As a response to the felt need of the Province of Secunderabad, Shanti Sadan was erected as a Novitiate in the year 1969 in the Diocese of Belgaum and in the District of Dharwad. Besides formation, hospitality was the main apostolate of the community. Later in the year 1971 Kindergarten classes were started as a means of maintenance for the novices. On 13th September 1998 the new Province of of Dharwad was inaugurated and “Shanti Sadan” became the Provincialate of the new Province and Sr. Mary Anne Theodore as our 1st Provincial Superior. Eventually, the Novices were sent to Hyderabad on 9th October 1998. Later, taking into consideration the cultural and ecclesial context in the 2002, the Novices were sent to Holy Angels’ Convent Belvedere, Mangalore.
In the Pro-memoria No. 4, St. Bartolomea says the main aim of the Institute is Education. Hence Shanti Sadan Primary School was opened in the year 1999 and High school in 2006 as a response to the needs of the people of our area.
In answer to the call given by our Saints who saw in the poor, the members of the body of Jesus (CS-4), we opened a Socio-Development Activity Center under the name ‘Shanti Pragati’ in the Jubilee year 2000, also to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the Canonization of our Saints.
The new Province of Dharwad felt the need to have a Novitiate of its own and so it was opened on 29th October 2005 in the presence of the then Provincial Superior Sr. Irene Fernandes and Sr. Venita Fernandes as Novice Mistress.
Later at the request of the Provincial Superiors of India, expressed in the enlarged council meeting of December 2007 and of December 2008 the General Council in prayer and through discernment has considered the possibility of erecting an Interprovincial Novitiate for the formation of Novices of both Dharwad and Mangalore Provinces. It also appointed Sr. Rosy Cutinha as Novice Mistress of this Novitiate. This decision was communicated to us through her letter Prot. No. 49/09/A dated 26th April 2009. Accordingly, our Novices were sent to the Interprovincial Novitiate in Mangalore on 9th September 2009.
Socio-Territorial-Ecclesial Context
Shanti Sadan is situated in Nirmal Nagar, Dharwad. It is ¾ kms from the Karnataka University and 1 kilo meter from Dharwad Railway station. Amidst a mixed population of different creeds and status, Catholics being 65 middle and lower middle class families working as lecturers, teachers and factory workers.
Besides these, there are a few low-income groups. When we look closely, we see a lot of enthusiasm and revival of faith in our people. A spirit of harmony exists among the people of different religions. There are a number of Hindus and Muslims in our neighbourhood. Among them some live in slums and work as day labourers.
The hospital began as a small dispensary and has grown step by step to this present edifice. Today we are able to accommodate about 150 patients, providing facilities for medical, surgical, maternity, pediatric, orthopedic, ENT and ophthalmological needs. It has facilities like OT, X-ray, clinical laboratory and ultrasonography. Also a nursing school is attached to it within the campus.
The vision of this hospital was first conceived in the heart of Miss Gertrude Fernandes. She cherished within her a compassionate love for the poor and under privileged of nearby villages. According to her, the need of a center for health, hygiene and childcare was most urgent. She donated her entire property of about 11 acres of land, the bungalow and a mango grove to his Lordship, Bishop Michael Rodriguez, who gave this for the purpose of a hospital.
In 1957 His Lordship, Bishop Michael invited Mother Antonietta Lucini, Provincial of Mangalore to help to realize the vision of Miss Gertrude Fernandes. The provincial superior complied with the request of the Bishop and sent three sisters on 8th February 1958. They began a small dispensary on 11th February 1958, on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. Sr. Leonarda Casiraghi, Sr. Bertilla D’souza and Sr. Angela Pinto were the three sisters to begin the apostolate. Sr. Leonarda Casiraghi was appointed as the first superior of the community on 14th May 1960.
On 11th February 1963 foundation stone of present hospital was laid and blessed by Bishop Cutinho in the presence of Bishop Michael. In the year 1969 October 18th the ground floor of the hospital was opened with 30 beds. On 21st December 1972 the 1st floor of hospital was blessed and declared open by his Excellency Mgr. Gordon, Inter Nuncio for India. By then the hospital grew to be a 100-bedded hospital. In 1974 the present convent building was put up. The blood bank was declared open in the year 1978 as a gift of Lion’s Club, but in 1993 it got closed due to government restrictions. In the year 1981 an x-ray unit a gift from CARITAS INDIA was inaugurated.
In the year 1987 a separate OPD block and special rooms on the 1st floor were opened. Also doctors’ quarters were built. In 1991 “Gerosa Nest” was opened for the elderly sisters of the province. During this time hospital building was extended block by block. In the year 2000 blood bank was re-opened in agreement with Rotary Club Dharwad Mid Town Charitable Trust and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Dharwad. In May 2001 a dialysis unit was put up in agreement with Bhoopalapur foundation, INC, New York and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Dharwad. Due to unavoidable reasons it came to a standstill in the year 2005. Nursing school was started in the year 2001 with 20 students in the existing building of the hospital for the classes and temporary residence was arranged by demolishing the laundry and poultry and a constructed building for this purpose. New nursing school and residence construction was started in the year 2003 and completed in 2004. At present the annual intake of the students is thirty. The total number of students passed out as qualified nurses from the school of nursing up to 2012 are about 300.
