Ursuline Franciscan Sisters celebrate 50 years of service in the Northeast

DIMAPUR — The Ursuline Franciscan Sisters (UFS) of the North East Province celebrated 50 years of service in the region with a commemorative event at the Assisi Higher Secondary School Auditorium, Dimapur, on Monday.

According to an update, The celebration began with a thanksgiving Mass presided over by Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, bishop of Kohima, along with around 40 concelebrating priests.

The programme saw the participation of sisters and formees of the province and guest sisters from other parts of India, including Rev. Sr. Lydia Serrao, the councillor general of UFS; special invitees; the pioneering missionaries who first began the mission in the Northeast; and lay participants.

Dr. Thoppil commended the UFS for their significant contributions to education, health care, and social development in Nagaland and across the Northeast. He noted that their consistent work in teaching, health services, and welfare programmes has had a positive impact on society and continues to reflect their commitment to humanitarian service.

Rev. Sr. Milly Fernandes, superior general of the congregation and president of the event, highlighted the beginning of the mission in 1975 at Meluri, Nagaland, with five members. She stated that the province has since grown to 169 members, of whom 135 are from the Northeast, describing it as “a great miracle and blessing of God”.

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She added that the sisters continue to work in some of the most remote areas of the region, remaining faithful to the original vision of their mission. The programme also featured cultural presentations from the seven northeastern states.

The event also included a segment honouring the pioneering members, collaborators, benefactors, and heads of institutions, with a special tribute to Rev. Sr. Edilburga Monteiro. The golden jubilee of religious profession of Sr. Philomena Correa and Sr. Alice Mary Rego was also commemorated, recognising their 50 years of dedicated service within the organisation.

Speakers expressed appreciation for the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters’ five decades of consistent and impactful service in the Northeast. At present, the organisation operates in 12 dioceses with 169 members across 30 communities and has expanded its presence to Europe and the United States.