearts arrived in Shrirampur to join us in our pastoral and educational ministries. Vincentians started work in the Diocese of Aurangabad on 20th February 2011 and members of St. Paul Mission extend pastoral care for the Syro Malabar faithful in Aurangabad.
Fr. Joseph Kavalakkattu served as the Mission Superior of the St. Paul Mission from 1991 to 1996 and Fr. Thomas Mullenmadackal succeeded him and carried ahead to 2002. From 2002 to 2009 Fr. Sebastian Pandarathikudiyil was the Mission Superior and following him Fr. Thomas Neerolickal till 2012 and from him Fr. Sajoy Ethakkattu took over as the Mission Superior of St. Paul Mission, Ahmednagar.
Present Administration Team
Mission Superior
Fr. John Kizhakkumthala V CCouncilors
Fr. Hebic Edappilly V C - VicarFr. Jimil Mealkarapurath V C - Secretary
About Us
The Marymatha (Mother of God) Province of the Vincentian Congregation has 332 professed members (238 priests, one brother, 93 Scholastics), 11 novices and 81 minor seminarians. We are blessed with sufficient number of vocations. This year itself 43 young men joined our Minor Seminary. Our priests work in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Delhi in India and in different dioceses in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda in Africa.
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Address
Marymatha Provincial House, P. B. No. 1
Angamaly South- 683 573,
Kerala, India
Phone : +91-484-2452336, 2457890 (Provincial)
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