The total number of sisters in the community is 36; out of whom eight are elderly sisters belong to “Gerosa Nest”. They carry joyfully their apostolate of praying and offering for the church and Institute. Almost all the sisters are involved in the healing ministry, nursing, education and faith formation. The community also takes care of the clergy house looking after the elderly priest of the dioceses. We are also involved in our parish activities like teaching catechism and others.
Today “LOURDES” is a full-fledged hospital; with a total number of out-patients gone up to 42,255 and in-patients totaling 8072. (Statistics as per the year—2011).
On 1st May 1981, after spending time in prayer and discernment, three sisters were sent in response to the invitation of Rt. Rev. Bishop Ignatius Lobo of Belgaum Diocese, to attend to the needs of the people of Alnavar and the neighboring villages. They formed the community under the patronage of St. Joseph the worker. Three more sisters were added to impart education to the children of the parish. A health center was started to assist the sick. Later on it was closed because another health center was opened in the locality. Hence the health center was transformed as the pre-candidates’ house in the year 2002.
In order to give spiritual, moral, secular and social help to the young and the children of the parish a tailoring center was started. The school (diocesan) was upgraded into a full-fledged high school during the year 1998 -1999. Later on in the year 2004 – 2005 a sister was invited from Mangalore province to take up the D.Ed. College as its principal, by Bishop Moras of Belgaum diocese for four years. Later on the diocese took over the responsibility of D.Ed College, as well as hostel. In 2012 the high school also taken up by the diocese of Belgaum.
Alnavar is a natural beauty spot. The highway to Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai cut through the heart of Alnavar, which is almost on the borderline of the important district of Dharwad in North Karnataka. Years ago it was a dense forest. After deforestation work by government department people immigrated in search of work and settlement. The main work of the people is agriculture which depends on the rainfall. There are Muslims as well as Hindus. The Catholics have Goa and Karwar culture. Their mother-tongue is Konkani with a mixture of Marathi and Urdu. Even though many are educated, poverty and unemployment prevails in our village.
To uplift these brothers and sisters, spiritually, physically and in literacy our sisters are engaged in preparing lessons to give their best to the children, through education, giving moral values to be the true citizens of India. Helping the backward students through tuitions, instilling in them love for God through catechism, encouraging them for the family prayers, Eucharist through family visits. The youth of today are the wealth of tomorrow: so the Sisters guide them in their difficulties, and give them sex education to live a moral life. We also undertake various other apostolates: teaching, faith formation, Catechism, mid-day meal, tuition, helping the poor, distribution of books, etc.
The Community was opened on 31st May, 2003 as an offshoot of Shanti Sadan, Provincial House, Dharwad, at the request of Bishop Bernard Moras, the then Bishop of Belgaum. He wanted us to open a house in his Diocese at Hubli in the newly formed Parish of St. Paul’s Church at Chetana Colony. In this Jubilee year of the Diocese he wanted us, Sisters of Charity to be a Catholic presence among the Catholic families there, in order to strengthen their faith, and meet their spiritual, educational and pastoral needs.
This community was officially erected on 4th September 2005, during the term of Sr. Irene Fernandes, Provincial Superior of Dharwad Province, when it ceased to be the offshoot of Shanti Sadan.
On 14th September 2011, Shanti Pragati Social Development Centre, the Administrative Office was officially inaugurated by the present Provincial Superior, Sr. Thresia Poulose to cater to the integral development of the poor and needy in and around Hubli.
This Community was opened on 31st May 2003, as an offshoot of Shanti Sadan Provincial house, Dharwad at the request of the bishop of Belgaum diocese, the then bishop, Bishop Bernard Moras who wanted us to open a house in his diocese at Hubli in newly formed parish of St. Paul’s church at Chetana colony, which was bifurcated from St. Joseph’s church Hubli, in view of the Jubilee year of the diocese. He invited us sisters of charity to be the presence among the catholic families since the springing of the other Christian sects were on the increase in order to strengthen their faith and meet their spiritual, educational and pastoral needs.
This community was officially erected on the 4th September 2005 during the term of provincial superior Sr. Irene Fernandes.
On 14th September 2011 Shanti pragati social development center the administrative office was officially inaugurated by the provincial superior sr. Thresia Poulose to cater to the integral development of the poor and needy in and around our area.
Social, territorial, ecclesial context
Our community is situated at Maria nagar between Gadag and Sholapur road around 3- 4 K.M from Hubli railway station. We are surrounded with many other colonies which are fast developing with the lot new lay out for residential purpose. At present there are about three Hundred catholic families, majority of our population in this area belong to various Christian denominations( sects) and negligible number to Hindu and Muslim community. of the total population 60% are from the lower strata of the society working as daily wage earners, domestic workers, coolly and contract workers. 30% belong to the middle income group and the rest 10% to the higher income group. The main language spoken is Telugu while people speak Kannada. A very few know English and Tamil. The drawbacks of our society are illiteracy, alcoholism, mixed marriages, broken families, separated couples, unemployment and disparity in payment of wages which are the root causes of poverty.
