Family Animation Centre, St. Thomas Mount – MSFS Southeast India Province

The story of establishing the Fransalian community is the blessing of diving providence and the fruit of our priests’ foresight. The MSFS missionaries had a good rapport and longtime acquaintance with the archdiocese of Madras – Mylapore as they were already working at the Holy Redeemer parish, Kelambakkam where Fr. Joseph Britto Francis, MSFS served as a pioneer. Fr. Mani Panthalani, MSFS the provincial of Visakhapatnam province at that time approached the archbishop Most Rev. Dr. Aruldas James through Fr. Britto Francis to get a piece of land at St. Thomas Mount. The archbishop graciously consented and gave the MSFS missionaries 3 acres of land in 1996 to establish their house. Afte a few years, when Fr. A. Luckas, MSFS was appointed as the pastor of Holy Redeemer parish in Kelambakkam after the death of Fr. Britto Francis, MSFS, the provincial Fr. Mani Panthalani, MSFS entrusted to Fr. A. Luckas, MSFS the work of looking after the land and constructing a house for the priests’ residence. He initiated constructing a new house with the support of the province, looking after the construction work from Kelambakkam parish. The new house after its completion was blessed by Most Rev. Dr. Aruldas James, the archbishop of Madras – Mylapore and inaugurated by Fr. Mani Panthalani, MSFS, the provincial on 14 November 2001. Then, Fr. A. Luckas, MSFS was transferred from Kelambakkam parish and appointed as the superior of the MSFS house at St. Thomas Mount. The house served the practical purpose of the province like accommodating student priests pursuing studies in Chennai and for the guest priests passing through Chennai to stopover for rest and refreshment. Later, the province formed a community with priests who were sent to pursue studies in Chennai. The confreres were passionately involved in helping the nearby parishes in pastoral needs, assisted the religious houses with masses, preaching monthly recollections and parish retreats. Thus, the confreres at the Fransalian community at St. Thomas Mount worked with pastoral dexterity and adroitness in developing the house and using it to extend their ministries in various ways. Consequently, this house gave birth to a couple of innovating ministries like youth ministry, family animation retreat, Fransalian Kalai Ulagam, legal cell ministry and parish mission preaching.

Developments at various Times

Family Animation Centre: As different confreres joined the community in the course of time, they initiated different ministries according to their interests and talents, decerning the need of the time. So, when Fr. A. Christuraj, MSFS was the superior of the house, he made serious efforts to clear the ground and prepared an open area sufficient to conduct retreat sessions for 400 people and he continued to organize retreats for families once a month. He then took the initiative and formally obtained permission from the archbishop to conduct family animation programs, and the first retreat was conducted on 11 May 2007. This was the humble beginning of the Family Animation center at the MSFS house in St. Thomas Mount. The families participating in the animation programs were very pleased with the ministry as they could experience spiritual benefits of inner healing and comfort. He initiated and started a monthly magazine named “Mount Speaks” on 28 June 2008 with the support of the renowned scripture scholar Fr. A. Gabriel, MSFS, who was the member of the community at that time as he was taking medication for his cancer treatment. It was practically easy to reach out to the people, giving them spiritual and psychological guidance effectively through the print media. In the initial months, a few issues were published but then, the publication of the magazine was discontinued on practical grounds. As the number of families attending the retreat programs kept increasing in the subsequent moths, there was an immediate need to have a permanent hall with all the facilities to run the programs. Meanwhile, Fr. A. Jeyakumar, MSFS took charge after Fr. A. Christuraj, MSFS in 2012 as the director of the Family Animation Centre. He worked with dedication and through the support of the province and Fransalian family of friends, constructed a spacious hall and five public washrooms. The new prayer hall was blessed and inaugurated in 2013 by Fr. A. Dharmaraj, MSFS, the provincial in the presence of Fr. Noel Rebello, MSFS, the General Counsellor, Fr. Ignaci Muthu, MSFS, the superior of St. Thomas Mount community, and Fr. Packia Regis, the parish priest of St. Patrick Church. The hall is used today for conducting retreats and various other programs. Then, Fr. A. Jeyakumar, MSFS initiated with the support of the other confreres and organized one day family retreat which is conducted regularly on the second Saturdays of every month. Understanding the signs of the time and the needs of people, he started in 2018 one day retreat in English on every fourth Saturdays of the month. During every session, the confreres provide spiritual and personal counselling, conduct inner-healing prayer services and administer sacraments of reconciliation which help the participants deepen their faith and experience comfort and wholeness of healing. He also initiated raising the funds needed and constructed the grotto at the centre with the help of people and friends.

