As we know from our own life experiences, creativity is the ability to form novel ideas, and to find new ways to solve problems or new methods to accomplish a goal. On the other hand, innovation is the application of creative ideas. Therefore, creativity and innovation are innately connected and work in tandem to find solutions to the existential problems in people’s life, enabling them to search for new ways and methods to accomplish a noble cause. Fr. G. Dominic Savio, MSFS by nature had such a sense of creativity and innovative way of doing things, and so after his pastoral ministry as assistant parish priest at Madurangthagam, he was sent to study Polytechnic studies at Annamalai University at Chidamparam for three years (2002 – 2005).
Until then, our missionaries were involved in parish missions and education with a couple of schools. It was Fr. Dominic Savio, MSFS who came up with the creative idea to establish a Non-formal Technical Institute after completing his Polytechnic studies. The objective was to reach out and create opportunities for the drop-out students from rural villages, providing them with tutorial training and technical education so that they would be able to learn a special skill for life. He presented the proposal to Fr. Thomas Perumallil, MSFS, the provincial of Visakhapatnam province, about starting such an institute at Adappakaran Chatram where there were 15 acres and 95 cents of land. It was bought during the time of Fr. Jose Puthiaparambil, MSFS and Fr. Peter Chakkulickal, MSFS, and it was periodically used for cultivation. The entire land is divided into two parts: cultivable land and stony ground, which is blue metal quarry, and the government offered two acres of land which is used as playground.
Moreover, the provincial expressed keen interest in this project as there was no such centre in Tamilnadu.
The following trades were offered in the initial stage:
Welding, Two-wheeler and four-wheeler mechanic and driving. Fr. Dominic Savio, MSFS was residing in the simple shed and continued his ministry.
Developments Undertaken at Various Times
Fr. Dominic Savio, MSFS spearheaded the project, carrying out his responsibility ebulliently with minimum facilities, Fr. Agnelo Fernandas, MSFS the Superior General, during his canonical visit, had laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new ITI building in 2004.? Meanwhile, Fr. G. Dominic Savio had applied a project to Caritas Italiano through the help of the Caritas India president, Rev. Dr. Yuvan Ambrose in 2005. The agency approved the project providentially and offered rupees 55 lakhs for the construction of the physical structure and maintenance for three years. Then, Fr. Dominic Savio, MSFS with the support from the province along with the project money worked out the process for getting the legal approval and started the construction work of the new building, which was inaugurated by Mrs. Elenora Albonus, Caritas Italiano, Italy and blessed by Most. Rev. Dr. Antony Devotta, the bishop of Trichy on 01 June 2006; SFS Non-formal multipurpose hall was opened by Honorable S. Ragupathy, M.P, Minister of state for Home affairs, Government of India, and Mermier workshop was opened by Fr. A. Lawrence, MSFS, the Regional Superior of Chennai Region. He also made serious efforts, complying with the legal requirements and registered the center as an independent society under the Tamilnadu society Act 1975, and the SFS Industrial School was officially recognized with government approval as for the SCVT pattern. Thus, the ITI was officially raised as a Formal Institute of Technology in 2007. Fr. Dominci also made efforts and constructed the ITI Administrative Block which was blessed by Fr. Thomas Perumalil, MSFS, provincial of Visakhapatnam province, and opened by Fr. A. Lawrence, MSFS, the Regional Superior on 16 April 2007. The courses offered were one year training, which included welding Technician, two and four-wheeler mechanic and computer basic hard and softwire, driving classes for two and four wheelers. Furthermore, coaching classes were conducted for the students who failed in class 10 and preparing them to pass the exam. It is recorded with great satisfaction that between the year 2007 to 2011, five batches of 273 students passed successfully through State Council for Vocational Training, learning various trades. He also had applied a project to St. Peter Claver Sisters, Italy and with their support he constructed an additional room and a chapel in the house which were blessed in 2009. Furthermore, he also tirelessly worked to fence the property and safeguard it from public encroachment. Fr. Dominic Savio, MSFS worked tenaciously for seven years in establishing and developing the SFS ITI. Then, he was transferred to pursue his BE engineering at Annamalai University, Chidamparam, which he completed.
Fr. K. Joseph Xavier was appointed as the director and superior of ITI in 2011. The institution continued to function with proper government approval. However, due to practical reasons and challenges, only two trades were offered, namely, welding, two-wheeler and four-wheeler mechanics. During this period, Fr. K. Joseph Xavier, MSFS along with Fr. M. Benjamin Sundar, MSFS, investigated the possibility of starting a printing press and pioneered the project with the help of Fr. Xavier Michael, MSFS from Visakhapatnam province. Finally, Fr. A. Dharmaraj, MSFS, the provincial inaugurated and blessed the SFS printing press at Adapakarasathiram, on 01 October 2014. All the machinery needed was purchased from different places like Coimbatore, Chennai and Madurai. From the year 2014 onwards, SFS printing school supplied notebooks to all our SFS schools and other known schools in Tamil Nadu run by various Religious Congregations. The students who work in the ITI are given strict training in printing and our SFS press supplies notebooks to more than 25 schools. Fr. Joseph Xavier, MSFS worked at the press for seven years.
Fr. A. Selvaraj, MSFS was appointed as the director and superior of the ITI along with Fr. M. Benjamin Sundar, MSFS as printing manager cum procurator in 2017. Moreover, due to government Samachir system of all-pass, drop out students from class 10 were drastically stopped, and consequently, preference for studying at Industrial school (SFS ITI) came to stand still and it did not function from 2017 onwards, but the printing press was running as usual. As a major natural catastrophe caused by Gaja Cyclone had affected 8 districts in the state of Tamil Nadu on 16 November 2018, our confreres from the institution under the leadership of Fr. A. Selvaraj, MSFS generously supported the affected people in the surrounding villages with lights, Tarpaulin sheets, blankets, essential food materials, and coconut saplings.
During the pandemic period of Covid 19, the fathers worked assiduously and convivially to reach out and assist the people in such difficult times, facing challenges and hardships. They also made efforts to raise funds and drill a borewell to provide good water facility for the Gipsy community in the vicinity of Pudukkottai town; a beautiful arch was built at the entrance of the ITI in 2018; automatized cutting and printing machine were bought, and after the Gaja cyclone had destroyed a lot coconut trees on our land, new coconut saplings were planted in the camps in 2019. By now, the SFS ITI was registered as a society with FCRI account, and it was successfully maintained for many years. However, the account lost its FCRI status due to practical reasons. After three years of dedicated service, Fr. A. Selvaraj, MSFS was transferred.
Fr. M. Benjamin Sundar, MSFS was appointed as the director and superior cum procurator of SFS printing press and Fr. S. Desas, MSFS as assistant director in 2020. As the schools were shut down due to Covid 19, the printing press also could not function, and printed materials were stored up without distribution. In the following year, Fr. S. Desas, MSFS was sent to study printing technology course at Siga Institute at Chennai in 2021, and after completing the course, he returned to the press as procurator in 2022.
Fr. K. Joseph Xavier, MSFS was appointed as the superior of the community in 2022. The printing press resumed its activities of printing and supplying notebooks in 2022, and Fr. Desas, MSFS was appointed as the printing manager cum procurator in 2023 onwards. Fr. Joseph Xavier, smfs as the superior made serious efforts to raise the funds needed and constructed with the support of the province the first floor of the ITI building for social work purposes. He was appointed by the province as the director of establishing a centre at the ITI to produce uniform garments for the school. He applied a project to Caritas Antoniano, Italy and the diocese of Fulda, Germany. The project was approved, and he purchased the swing machines (55) and started the garment centre in 2025. The community also made efforts and installed solar power system for the house in the same year with the support from the diocese of Stuttgart-Rottenburg, Germany. Now there is a vibrant community formed at the ITI with confreres, serving at the press and generously offering pastoral assistance to the neighbouring parishes whenever needed.
Succession of the Directors / the Superiors
Fr. G. Dominic Savio, MSFS 2004 – 2011
Fr. S. John Milton, MSFS 2009 – 2010
Fr. K. Joseph Xavier, MSFS 2011 – 2017
Fr. A. Selvaraj, MSFS 2017 – 2020
Fr. M. Banjamin Sundar, MSFS 2020 – 2022
Fr. S. Desas, MSFS Assistant Director 2020 – 2021
Fr. K. Joseph Xavier, MSFS 2022 – Superior
Fr. Michael Selvans, MSFS 2023 – resident in the community
Succession of the Procurators
Fr. M. Benjamin Sundar, MSFS 2011 -2022
Fr. S. Desas, MSFS 2022 – procurator and printing manager.
Succession of the Regents
Br. Z. Philomin Raj, MSFS 2007 – 2008; Br. P. Anatha Raj, MSFS 2008 – 2009; Br. A. Nayaga Seelan, MSFS 2010 – 2011; Br. K. Dominic Savio, MSFS 2011 – 2012; Br. L. John Peter, MSFS 2012 – 2013; Br. B. Philomin Raj, MSFS 2013 – 2014; Br. S. Desas, MSFS 2015 – 2016; Br. A. Infant Jesus, MSFS 2016 – 2017; Br. R. Anbu Stalin, MSFS 2017 – 2018; Br. V. Ajin, MSFS 2019 – 2020; Br. M. Arockia Charles Benny, MSFS 2020 – 2021; Br. J. Delington Denise, MSFS 2023 – 2024; Br. Sudarson, MSFS 2024 – 2025; Br. S. Julian, MSFS.