Committed Capuchin Missionaries and their Contributions

The Zealous Capuchins

          Pondicherry was restored from the Dutch to the French after six years in 1699 by the treaty of Ryswick.[1] The missionaries too soon returned to assume their spiritual charges and it was the Capuchins who first returned to Pondicherry. The three famous Capuchin missionaries Frs. Jacques, Lawrence, Spiritus and a lay brother returned to their former mission and laid a strong foundation of a flourishing Christian community of Poor and Rich, Parayars and Brahmins, Hindus and Europeans.[2] Before they could come to Pondicherry from Madras, these Capuchins met the Bishop of Mylapore and got appointed Fr. Jacques as Cure of the Native church at Pondicherry.[3] The Jesuits resented to this and influenced François Martin to protest against it for this appointment was done without his knowledge. The Bishop of Mylapore withdrew his order of appointing Fr. Jacques OFM.Cap in charge of the Tamil Christians and in return Fr. Francois Dolu S.J was appointed. It was the first time that the bishop of Mylapore appointed officially a parish priest over the Tamil congregation at Pondicherry.[4] 

            The zealous Capuchins were disappointed of their deprival of the pastoral care of the Indian Catholics.[5] They had devoted themselves since the foundation of Pondicherry to the welfare of all Catholics irrespective of their origin. They desired to evangelize the Tamil community but they became mere care takers of Europeans, Eurasians and Europeanized Indians. The Capuchin missionaries repeatedly tried to re-assume their mission among the natives. They sent François-Marie de Tours even to Rome in 1702 to plead for their rights over the local Christians. 

The Apostle of Malabaris

            Fr. Spiritus of Tours (+1738), came to Pondicherry in 1686 to assist Fr. Cosmos de Gien the founder of the Pondicherry mission.[6] He was a man of enormous talents and was a great linguistic like Fr. Ephrem de Nevers OFM.Cap (+1695), the founder of the Madras mission. Fr. Spriritus could speak and write French, English, Portuguese and Tamil fluently.[7] He mastered Tamil and worked among the Tamil Christian community with great fervour and unquenching desire. He too adopted the customs and manners of Tamils which was then known as Malabar-rites.[8] He converted many Malabaris to the Christian fold and led the liturgy in the light of Tamil culture.[9] His great work among the Natives had won the name of “The Apostle of Malabaris” This humble Capuchin Fr. Spiritus of Tours aged 83 years died on January 3, 1738.

A Missionary to the Tribals

            Another zealous Capuchin missionary in this mission was Fr. Thomas of Poitiers (+1742). He first came to Surat and served as pro-vicar to the Vicar Apostolic of Great Mogul.[10] Fr. Thomas an excellent missionary with a great vision was appointed the superior of the Capuchin mission in Pondicherry.[11] He travelled 60 miles from Pondicherry to a mountainous region called Palleagaers and opened a new mission among the tribals near Chittor (Andhra) in 1732.[12]

The people in Palleagaers worshipped nature; Thomas equipped himself in their dialect and became one among them.[13] He taught them about Christ and converted the whole tribe of Palleagaers to Christianity and built a church dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels. He worked among them for more than ten years and established three missions called the mission of Palleagares. It was a more successful mission but it was closed down due to lack of personal. He had the privilege of serving in all the three South Indian Capuchin missions of Madras, Pondicherry and Surat. Having been a successful missionary Fr. Thomas of Poitiers died in the month of February 1742, in Madras.[14]  

Capuchin Contributions to Pondicherry Mission

The Social Concerns

            The Brahmins the main beneficiaries of the caste system continued to enjoy superior powers under the French rule.[1] François Martin the founder of Pondicherry was very clear and asked the missionaries never to harm the Brahminical structure.[2] The French tolerated the caste system for their smooth administration. The French missionaries achieved a remarkable success in converting the natives and Christian became second in population in the settlements.[3] The converted Christians carried along with them certain Hindu customs and religious rites. These Christians carried with them not only the Hindu customs but also the caste distinctions. The Capuchins severely criticized as pagan attitudes and protested against such conversions at several times.[4]

 Education

The Capuchins had the privilege of founding the first school in Pondicherry and it was of a parish-school, where religious instructions were obviously imparted.[5] The French did not have a French school for their girls and this concern was fulfilled by the Capuchins.[6] They took initiative and invited three Ursuline sisters from Vannes, in French Brittany. They arrived on September 8, 1738 at Pondicherry and as soon as their arrival they opened a school. The sisters had to face some administrative difficulties with the French government therefore they closed down the school.