Parish Mission Preaching (PMP) Ministry: as there were a pressing need and demand from the parishes for bolstering people’s faith and their commitment to the parish, our confreres were inspired to follow the pastoral model of Fr. Peter Marie Mermier, our founder who revolutionized the parishes by organizing mission preaching programs as a response to the needs of his time to re-evangelize the people, and awakening their faith. Hence, Fr. A. Jayakumar, MSFS took the initiative and started the Mermier Parish Mission Preaching ministry, and it is organized with a team of preachers from the South-East province, and the first mission was conducted on 8 Nov 2015 in All Saints parish, Raja Sanmuga Nagar, Thiruvatyur which is entrusted to the MSFS missionaries. The team of preachers usually stay in the parish for 5 to 10 days, depending on the need, visiting the houses and inviting people to participate in the mission. The retreat is organized minimum for 5 days, which would practically include preaching on different topics to awaken people’s faith, motiving them to reflect on personal and faith commitments, celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist every day. The priests also avail themselves, offering personal counselling and spiritual direction to those who approach them. The parish missions truly bring spiritual renewal in the parish and reawaken people’s faith life. The mission preaching team is well appreciated, and people invite them to organize programs at different parishes and even in countries like Sri Lanka.

Noon Meal Program for the poor: Understandingthe dire need and the poor conditions of the elderly people, Fr. A. Jeyakumar, MSFS, with the permission of Fr. Ignaci Muthu, MSFS, the provincial, started in 2020 the lunch program for the poor during the Corona pandemic. The elderly people from the poor families around local area suffered without proper food during the pedantic time. Therefore, in collaboration with the community, Fr. A. Jayakumar, MSFS made efforts and identified 20 elderly poor people, who were in dire need and started to provide them lunch regularly. They arranged with a family to prepare the food and take it to the people concerned, who are very grateful for such humanitarian service. Such ministry practically fulfills the invitation of Jesus to feed the poor who reflect the face of God.

Intercessory prayer Service: Intercessory prayer is a vital spiritual practice in the church tradition that allows individual believers to pray on behalf of others, interceding for divine intervention in people’s lives, fostering community bondedness in love. As the confreres realized the greater need for intercessory prayer at the Family Animation Center, they introduced this prayer practice at the center by inviting Bro. Iruthaya Samy, the founder of Puduvazlvu Maiyam, Thenkasi and his team. The community also mobilized the funds needed and built a chapel with the support of the province and help from Fransalian priests working in the US and Germany and the local benefactors. The new chapel was blessed by Fr. Abraham Vettuvelli, MSFS, the Superior General in the presence of Fr. K. Ignacimuthu, MSFS, the provincial in 2022. The intercessory prayer is conducted successfully at the center on the first of every month. Such a prayer practice serves as means for believers to pray on behalf of those in need, seeking God’s mercy, inner healing and the grace of strength in their personal and family life. Later, Fr. A. Jayakumar, MSFS was transferred and after him, Fr. A. Doss, MSFS was appointed in 2024 as the director of the Family Animation centre, who carries out with agility and zest all the ministries initiated, and the people continue to benefit from all these programs. The centre as a spiritual powerhouse diffuses effulgently the divine presence and grace to all those come there for spiritual and personal renewal.

Succession of House Superiors

Fr. A. Luckas, MSFS 2001 – 2004

Fr. S. Amirtha Nathan, MSFS 2004 – 2008

Fr. A. Christu Raj, MSFS 2008 – 2009

Fr. C. Sebastian Raj, smfs 2009 – 2010

Fr. K. Ignaci Muthu, MSFS 2010 – 2015

Fr. Maria Pushpam, MSFS 2015 – 2016

Fr. A. Jeyakumar, MSFS 2016 – 2019

Fr. Alexander, MSFS 2019 – 2021

Fr. A. Jeyakumar, MSFS 2021 – 2023

Fr. D. Kanikainathan, MSFS 2024 –

Succession of the Directors: