CMI-Preshitha Province

CMI PRESHITHA PROVINCE, COIMBATORE

INTRODUCTION
The area of the Little Flower Mission Province of Coimbatore was allotted finally and formally to the Devamatha Province of Thrissur as its mission field to be developed and formed into a new province by the letter from Rome, Rescript Prote No.586/49 on May 08, 1959. The area was erected as a dependant Region of the Devamatha Province on December 30, 1964, with Rev. Fr. Clemens Thottungal as the first Regional Superior, when Rev. Fr. Malachias was the Provincial. The Region was erected into a Vice-Province by the General Synaxis on March 11, 1979. Preshitha Vice-Province was raised to a Province on April 08, 2002.
The Little Flower Vice-Province was renamed Preshitha Vice-Province in the Vice-Provincial Synaxis on September 25, 1979. The word Preshitha means 'missionary'. It also points to the illustrious Patroness of the Province, St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower.
TERRITORY
The territory of Preshitha Province is defined as follows: "region to the east and north of the Devamatha Province" (the area east of the main road from Shoranur through Pattambi, Perinthalmanna, Malappuram, Kondotti and Nallur to the southern branch of the Baypur River) and "the region covering the whole of the Latin Diocese of Coimbatore and the region to the west of Madras State from the Bhavani River in the south to the Calicut-Gudallur road in the north and to the south of the Gudallur-Calicut road to the crossing of the Baypur River and its southern branch to the sea."
AREA AND POPULATION
The Preshitha Mission Province has an approximate area of 35,000 sq. kms, with an approximate population of 65,00,000 and a Catholic population of 2,00,000 speaking Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, and English and belonging to Latin and Syro-Malabar rites. The Syro-Malabar Catholics will be approximately 50,000, most of whom are emigrants.
CHALLENGES
Since 1953, when the Thalassery Diocese was formed and since 1955 when, the area of the Latin Diocese of Coimbatore was given by the Holy See as the extended area of the Thrissur Diocese, our members realized that they had to meet a double challenge.
The first challenge was the pastoral care of the Catholics who had migrated to this area, and the second, which is equally important, to uplift the tribal people of the remote villages of Kerala and Tamilnadu. In the course of time, other challenges were also added according to the needs of the people. Substantial contributions were made in the field of education, social service and inter-religious amity.
English medium schools were developed at Coimbatore, Pollachi, Erode, Chennai, Hosur, Palakkad and Shoranur & Perinthalmanna and a school for the differently abled children is instituted at Chennimalai. B.Ed. College at saravanampatty, Arts and Science College at Kozhinjampara show Province entry into College level of education.
Social activities were started at various centres in the Province. Major social projects are implemented under the auspices of PSS and ASSO at Pollachi and Attappady, respectively. Akasaparavakal, a new social institution for the homeless and the abandoned, started at Karimba, Vettathur and Kavundampalayam, is receiving much encouragement and support.
We are enthusiastically responding to the pastoral needs of Dioceses as and when called for. New centres have come up at Salem, Madurai, Chennai, Pondicherry, Dharmapuri and Hosur.
The province has undergone tremendous growth in the number of personnel as well as institutions. Trusting in the Divine Providence, Preshitha Province is marching ahead with great vigour and dedication to spread Christ's Kingdom far and wide in the years to come. May our Patroness, St. Therese of Lisieux, shower her heavenly gifts in abundance on this Province in particular, and on the CMI Congregation in general.