Acts of Charity

The Capuchins were in charge of a hospital of the French company and an inn for the travellers to rest and relax.[7] Duplex’s wife Jeanne her love for the poor moved to open a small leper asylum without any social or religious distinction.[8] The Capuchin Fathers were the supervisors and appointed one of their catechists as manager of the asylum. [9]

THE LIST OF CAPUCHIN MISSIONARIES IN PONDICHERRY MISSION (1632-1828)

1. Fr. Cosmas of Gien
2. Fr. Jacques of Bourges
3. Fr. Lorenzo of Angouleme
4. Fr. Spiritus of Tours (+ 3^rd Jan, 1738)
5. Fra. Michel Angleo of Borgogna
6. Fr. Francis Maria of Tours
7. Fr. Norbert De Bar-Le-Duc
8. Fr. Giambattiata of Orleans (+ 16^th July, 1721)
9. Fr. Thomas of Poitiers (+ 1742)
10. Fr. Eutropio of Samnur (+ 22^nd Feb, 1742)
11. Fr. Francisco of Samnur (+ 23^rd Sep, 1752)
12. Fr. Michele of Ledignon (+ 19^th June, 1737)
13. Fr. Cristomo of Longuion (03^rd Mar, 1737)
14. Fr. Alessandro of Chateller (06^th July, 1738)
15. Fr. Andrea of Orleans (05^th June, 1741)
16. Fr. Ireneo of Normandia (23^rd July, 1743)
17. Fr. Fidele (+ 11^th June, 1747)
18. Fr. Gian Cristostomo of Castel Sarazin (16^th April, 1748)
19. Fr. Ippolito of Vallars (22^nd Oct, 1748)
20. Fr. Bonaventura of Bourges (02^nd Dec, 1750)
21. Fr. Lorenzo of Coutance (19^th Aug, 1754)
22. Fr. Atanario of Montfort (04^th Nov, 1759)
23. Fr. Francisco Felice of Pinerolr (23^rd Mar, 1760)
24. Fr. Terzorio (12^th Dec, 1789)
25. Fr. Sebastian of Nevers
26. Fr. Victor of Niort
27. Fr. Mansueto of Pintin
28. Fr. John Baptist of Bergamo
29. Fr. Bonaventure of Foligno
30. Fr. Donatus of Aurelianesis
31. Fr. Hilarius of Pictaviensis
32. Fr. Damasus of Oleron
33. Fr. Benedictus of Monterotundo
34. Fr. Honoratus of Utino
35. Fr. Augustus of Auvergne
36. Fr. John Baptist of S. Romulo
37. Fr. Laurentius of Tabia
38. Fr. Augustinus of Neuffontaines
39. Fr. Eustachius of Forosempronio
40. Fr. Petrus Benedictus of Filottrano
41. Fr. John Fidelis of Cuneo
42. Fr. Filibertus of Ceva
43. Fr. Felice of Montecchio}Italian
44. Fr. Giuseppe of Ascoli   } Italian

                                                                                - Fr. A. Thainis, OFM.Cap.,

                                                                                   thainiscap@gmail.com

                                                                                   thainiscap@yahoo.co.in

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[1] Ramasamy, 206.

[2] Madanakalyani, 90.

[3] Here and the following, Ramasamy, 209.

[4] Madanakalyani, 83.

[5] Hambye, 176.

[6] Here and the following, Madanakalyani, 90.

[7] Madanakalyani, 89f.

[8] Here and the following, Hambye, 177.

[9] Sampathkumar, 11.

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[1] Here and the following, Joseph Thekkedath, 200.

[2] Lucius, 24.

[3] Here and the following, Peter Celestine, 22f.

[4] Hambye, 171.

[5] Here and the following, Ibid, 171f.

[6] Lucius, 23.

[7] Peter Celestine, 24.

[8] Lucius, 23.

[9]  Here and the following, Peter Celestine, 24f.

[10] Ibid, 119.

[11] Here and the following, Collectiona Franciscana, 281.

[12] Sampath Kumar, 11.

[13] Here and the following, Collectiona Franciscana, 281.

[14] Humbert, Catholic Bombay, vol., i, Bombay: Catholic Press, 1964, 145.